Design and Construction
The Sou'wester 59 is a monohull built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim, carrying a raked stem and a raised counter with an angled transom. Early hulls followed traditional fiberglass practice, but the final builds transitioned to a Kevlar and carbon fiber composite built with a patented vacuum bagging method, an evolution that brought meaningful weight savings and greater durability to the structure. With a displacement of 69,000 pounds and 23,250 pounds of lead ballast, the yacht sits firmly in the water and carries a ballast-to-displacement character suited to offshore work. The keel-centerboard arrangement pairs a fixed fin keel with a retractable centerboard, giving 12.5 feet of draft with the board down and 6.5 feet retracted — a configuration that opens shallow anchorages while preserving directional stability offshore.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a masthead sloop rig as standard, with an optional ketch rig available. The Bermuda rig stands on a foretriangle of 67 feet with a 23-foot base, and the total sail area measures roughly 1,464 square feet. A skeg-mounted rudder controlled by a wheel gives the helmsman predictable authority, and the deck layout — with a teak foredeck, flush hatches, and a raised salon coachroof — was laid out for safe movement and ocean-going confidence. Period reviews noted that a tri-radial Norlam gennaker pulls the boat along in light breeze, revealing performance roots beneath the traditional profile. The keel-centerboard design itself provides shallow draft access to hidden anchorages and solid offshore performance with the board down.
Accommodations
Below, the Sou'wester 59 is arranged as a center-cockpit cruiser with three private cabins and accommodations for eight. The interior is finished in satin-finished cherry woodwork with teak-and-holly soles and meticulous joinery throughout. A private aft owner's suite features satin-varnished cherry joinery, dual berths, and a dedicated companionway to the cockpit, while the main salon offers warm cherry woodwork, a C-shaped settee, and generous natural light suited to long passages. Reference documentation describes a layout with two single cabins in the bow, two aft cabins each with double berths, a U-shaped galley to port at the forward companionway ladder with stove, ice box, and double sink, a navigation station opposite to starboard, and two heads — one in the forepeak and one in the port aft cabin.
Equipment and Systems
The Sou'wester 59 was fitted with a British Perkins diesel engine of 135 horsepower for docking and maneuvering, though the final hull is noted with a powerful Yanmar diesel. Electric winches and an electric headsail furler make the boat manageable for a small crew. Comfort systems on the later hulls included Espar heating, reverse-cycle air conditioning, and a high-capacity watermaker, supporting extended cruising across climates. Fuel capacity is 250 gallons and fresh water 380 gallons.
The Verdict
The Sou'wester 59 is a rare, semi-custom offshore cruiser that blends traditional Hinckley presentation with a sophisticated keel-centerboard hull and, in its final iterations, advanced composite construction. The limited production count means each boat carries individual character, and the accommodation plan is both generous and well resolved for passage-making.
Pros
- Keel-centerboard hull delivers shallow access and offshore stability
- Semi-custom build with only 16 hulls produced
- Cherry joinery and teak-and-holly soles throughout
- Electric winches and headsail furler ease short-handed handling
- Final hulls use Kevlar-carbon composite for weight savings
Cons
- Very limited production limits comparables and spares commonality
- 12.5-foot draft with board down restricts some harbors
- Early fiberglass hulls lack the composite evolution of later boats
