Design and Construction
Hake describes the hull form as a "spherical tumblehome," and the eye reads it as a jaunty sheer dropping to a cockpit enclosed by a stainless stern rail with two seats. Below the waterline the hull is solid fiberglass, laid up with a blister-resistant vinylester gelcoat, a skin coat of chopped strand mat, and triaxial fabrics; the second step introduces 40-ounce triaxial cloth, while Coremat in the flat runs adds stiffness without wood or balsa to rot anchor. The deck is cored with Divinycell foam, and deck hardware such as cleats is tapped into 1/8-inch aluminum plates bedded in the laminate so fasteners cannot weep. The hull-to-deck joint turns outward into an inverted J, chemically bonded and screwed with stainless machine screws every six inches. A solid fiberglass interior pan is vacuum-bonded to the deck, and a 3-inch stainless strap drops from the coachroof to a rod at the hull to anchor the rig.
Rig and Handling
The sail plan is an uncomplicated deck-stepped fractional rig with single spreaders; shrouds and inner stays run inside the sidedeck walkway, and halyards lead to Ronstan rope clutches on the cabintop forward of an Andersen winch. A Schaefer furler lifts the jib tack at least a foot off the deck, and the stock 110-percent genoa (Super Sails, a Florida loft) gives a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of about 18.4. The retractable keel is a NACA-section, eight-foot-long foil with 26-inch wings and a poured-lead core, drawing six feet down or two feet up; one of two lines on the cabintop works a Rule Industries 20SS motor with a 2,000-pound lift, housed in a box beneath the mast anchor. The stern-hung rudder rides up and down in its sheath, pinned at the head so it cannot lift out in a following sea. On the Chesapeake, test sailors found her sailing through short chop in 10 to 15 knots, pointing within 40 degrees of apparent wind and logging 4.5 to 5.5 knots, with speed climbing to the mid-6s as sheets eased and a 7-knot run for several minutes. A reef in 14 knots stood her up and kept the same pace, and she spun on her keel in a circle no wider than her own length.
Accommodations
Inside, headroom runs about 5 feet 10 inches throughout. The V-berth is the main sleeping choice, but berths for four exceed six feet, and the lowered bulkhead table rotates amidships for dining on both sides. The 48-inch galley to port carries an icebox, stove, and sink, with the same counter length available if the sink cover and oven top are pressed into service; opposite, an enclosed head with shower and toilet measures 32 by 40 inches. The cockpit itself is 8 feet 4 inches by 5 feet 2 inches, seats four on 16-inch benches, and gains a transom gate for stern entry. A starboard locker stretches more than six feet long, and space sits under the seat for a 6-gallon fuel tank. Practical Sailor noted a real shortage of bulk stowage unless the aft quarterberth is given over to gear.
Known Issues
Early boats carried a rudder that could not fully retract, hanging 12 to 18 inches below the hull; owners report that by 2010 the keel had become bolt-on and the rudder was redesigned to lift completely into its cassette anchor. The same reviewers questioned a backstay attached to only one side of the transom, and noted the Edson wheel intrudes on the path around the cockpit.
Refits and Ownership
The 26RK accepts an optional inboard Yanmar diesel in place of the outboard norm, and later builds swapped the stainless ports of older boats for plastic ones. The electric keel system and cassette rudder are the components a careful owner keeps serviced; the aluminum-plate deck fastenings and inverted-J joint have proven durable by construction.
The Verdict
The Seaward 26RK is a thoughtfully engineered little cruiser that punches above her length with a lifting keel for gunkholing and a stiff, easily driven hull. She is narrow and short on stowage, and early rudders need the retrofit, but the later cassette setup and bolt-on keel resolved the worst.
Pros
- Road-legal beam and 15-inch minimum draft open shallow creeks and trailering
- Electric retractable NACA keel and fully lifting rudder simplify shoal drafting
- Solid fiberglass hull with foam-cored deck and aluminum-plated hardware resist leaks and rot
- Spirited performance: points to 40 degrees and reaches mid-6 to 7 knots in 10–15 knots
Cons
- Early rudders could not fully retract, trailing 12–18 inches
- Limited bulk storage unless the quarterberth is sacrificed
- Cockpit wheel and single-side backstay drew reviewer criticism
