Design and Construction
The Nauticat 32 is built by the Finnish yard Siltala Yachts Oy with a hand laid fibreglass hull, and it carries a fin keel whose ballast is lead built with a fin keel. The builder’s general construction practice for Nauticat hulls used hand-laminated solid GRP single-skin below the sheerline without foam or balsa coring, and the 32’s recorded 30% ballast ratio places it higher than only 8% of similar designs, while its DL-ratio of 292 sorts it among “heavy cruisers.” With a length-to-beam ratio of 3.12, the model is recorded as more spacy than 58% of comparable sailboat designs.
Rig and Handling
Sail-handling geometry on the Nauticat 32 follows conventional proportions, with estimated jib and genoa sheets of 10.0 m on 12 mm diameter and a mainsheet of 25.0 m on the same diameter mainsheet length estimated. Under power, the boat may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar 3GM30F diesel at 27 hp, returning a calculated max speed of about 5.5 knots against a displacement-hull theoretical maximum of 7.0 knots. The Motion Comfort Ratio of 30.7 is documented as more comfortable than 82% of similar sailboat designs, and the capsize screening value is 1.78.
Accommodations
Below, the Nauticat 32 is equipped with 3 cabins and 6 berths, a galley, a toilet facility, and an interior of teak interior equipped with cabins. Fresh water capacity is 440 liters with a waste water capacity of 100 liters, supporting extended cruising for a boat of its size. The draft of about 1.60 to 1.70 meter dependent on load allows the boat to enter most marinas.
Known Issues
No specific structural or systemic defects are recorded in the available documentation for the Nauticat 32. The wet-bottom surface of about 30 m² and immersion rate of about 177 kg/cm are documented specifications rather than problem indicators, and the ledger contains no owner or tester reports of failure modes.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership of the Nauticat line shifted across eras, with Kaj Gustafsson taking managing direction of Siltala in the early 1990s and his sons joining at the end of that decade; the assets later passed to Nauticat Yachts SIA in Latvia in 2022. For a 32-foot Gustafsson design, the documented 250-liter fuel capacity and 27 hp diesel option frame realistic cruising refit baselines, though no model-specific refit mandates appear in the record.
The Verdict
The Nauticat 32 is a straightforward early-1990s Finnish cruiser with a comfortable motion profile and practical interior volume for its length. Its heavy-cruiser categorization and moderate ballast ratio suit relaxed voyaging over performance racing, and the lead-fin keel with shallow-enough draft broadens marina access.
Pros
- Documented Motion Comfort Ratio more comfortable than 82% of similar designs
- Three cabins and six berths with teak interior and 440 L water capacity
- Hand laid fibreglass hull with lead fin keel and manageable 1.60–1.70 m draft
Cons
- Ballast ratio higher than only 8% of similar sailboat designs
- Calculated engine max speed of 5.5 knots limits motoring pace
- No recorded tester or owner reports to confirm real-world handling traits
