Hallberg-Rassy 352 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 352’s hull was hand laid using generous amounts of fibre and resin, with glassed-in longitudinal stringers for strength and stiffness, and Practical Boat Owner records her as built with glassfibre sandwich construction stiffened with longitudinal stringers anchor. Bulkheads and much of the furniture were bonded to the hull and deckhead to further improve the rigidity of the structure. Beneath the waterline she carries a long, encapsulated fin keel containing three tons of cast iron ballast, with a cutaway forward to aid tacking and manoeuvring at close quarters, and a full-depth skeg supports the rudder. Fuel and water tanks were positioned low down in the keel, and the ballast ratio sits at a healthy 45 percent. Freeboard was raised in 1980 by a few centimetres to allow more headroom in the walk-through and aft cabin, and again around 1986 by only some centimetres to gain even better volume and headroom under deck.

Rig and Handling

The boat was built with a standard and a tall rig; the standard is recognised by its single spreader, the tall by double spreaders, and boats with in-mast furling automatically became the tall rig. Early models had a relatively conservative sailplan, but a taller mast with twin spreaders was offered for owners wanting more sail power and eventually became the default choice for most owners. Yachting Monthly’s tester found the traditional, very stout masthead rig carried a full complement of oversized standing rigging, and that the primary sail controls sit within easy reach of the wheel so she is easy to single-hand, though as standard reefing is done at the mast unless upgraded. The same reviewer classed her performance as steady, undramatic and thoroughly sea-kindly, with the generous displacement helping keep passage times up by her refusal to be knocked off a wave, and the full keel giving little leeway and superb directional stability.

Accommodations

Inside, hardwoods and matching grained veneers were so well varnished from the first day that many have remained in top condition with only light routine polish. The layout is straightforward and practical at sea: a proper seagoing U-shaped galley sits immediately to starboard, not huge but with plentiful accessible lockers and room for a full-size cooker, while opposite is a forward-facing nav station with an Admiralty-sized chart table. The corridor to the aft cabin starts behind the nav area and in all models requires ducking down, though early versions had poor headroom especially there, a problem the deck raises addressed only partly since the walk-through still falls short of full standing headroom. The aft cabin itself is roomy with twin berths, one large enough to serve as a reasonable double. Forward, the heads are a reasonable size with room to shower with the door closed, effectively en suite to the comfortable forecabin with its good-sized vee-berth when the saloon door is shut. Around the large drop-leaf saloon table there is room to feed six in comfort, and the long straight settees make excellent sea berths.

Known Issues

One drawback for many owners is the teak decks fitted to a lot of boats, and many 352s were ordered with them. Early models also did lack bookshelves at the nav station. Visibility under the large genoa on this centre-cockpit yacht is nil, and manoeuvring into tight spots isn’t her strongest suit, requiring practice as her long keel, big rudder and copious prop walk conspire to make it interesting.

Refits and Ownership

Progressive improvement marks the production run. In 1984–85 the galley working area was improved, the entrance ladder became separate, the cockpit locker drain was improved, and spring cleats moved to the top of the teak toe rail. Around 1986 the saloon skylight was increased for more natural light and locker doors became louvered. A very few boats were built with a hardtop using a deeper cockpit, sacrificing the below-deck walk-through so the aft cabin was accessed only from the cockpit. Engine fitment evolved from the Volvo Penta MD21 to the 2003 Turbo after that engine ceased in late 1984, with a few later hulls taking the bigger MD22. Hallberg-Rassy 352 No 125 placed second in its ARC class in 2018 as the smallest and oldest in the fleet, a testament to the design’s endurance.

The Verdict

The 352 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that brought big-boat comfort to a moderate size and price. Writing in Yachting Monthly, a reviewer described her as no racer but a steady passage-maker, and later hulls corrected the early headroom shortfalls while keeping the sea-kindly manners that define her.

Pros

Walk-through aft cabin layout in a 35-foot centre-cockpit hull, a genuine design first
Strong, stiff hull structure with bonded bulkheads and low tankage for stability
Sea-kindly, directionally stable performer with excellent passage-keeping displacement per Yachting Monthly's assessment
Progressive factory improvements across the 14-year build run

Cons