Design and Construction
Rode's hull and deck are both molded in solid fiberglass as the construction record states, and the ballast keel is iron — a straightforward, repairable combination that anchors the 35 in its era. Inside, the joinery is teak, the conventional choice for the marque's contemporaries. The 38 percent ballast ratio and 11.9-foot beam set against 35.8 feet overall give a length-to-beam ratio of 2.95, a beamy, volume-oriented hull that nonetheless keeps a displacement-length ratio of 241, a figure the design record places among "moderate racers." With roughly 16,000 pounds displacement and nearly 6,000 pounds of iron ballast, the boat sits in the water with a wet-surface area of about 387 square feet, and an immersion rate near 1,259 pounds per inch tells you how steadily she carries load.
Rig and Performance
The Granada 35 is a masthead sloop, and the standing and running rigging estimates from period data show a mainsheet of nearly 88 feet and jib and genoa sheets of about 35 feet each, all sized around 14 mm diameter — a rig built for a full genoa and workmanlike control. Her theoretical hull speed is 7.4 knots, and the Relative Speed Performance index lands at 66, a middle-band figure consistent with the moderate-racer classification. The capsize screening value of 1.88 and a Motion Comfort Ratio between 25.6 and 28.8 describe a boat acceptable for offshore passage work while still offering a tolerable motion profile in a seaway.
Accommodations
The interior is finished in teak, in keeping with the period norm for boats of this class. The available construction record does not itemize berth counts or cabin arrangement beyond that material note, but the beam and displacement figures support a roomy three-cabin feel consistent with a 35-foot Danish cruiser of the early eighties.
Known Issues
The iron keel invites the usual vigilance for stray-current corrosion or coating breakdown that any iron-ballasted boat of the era requires, but no fact describes a systemic fault in the molding, the keel attachment, or the deck-to-hull joint.
Refits and Ownership
Owners shopping a Granada 35 should expect the ordinary refit horizon of a 40-year-old solid-glass Danish yacht: engine servicing on the Volvo Penta diesel, rig inspection, and teak interior care. The boat was built with different keel alternatives, so a surveyor should confirm which draft and profile a given hull carries, since that affects both grounding clearance and resale comparison.
The Verdict
The Granada 35 is a coherent early-1980s Danish cruiser-racer: solid glass construction, a beamy teak interior, and a masthead rig sized for conventional light-air sails. Her moderate-racer numbers and acceptable capsize screening make her a sensible coastal and offshore candidate for the sailor who values straightforward build over exotic sandwich cores.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with iron ballast keel
- Teak interior consistent with period Danish craftsmanship
- Capsize screening of 1.88 and comfort ratio near 28 support passage-making
Cons
- Iron keel demands corrosion vigilance absent from cored-keel designs
