Design and Construction
Structurally, the Goderich 35 stands out for its early use of the radius-bilge metal hull system, which Brewer described as likely the first of its kind. The bilge radius gradually changes from 30 inches forward to 26 inches aft. Radius-rolled sheet steel forms the bilge between flatter side and bottom plates, and the completed hull is finished with urethane paint.
Widely spaced athwartship frames support closely spaced flat-bar longitudinal stringers. The boat is built predominantly of steel, with wood trim, and the hull is insulated with urethane foam to reduce interior condensation.
The Goderich 35 displaces 17,000 pounds and carries 6,200 pounds of lead ballast on a 28-foot-3-inch waterline. Owners have reported a ballast-to-displacement ratio of about 37 percent. That gives the boat the mass and stability expected of a long-keel offshore cruiser.
Rig and Handling
The Goderich 35 is a double-headsail cruising sloop that many sailors call a cutter. Its standard rig is a cutter sloop with a boom-mounted staysail and no bowsprit. Some boats left the builder as ketches, while several were stretched to 37 feet by extending the stern overhang.
Below the waterline, the boat has a fixed, modified long keel with a cutaway forefoot. A keel-mounted rudder is controlled by a tiller. Together with the spooned, raked stem and plumb transom, this layout marks the Goderich 35 as a traditional offshore cruiser rather than a quick-handling fin-keel boat.
Offshore Pedigree
The design’s offshore credentials aren’t theoretical. Two Goderich 35s completed demanding global circumnavigations below the Cape of Good Hope, Australia, and Cape Horn.
Marvin Creamer’s Globe Star departed Cape May on 21 December 1982 and finished on 17 May 1984, after 18 months and 11 months actually at sea. Creamer carried a sextant and compass sealed in a compartment that remained unopened, and he kept time only with an hourglass.
Ed Arnold’s aluminum-built Nomad was sailed to Europe, then around Cape Horn to Sitka. Arnold later completed a solo circumnavigation between 1 October 2001 and 6 September 2002, stopping in Cape Town for iceberg repairs and in Adelaide for radar work.
Accommodations
Below deck, the Goderich 35 sleeps its crew in a bow V-berth, two main-cabin settee berths, and a starboard-side aft pilot berth. The galley is to port at the foot of the companionway and includes a three-burner stove. Farther forward, the head has separate doors to the main cabin and forward cabin.
Five opening ports, five portlights, and a main-cabin hatch provide ventilation—a practical arrangement for a steel hull in warm climates.
The Verdict
The Goderich 35 is a serious steel cruiser with a pioneering radius-bilge design and proven round-the-world credentials. It requires the maintenance expected of any metal boat, but in return offers the stable seakeeping associated with substantial ballast and a practical, well-ventilated interior.
Pros
- Pioneering radius-bilge steel hull that amateur metalworkers could build
- Proven circumnavigation record, including Cape Horn routes
- Traditional long keel, cutter rig, and tiller steering
- Practical, well-ventilated cruising accommodations
Cons
- Steel hull requires ongoing paint and insulation maintenance to avoid sweating
- Tiller steering and a long keel limit close-quarters maneuverability compared with modern spade-rudder boats
