Design and Construction
Hake’s latest design at launch bore a striking resemblance to her 25-foot predecessor, though the new model gained 18 inches of waterline length anchor. The profile reads traditional despite the plumb bow, with a tall bow and an upward-sloping cabintop marked by four ports, a downward sloping sheerline to a cockpit framed by a stainless stern rail with two seats, and a boxy trunk house with mild tumblehome that the designer terms a “spherical tumblehome.” The road-legal beam is 8 feet 4 inches, keeping the boat trailerable.
Structurally, the hull lamination begins with a blister-resistant vinylester gelcoat, a skin coat of chopped strand mat, and triaxial fabrics, with a second step adding 40-ounce triaxial cloth anchor. Coremat sits in the flat runs for stiffness, while the deck is cored with Divinycell foam and the interior pan is a solid fiberglass structural member vacuum-bonded to the deck. The inverted-J hull-to-deck joint is chemically and mechanically fastened on 6-inch centers, and deck hardware such as cleats is tapped into 1/8-inch aluminum plates embedded in the laminate. The keel’s fiberglass skin encloses a resin-and-lead core poured in place to make up the 1,200-pound ballast, and the leading edge of the stern-hung rudder pairs carbon fiber with fiberglass.
Rig and Handling
The 26 RK carries an uncomplicated deck-stepped fractional rig with single spreaders, shrouds and inner stays mounted inside the sidedeck walkway, and a mainsheet led to an athwartships track at the companionway anchor. A Schaefer furler lifts the jib tack at least 12 inches off the deck, and halyards run to Ronstan rope clutches forward of an Andersen winch, with Andersen headsail winches mid-coaming. The stock 110-percent genoa from Super Sails can be swapped for a 130-percent on boats like Blue Dancer.
The retractable keel itself is a NACA-derived high-aspect 8-foot section with 26-inch wings on a bulb, weighing 1,200 pounds and drawn up or down by two cabintop lines through a Rule Industries 20SS electric motor rated at 2,000-pound lift, housed in a fiberglass box beneath the mast. With the keel down she draws 6 feet; raised, only the 2-foot bulb remains below the hull. Early boats carried an 800-pound bulb, later builds a 1,000-pound one, within the same 1,200-pound total ballast. The stern-hung rudder adjusts within its sheath and is pinned at the head to stay put in a following sea.
On the Chesapeake, test sailors found her pointing to within 40 degrees of apparent wind in 10 to 15 knots, registering 4.5 to 5.5 knots over ground under full main and 110-percent headsail, and climbing to the mid-6 range with eased sheets before a 7-knot run for several minutes anchor. A reef in 14 knots cut heel and boosted comfort without losing speed, and she could spin on her keel in a circle no wider than her own length. Hake’s rounded entry is claimed to prevent broaches by stopping the nose from biting and skidding.
Accommodations
Below, the 26 RK gives around 5 feet 10 inches of standing headroom throughout, with a V-berth as the main sleeping choice and berths for four adults all longer than 6 feet anchor. The 48-inch port galley holds an icebox, stove, and sink, and the starboard head compartment is enclosed with shower and toilet in a 32-by-40-inch space. A 34-inch bulkhead table drops and rotates amidships for dining on both sides, and the cockpit itself measures 8 feet 4 inches by 5 feet 2 inches with 16-inch seats that seat four comfortably, most added room lying aft of the Edson wheel. A transom gate eases stern entry, and a starboard cockpit locker more than 6 feet long provides substantial stowage, though the boat otherwise suffers a paucity of bulk storage unless the aft quarterberth is pressed into service.
Known Issues
Owners report that the first-generation 26 RKs were built with a rudder incapable of full retraction, extending 12 to 18 inches beneath the hull and undermining the shoal-draft concept anchor. By 2010 the keel was changed to a bolt-on unit and the rudder was redesigned to lift fully into its cassette, so later boats avoid the problem. The Edson wheel is a bit in the way when moving forward along the sidedeck, and Practical Sailor questioned the backstay’s attachment to only one side of the transom.
The Verdict
The Seaward 26 RK is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that trades a little interior volume for a keel-and-rudder system letting her float in a foot of water yet sail like a 6-foot-draft keelboat. Her construction is modern and her rig manageable, and the limited-production run means a buyer gets a distinctive Hake design without the scale of a mass-market fleet.
Pros
- 15-inch raised draft with 6-foot deployed keel for trailering and shoal cruising
- Blister-resistant vinylester hull with triaxial and Coremat structure
- Electric keel retraction at 2,000-pound capacity from the cockpit
- Four berths over 6 feet, enclosed head with shower, 5'10" headroom
Cons
- Early boats had non-retracting rudders extending 12–18 inches
- Limited bulk stowage aside from the quarterberth
- Edson wheel obstructs sidedeck passage
