Design and Construction
S2 built the 35 C as the single exception to its cruising-boat rule: where every other S2 cruiser had a solid fiberglass hull, the 35 C is balsa-cored in both hull and deck. The hull-to-deck joint is screwed rather than bolted together, a departure from the through-bolted flange S2 used on its other cruisers. On the deck, the genoa track is through-bolted, but there are no backing plates in some very obvious places — the cleats and the bow and stern pulpits stand on bare structure. The keel is a bolt-on fin drawing 4.25 feet, and the stern is a shallow sugar-scoop transom with a large aft locker beneath it.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop of 35 feet 2 inches overall with a 28-foot 4-inch waterline, the 35 C carries 594 square feet of sail and a Sail Area/Displacement ratio of 16.33, a Ballast Ratio of 43.6 percent on her 6,100-pound lead ballast, and a Length/Displacement ratio of 275. Those numbers describe a moderately light cruiser with a Pounds/Inch immersion of 1,164 and a Capsize Ratio of 1.91, and her theoretical hull speed is 7.13 knots. The refinement of the 11C hull with the lighter shell and fin keel gives her the edge in performance her predecessor lacked.
Accommodations
The center-cockpit layout places the owner's cabin aft, where the mattress measures 64 by 73 by 7 inches. Natural light comes from long opening portlights 30 inches wide by 5 inches high and 20-by-20-inch hatches in both the forepeak and aft berth. Interior doorways are a narrow 14 inches wide, a constraint worth noting for anyone moving through the boat at sea. The shallow sugar-scoop transom and large aft locker shape the exterior profile and storage story.
Known Issues
Hidden under that aft locker is a thru-hull draining the compartment, almost inaccessible, with its top very close to the waterline and more likely below it when the boat is loaded. S2 made the short connection from locker bottom to hull with plain plastic bilge hose, a weak link in a flooding path. Owners report the 35 C relied only on sealant around the chainplates and other deck hardware to keep water out of the cored deck, so any seal failure wets the core. One owner's 35 C had no raw water strainer on the engine water intake. The mast wiring runs inside conduit that exits under the mast step, and it is impossible to replace any of those wires without lifting the mast off the step.
The Verdict
The S2 35 C is a scarce, purpose-refined center-cockpit cruiser from a builder pivoting to power. Her balsa-cored hull and deck, lightened shell, and efficient fin keel make her a better sailer than the 11C she grew from, but the screwed hull/deck joint, missing backing plates, and vulnerable aft-locker drainage demand a careful eye.
Pros
- Lighter and more efficient than the S2 11C, with stronger performance under most conditions
- Balsa-cored hull and deck for stiffness at moderate weight
- Center-cockpit layout with large aft cabin and good portlight and hatch light
Cons
- Hull/deck joint screwed, not bolted; no backing plates at cleats and pulpits
- Aft-locker thru-hull near or below waterline on loaded boat, reached only through plastic hose
- Deck hardware sealed only with caulk; mast wiring unreachable without unstepping the mast
