With a displacement of 15,000 pounds, an 11-foot 11-inch beam, and 6,000 pounds of ballast, the S2 11.0 C sits firmly in the moderate-displacement cruising tradition of its era—not at the featherweight, performance-oriented end of the S2 range.
Design and Construction
Edmunds gave the 11.0 a longish fin keel that bridges the gap between traditional full-length keels and the thinner, deeper foils that followed. Encapsulating 6,000 pounds of ballast required a very thick keel section. The lower-aspect-ratio rudder trails behind a vestigial skeg, a conservative arrangement that favors stability over quick helm response.
The hull is solid fiberglass, while the deck is cored with end-grain balsa along the walkways. S2 used an inward-turning hull-deck joint: the deck molding drops onto a flange, is bedded in flexible sealant, and is then through-bolted on six-inch centers through the slotted aluminum toerail. It’s a simple, well-engineered joint that has held up.
The builder claimed it used vinylester resin from the start and replaced the exterior cloth layer with chopped mat to help prevent blistering. In 1984, S2 became one of the first builders to offer a five-year anti-blister warranty. Notably, the boats were never built with epoxy or any other barrier coat. S2 also designed and manufactured the hatches in-house rather than buying them.
Rig, Cockpit, and Handling
The S2 11.0 carries a masthead rig with the small mainsail and oversized foretriangle typical of the period. Its sail area/displacement ratio is 17.2, which Practical Sailor classed as moderate, while its displacement/length ratio is near 300. Wetted surface is roughly 25 percent greater than on a typical modern cruiser. That tempers acceleration but contributes to steadiness.
The T-shaped cockpit was innovative in its day, though it limited the wheel to 36 inches. Practical Sailor found the cockpit not as deep nor the coamings as high as desirable for offshore work. The recessed cabin-house grab rail also drew criticism, earning the publication’s “finger breaker” label because it was neither accessible nor substantial.
Accommodations and Stowage
The center-cockpit layout provides an oversized forward berth measuring 6 feet 5 inches by 6 feet 4 inches. Aft, there’s a generous quarter berth measuring 6 feet 5 inches by 3 feet 9 inches. The galley wraps around a serve-through counter that the reviewer called ahead of its time.
One 6-foot 5-inch owner reported enough room to stand and lie down without feeling closed in, even during weeks of cruising. The cockpit locker is large enough to provide access to the port side of the engine and accommodate a generator or watermaker, with stowage space left over.
Known Issues
The cabin trunk has three jumbo windows, large enough that Practical Sailor saw a risk from breaking seas.
Chainplates have also troubled several owners. One owner maintains that they must be rebedded every season to remain watertight. A sailor identified the wooden mast step and the relative lack of structural support for the keel-stepped mast as a potential weakness.
On one boat, a Volvo MD 17C saildrive reportedly ran hot until the owner installed a dedicated raw-water intake through-hull. Some original equipment has also proved undersized or inadequate for individual owners. One upgraded to #43 primary winches and #42 halyard winches, while another replaced inadequate original refrigeration with Adler Barbour.
The Verdict
The S2 11.0 C is a thoughtfully engineered cruiser with a conservative, seaworthy hull form and a roomy center-cockpit interior that has aged well. It is a thoughtfully engineered 1980s cruiser. Its structural fundamentals are sound, and the builder’s early work on blister resistance is credible. Still, the large cabin-trunk windows, chainplates, and limited cockpit protection warrant a buyer’s attention.
Pros
- Simple, well-proven inward-flange hull-deck joint with a through-bolted toerail
- Roomy center-cockpit layout with oversized berths and a serve-through galley
- Early use of vinylester resin and a five-year builder-backed anti-blister warranty
Cons
- Jumbo cabin-trunk windows pose a risk in breaking seas
- Chainplates require recurring rebedding for some owners
- Shallow cockpit and low coamings fall short of offshore ideals
