Tord Sundén, the naval architect known for efficient, Folkboat-derived hull forms, drew the boat. Åbo Shipyard in Turku built the fiberglass version under Fiskars AB. Its predecessor was a wooden, 28-foot, fractional-rigged boat that appeared at Sweden’s Strobro yard in the 1950s and was shown at the 1955 NY Boat Show. The 29-foot masthead-rigged fiberglass development retained the original boat’s character while emphasizing durability and low maintenance.
Design and Construction
The fiberglass King’s Cruiser 29 measures 28.5 feet overall, with a 23.25-foot waterline, an 8.25-foot beam, and a moderate 4.92-foot draft. It has a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder.
Displacement is 6,000 pounds, including 3,100 pounds of ballast. That ratio gives the hull a steady, predictable posture. Period assessments credited the Åbo-built hulls with high-quality construction. The fiberglass version was also praised for preserving the original’s balanced lines and performance while reducing upkeep.
The design found a following in both Europe and the United States, reflecting an appeal that crossed markets rather than depending on a single promotional push.
Rig and Handling
The masthead-sloop rig has a foretriangle 33.15 feet high with a 10.72-foot base. The mainsail has a 27.92-foot luff and an 8.67-foot foot.
The sail plan suits the boat’s stated roles: family coastal cruising, club racing, and short offshore passages, including cross-Channel and Baltic sailing. Reviewers described the design as seaworthy. Its moderate beam, fin keel, and skeg-hung rudder support the balanced handling for which Sundén’s earlier Folkboat-derived work earned respect among cruising sailors.
Accommodations
The interior was praised as comfortable yet compact for its size. That description suits a 28.5-foot hull with an 8.25-foot beam pressed into cruising service.
The cabin makes no pretense of offering more volume than the hull allows. Instead, its practical layout serves the boat’s coastal-cruising and short-passage brief without trying to imitate a larger yacht. Practicality, rather than grandeur, defines the space below.
Construction Record and Known Issues
Published assessments praise this design’s construction rather than attaching major caveats. The fiberglass version was noted for high-quality construction, durability, and low maintenance. No chronic structural weakness forms part of the published assessment.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership costs were part of the boat’s original appeal. The design was praised for reasonable pricing, while the fiberglass hull’s low-maintenance emphasis meant fewer recurring chores than its wooden predecessor required.
With a single diesel and a compact cruising envelope, the King’s Cruiser 29 suits an owner who wants a classic Scandinavian hull without taking on the restoration burden of the earlier wooden 28-footer.
The Verdict
The King’s Cruiser 29 is a thoughtful evolution of a Folkboat-lineage cruiser. It exchanged the wooden predecessor’s upkeep for fiberglass durability while retaining Sundén’s balanced, seaworthy approach.
This is a small, honest boat for coastal cruising and short offshore work. Its interior is compact, but comfortable for its length, and its construction record draws praise rather than caveat.
Pros
- High-quality fiberglass construction with an emphasis on low maintenance
- Balanced lines and proven seaworthiness from a Sundén design
- Comfortable, compact interior suited to the boat’s length
- Reasonable original pricing
- A broad following in Europe and the United States
Cons
- Compact accommodations limit its appeal as a liveaboard
