Design and Construction
Edmunds gave the 11.0 a longish fin keel that bridges the gap between full-length keels and the thinner, deeper foils that followed, but the ballast demand forced a very thick keel section to encapsulate the 6,000 pounds. The rudder trails behind a vestigial skeg and is lower in aspect ratio than later designs, a conservative choice that favors stability over quick helm response. The hull itself is solid fiberglass; the deck is end-grain balsa-cored along the walkways. S2’s hull-deck joint is inward-turning, with the deck molding dropped onto a flange and bedded in flexible sealant, then through-bolted on six-inch centers through the slotted aluminum toerail — a simple, well-engineered union that has held up. The builder claimed vinylester resin was used from the start and that the exterior cloth layer was swapped for chopped mat to head off blistering, and S2 was among the first builders to offer a five-year anti-blister warranty in 1984. Notably, the boats were never built with an epoxy or any other barrier coat. Hatches were designed and made in-house rather than bought in.
Rig and Handling
The 11.0 carries a masthead rig with the period-typical small main and overlarge foretriangle, and a sail area/displacement ratio of 17.2 that Practical Sailor classed as moderate against a displacement/length ratio near 300. Her wetted surface runs something like 25 percent greater than a typical modern cruiser, which tempers acceleration but aids steadiness. The T-shaped cockpit was an innovation in its day and constrained the wheel to 36 inches. Practical Sailor judged the cockpit not as deep nor the coamings as high as desirable for offshore work, and the recessed cabin-house grab rail earned their "finger breaker" label for being neither accessible nor hefty.
Accommodations
Inside, the center-cockpit layout yields an oversized forward berth at 6 feet 5 inches by 6 feet 4 inches and a generous quarter berth aft at 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. A 6-foot 5-inch owner reported standing and lying room without any closed-in feeling during weeks of cruising. The cockpit locker is large enough to reach the port side of the engine and to house a generator or watermaker with stowage to spare.
Known Issues
The three jumbo cabin-trunk windows are large enough that Practical Sailor saw a breaking-seas risk in them. Chainplates have aggravated several owners; one maintains they must be rebedded every season to stay watertight. A Volvo MD 17C saildrive reportedly ran hot until its owner added a dedicated raw-water intake through-hull. A sailor flagged the wooden mast step and relative lack of structural support for the keel-stepped mast as a potential weakness. Undersized original winches prompted one owner to move up to #43 primaries and #42 halyards, and another replaced inadequate original refrigeration with Adler Barbour.
The Verdict
The S2 11.0 C is a thoughtfully engineered 1980s cruiser with a conservative, seaworthy hull form and a roomy center-cockpit interior that wears its age well. The structural basics are sound and the builder’s early blister resistance work is credible, but the windows, chainplates, and cockpit protection warrant a buyer’s attention.
Pros
- Simple, well-proven inward-flange hull-deck joint with through-bolted toerail
- Roomy center-cockpit layout with oversized berths and serve-through galley
- Early vinylester resin use and five-year anti-blister warranty from the builder
Cons
- Jumbo cabin-trunk windows pose a risk in breaking seas
- Chainplates need recurring rebedding for some owners
- Shallow cockpit and low coamings fall short of offshore ideals
