With a road-legal beam of 8 feet 4 inches, the boat trades the interior volume of a wider modern trailerable for a slender, traditional profile. A nearly plumb bow, mild tumblehome, boxy trunk house, and practical two-foot bowsprit give her a distinctive look. Although she measures 28 feet 4 inches overall and has a waterline 18 inches longer than that of her 25-foot predecessor, she can still be towed behind a car.
Design and Construction
Hake describes the hull form as a “spherical tumblehome.” Visually, a jaunty sheer runs aft to a cockpit enclosed by a stainless stern rail with two seats.
Below the waterline, the hull is solid fiberglass. Its layup includes blister-resistant vinylester gelcoat, a skin coat of chopped strand mat, and triaxial fabrics. The second step introduces 40-ounce triaxial cloth, while Coremat stiffens the flat runs without introducing wood or balsa that could rot. The deck is cored with Divinycell foam. The hull layup uses Coremat in the flat runs for stiffness without wood or balsa to rot.
Deck hardware such as cleats is tapped into 1/8-inch aluminum plates bedded in the laminate so the fasteners can’t weep. The hull-to-deck joint turns outward into an inverted J; it is chemically bonded and secured with stainless machine screws spaced every six inches. A solid fiberglass interior pan is vacuum-bonded to the deck. To anchor the rig, a 3-inch stainless strap runs from the coachroof to a rod at the hull.
Rig, Keel, and Rudder
The sail plan is a straightforward, deck-stepped fractional rig with single spreaders. Shrouds and inner stays run inside the sidedeck walkway, while the halyards lead to Ronstan rope clutches on the cabintop, forward of an Andersen winch.
A Schaefer furler holds the jib tack at least a foot above the deck. The standard 110-percent genoa, made by the Florida loft Super Sails, gives the boat a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of about 18.4.
The retractable keel is an eight-foot-long, NACA-section foil with 26-inch wings and a poured-lead core. Draft is six feet with the keel down and two feet with it raised. One of two lines on the cabintop operates a Rule Industries 20SS motor with a 2,000-pound lift. The keel-lift motor is housed in a box beneath the mast.
The stern-hung rudder moves up and down inside its sheath. A pin at the head prevents it from lifting out in a following sea.
Sailing and Handling
During a Chesapeake test in 10 to 15 knots, sailors found the 26RK worked through short chop and pointed within 40 degrees of the apparent wind. They recorded speeds of 4.5 to 5.5 knots. With the sheets eased, speed rose into the mid-6s, and the boat held 7 knots for several minutes.
Putting in a reef at 14 knots stood her up without reducing her pace. Under maneuvering tests, she also spun on her keel within a circle no wider than her own length.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The cockpit measures 8 feet 4 inches by 5 feet 2 inches. Its 16-inch benches seat four, and a transom gate provides access from the stern. A starboard locker extends more than six feet, with space beneath the seat for a 6-gallon fuel tank.
Below, headroom is about 5 feet 10 inches throughout. The V-berth is the primary sleeping space, though the boat provides four berths longer than six feet. A lowered bulkhead table rotates amidships so diners can sit on both sides.
The 48-inch galley to port includes an icebox, stove, and sink. Using the sink cover and oven top provides the same length of counter space. Opposite the galley, the enclosed head measures 32 by 40 inches and includes a shower and toilet.
Practical Sailor noted a significant shortage of bulk stowage unless the aft quarterberth is dedicated to gear.
Known Issues and Changes
On early boats, the rudder couldn’t retract fully and remained 12 to 18 inches below the hull. Owners report that by 2010 the keel had become bolt-on, while the rudder had been redesigned to retract completely into its cassette.
The same reviewers questioned the backstay’s attachment to only one side of the transom. They also noted that the Edson wheel obstructs movement around the cockpit.
Equipment, Refits, and Ownership
Most 26RKs use an outboard, but an inboard Yanmar diesel was optional. Later boats also replaced the stainless ports fitted to older boats with plastic ones.
The electric keel system and cassette rudder are the main components for a careful owner to keep serviced. The aluminum-plate deck fastenings and inverted-J hull-to-deck joint have proven durable by construction.
The Verdict
The Seaward 26RK is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser with a lifting keel suited to gunkholing and a stiff, easily driven hull. Its narrow beam limits interior volume, and bulk stowage is scarce. Early rudders need the retrofit, but the later cassette arrangement and bolt-on keel resolved the worst.
Pros
- Road-legal beam and 15-inch minimum draft open up shallow creeks and make trailering possible
- Electric retractable NACA keel and fully lifting rudder simplify shoal-draft sailing
- Solid fiberglass hull, foam-cored deck, and aluminum-backed hardware resist leaks and rot
- Spirited performance: points to 40 degrees and reaches the mid-6s to 7 knots in 10–15 knots
Cons
- Early rudders couldn’t retract fully and remained 12–18 inches below the hull
- Limited bulk stowage unless the quarterberth is sacrificed
- Cockpit wheel and one-sided backstay drew criticism from reviewers
