Island Packet 350 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 350's hull is a hand-laminated solid triaxial fiberglass shell using vinylester in the outer layers to resist water penetration and polyester behind, with a glass-to-resin ratio near 58:42 and a forward keel edge built past an inch thick solid triaxial fiberglass layup. Island Packet stiffened the hull with an integrated molded structural grid, and the deck is cored with rot-resistant PolyCore foam over an inch thick, joined to an inward-turning hull flange with 3M 5200 and quarter-inch stainless bolts on six-inch centers deck joinery. The proprietary PolyClad gel system earned a 10-year blister warranty, while the chain-plate assembly welds stainless to an L-flange interlocking the hull flange and fans unidirectional glass down past the waterline, tying rig loads into the monocoque. Beneath the waterline the modified full keel carries substantial forward cutaway and a sleek run aft to the attached rudder — Johnson's Full Foil Keel — giving her the stiffness Practical Sailor credited to a 47% ballast-displacement ratio.

Rig and Handling

A versatile cutter rig gives the 350 a wide range of manageable sail plans, including a pivoting self-tending staysail boom after Garry Hoyt's pattern and an optional modern cruising spinnaker package. Despite the added wetted surface of the long keel, testers found her more weatherly than expected and logging four to five knots upwind in an 8- to 10-knot breeze, while she reaches and runs with the best of them and shows a minimal, predictable, comfortable motion. The rack-and-pinion steering — an Island Packet staple — was updated from March 1997 with a Whitlock Premier XL version addressing sensitivity concerns, and the cockpit is secured by high coamings suited to ocean work with factory-installed safety harness pad eyes.

Accommodations

Below, the main cabin offers 6'4" headroom and pairs a port longitudinal settee that becomes a nav station with an opposing L-shaped starboard dinette settee. Both the forward and after staterooms use Pullman-style doubles tucked against the hull sides; the forward berth runs fore-and-aft while the after berth is athwartship but large enough for sea-going fore-and-aft use. The single head sits forward to starboard with dual doors to saloon and stateroom, a wraparound counter that holds you seated and a curtainable shower. The starboard U-galley holds double sinks and a large reefer, and molded-in LPG lockers stow two 10-pound tanks outboard beneath the deck.

Equipment and Systems

A Yanmar 38-horsepower 3JHE diesel sits beneath the companionway, reached forward by lifting the insulated stair box for two-thirds access and aft via a removable panel in the stateroom. Thick-gauge welded aluminum tanks for 50 gallons fuel, 100 water, and 30 holding are all laid below the cabin sole for low center of weight, though Boat of the Year judges worried the tanks are virtually impossible to extract without cutting the interior apart. Hefty flanged bronze thru-hulls are tagged and easy to locate, and the reverse-counter stern platform — a first for the line — carries pushpit seats at the hips and a bow sprit dedicated to anchoring.

Refits and Ownership

The most significant factory refit was the 1997 steering upgrade to the Whitlock Premier XL, a change any buyer of early hulls should verify. Otherwise the 350's construction leaves little to age poorly: solid hull, capped deck core, and integral aluminum backing plates under deck fittings. The tank-removal difficulty is the one ownership caveat that argues for meticulous fluid-system care rather than replacement.

The Verdict

The Island Packet 350 is a thoughtfully engineered coastal-and-offshore cruiser that trades a little upwind efficiency for tremendous stiffness, room, and a secure deck plan. Johnson's Full Foil Keel and cutter rig make her predictable and easy to shorten down, while the interior is a genuine two-cabin cruising layout with headroom rare in the length.

Pros