Design and Construction
What sets the Goderich 35 apart structurally is its early use of the radius-bilge metal hull system, which Brewer described as likely the very first of its kind. The bilge radius eases gradually from 30 inches forward to 26 inches aft, and the hull itself is welded from radius-rolled sheet steel in the bilge between flatter plates on the sides and bottom, then finished in urethane paint. Frames are widely spaced athwartship members stiffened by closely spaced flat-bar longitudinal stringers. The boat is built predominantly of steel with wood trim, and to curb interior condensation the hull is insulated with urethane foam. At 17,000 pounds displacement with 6,200 pounds of lead ballast on a 28-foot-3-inch waterline, she carries a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 37 percent, a figure owners have reported, giving her the kind of mass and stability a long-keel cruiser is expected to show offshore.
Rig and Handling
The Goderich 35 is a double-headsail cruising sloop that many call a cutter, and the standard rig is a cutter sloop with a boom-mounted staysail and no bowsprit. Some hulls left the builder as ketches, and several were stretched to 37 feet with an extended stern overhang. Underbody geometry is a fixed modified long keel with a cutaway forefoot, paired with a keel-mounted rudder on a tiller — a layout that, with the spooned raked stem and plumb transom, marks her as a traditionalist's offshore hull rather than a fin-keel responder.
Offshore Pedigree
The design's credentials are not theoretical. Two Goderich 35s completed global circumnavigations the hard way, below the Cape of Good Hope, Australia and Cape Horn. Marvin Creamer's Globe Star departed Cape May on 21 December 1982 and finished 17 May 1984 after 18 months and 11 months actually at sea, carrying a sextant and compass sealed in a compartment that stayed unopened and keeping time only with an hourglass. Ed Arnold's aluminum-built Nomad was sailed to Europe, then around Cape Horn to Sitka, and later completed a solo circumnavigation between 1 October 2001 and 6 September 2002, pausing in Cape Town for iceberg repairs and in Adelaide for radar work anchor.
Accommodations
Below, the Goderich 35 sleeps a bow V-berth, two main-cabin settee berths, and a starboard-side aft pilot berth. The galley sits to port at the foot of the companionway with a three-burner stove, while the head is forward with separate doors to the main cabin and forward cabin. Ventilation comes from five opening ports, five portlights, and a main cabin hatch — a practical air plan for a steel hull in warm climates.
The Verdict
The Goderich 35 is a serious steel cruiser with a genuine radius-bilge pedigree and proven round-the-world credentials. She asks for the care any metal boat requires, but rewards it with ballast-stable sea-keeping and a practical, ventilated interior.
Pros
- Pioneering radius-bilge steel hull buildable by amateur metalworkers
- Proven circumnavigation record including Cape Horn routes
- Traditional long-keel, cutter rig with tiller steering
- Well-ventilated, practical cruising accommodation
Cons
- Steel hull demands paint and insulation upkeep to avoid sweating
- Tillers and long keels limit tight-dock maneuvering versus modern spade rudders
