Graham & Schlageter designed the boat as a refinement of the S2 11C, a 36-foot center-cockpit model with the same basic hull profile but 1,000 pounds more weight. That reduction, combined with a more efficient bolt-on fin keel, should allow the 35 C to outperform the 11C under most conditions. The result is a rare, short-run cruiser with a distinctive construction story.
Design and Construction
The 35 C was the sole exception to S2’s usual approach to cruising boats. Every other S2 cruiser had a solid-fiberglass hull, while the 35 C has balsa-cored construction in both its hull and deck.
Its hull-to-deck joint is screwed rather than bolted, departing from the through-bolted flange S2 used on its other cruisers. The genoa track is through-bolted, but some conspicuous fittings lack backing plates: the cleats and the bow and stern pulpits stand on bare structure.
The boat has a bolt-on fin keel drawing 4.25 feet. A shallow sugar-scoop transom incorporates a large aft locker.
Rig and Performance
The 35 C is a masthead sloop measuring 35 feet 2 inches overall, with a waterline length of 28 feet 4 inches. She carries 594 square feet of sail and 6,100 pounds of lead ballast.
Her published ratios and figures are:
- Sail Area/Displacement ratio: 16.33
- Ballast Ratio: 43.6 percent
- Length/Displacement ratio: 275
- Pounds/Inch immersion: 1,164
- Capsize Ratio: 1.91
- Theoretical hull speed: 7.13 knots
Those numbers describe a moderately light cruiser. The refined 11C hull, lighter shell, and fin keel give the 35 C the performance edge its predecessor lacked.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The center-cockpit arrangement allows for an owner’s cabin aft, where the mattress measures 64 by 73 by 7 inches. Long opening portlights, each 30 inches wide by 5 inches high, admit natural light. Both the forepeak and aft berth also have 20-by-20-inch hatches.
Interior doorways are only 14 inches wide, a constraint worth noting when moving through the boat at sea. Outside, the shallow sugar-scoop transom and its large locker define both the stern profile and the boat’s storage arrangement.
Known Issues
The aft locker drains through a nearly inaccessible thru-hull hidden beneath it. The top of this fitting sits very close to the waterline and is more likely to be below it when the boat is loaded. S2 connected the locker bottom to the hull with a short length of plain plastic bilge hose, creating a weak link in a potential flooding path.
Owners report that the 35 C relied only on sealant around the chainplates and other deck hardware to keep water out of the cored deck. If that seal fails, the core gets wet. One owner’s boat also lacked a raw-water strainer on the engine-water intake.
The mast wiring runs through conduit that exits beneath the mast step. None of those wires can be replaced without lifting the mast off the step.
Verdict
The S2 35 C is a scarce, purpose-refined center-cockpit cruiser from a builder then pivoting to powerboats. Its balsa-cored hull and deck, lighter shell, and efficient fin keel make it a better sailor than the S2 11C from which it evolved. Against those strengths, the screwed hull-to-deck joint, missing backing plates, and vulnerable aft-locker drain demand careful attention.
Pros
- Lighter and more efficient than the S2 11C, with stronger performance under most conditions
- Balsa-cored hull and deck provide stiffness at moderate weight
- Center-cockpit layout with a large aft cabin and good natural light from the portlights and hatches
Cons
- Hull-to-deck joint is screwed rather than bolted, with no backing plates at the cleats or pulpits
- Aft-locker thru-hull sits near—or, on a loaded boat, more likely below—the waterline and connects to the locker through plain plastic bilge hose
- Deck hardware relies only on sealant to protect the core
- Mast wiring can’t be replaced without lifting the mast off its step
- One owner’s boat had no raw-water strainer on the engine-water intake
