With the keel raised, this 28-foot-4-inch overall monohull draws just 15 inches; with the bulb lowered, draft increases to 6 feet. That range makes her one of the more versatile small cruisers for both shoal-water gunkholing and trailering.
Design and Construction
At launch, Hake’s latest design bore a striking resemblance to its 25-foot predecessor, although the new model gained 18 inches of waterline length. The profile looks traditional despite the plumb bow. It combines a tall bow, a downward-sloping sheerline, and an upward-sloping cabintop marked by four ports. The cockpit is framed by a stainless stern rail with two seats, while the boxy trunk house has mild tumblehome that the designer calls a “spherical tumblehome.” The road-legal beam is 8 feet 4 inches, keeping the boat trailerable.
The hull lamination starts 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. Coremat stiffens the flat runs. 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. 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. At the stern, the rudder’s leading edge combines carbon fiber and fiberglass.
Keel, Rig, and Deck Gear
The 26 RK has an uncomplicated deck-stepped fractional rig with single spreaders. The shrouds and inner stays are mounted inside the sidedeck walkway, and the mainsheet leads to an athwartships track at the companionway.
A Schaefer furler holds the jib tack at least 12 inches above the deck. Halyards lead to Ronstan rope clutches ahead of an Andersen winch, while Andersen headsail winches sit amidships on the coamings. The stock sail is a 110-percent genoa from Super Sails, though it can be swapped for a 130-percent genoa on boats such as Blue Dancer.
The retractable keel is a NACA-derived, high-aspect 8-foot section with 26-inch wings on a bulb. It weighs 1,200 pounds and is raised or lowered by two cabintop lines running through a Rule Industries 20SS electric motor rated for a 2,000-pound lift. The motor is housed in a fiberglass box beneath the mast.
With the keel lowered, the boat draws 6 feet. When it is raised, only the bulb remains below the hull, giving a draft of 2 feet. Early boats had an 800-pound bulb, while later boats received a 1,000-pound bulb, within the same 1,200-pound total ballast. The stern-hung rudder adjusts within its sheath and is pinned at the head to keep it in place in a following sea.
Sailing and Handling
During Chesapeake testing, sailors found that the 26 RK could point to within 40 degrees of the apparent wind in 10 to 15 knots. Under full main and the 110-percent headsail, she made 4.5 to 5.5 knots over the ground. With sheets eased, speed rose into the mid-6-knot range before reaching 7 knots for several minutes.
Putting in a reef in 14 knots reduced heel and improved comfort without costing speed. The boat could also spin on its keel in a circle no wider than its own length. Hake claims the rounded entry prevents broaches by keeping the bow from biting and skidding.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The cockpit measures 8 feet 4 inches by 5 feet 2 inches. Its 16-inch seats accommodate four people comfortably, with most of the extra room aft of the Edson wheel. A transom gate makes stern entry easier, and a starboard cockpit locker more than 6 feet long provides substantial stowage.
Below, the 26 RK provides around 5 feet 10 inches of standing headroom throughout, with berths for four adults all longer than 6 feet. The V-berth is the main sleeping space. A 48-inch galley to port contains an icebox, stove, and sink. To starboard, the enclosed head fits a shower and toilet into a 32-by-40-inch compartment.
A 34-inch bulkhead table drops and rotates amidships, allowing diners to sit on both sides. Despite the long cockpit locker, the boat otherwise lacks much bulk stowage unless the aft quarterberth is used for gear.
Known Issues
Owners report that first-generation 26 RKs had rudders that could not retract fully, leaving 12 to 18 inches below the hull and undermining the shoal-draft concept. By 2010, the keel had been changed to a bolt-on unit and the rudder redesigned to lift fully into its cassette, so later boats avoid this problem.
The Edson wheel gets somewhat in the way when moving forward along the sidedeck. Practical Sailor also 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 some interior volume for a keel-and-rudder system that lets her float in a foot of water yet sail like a 6-foot-draft keelboat. Her construction is modern and her rig manageable. 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 and 6-foot deployed draft for trailering and shoal-water cruising
- Blister-resistant vinylester hull with triaxial fabrics and Coremat reinforcement
- Electric keel retraction from the cockpit, with a 2,000-pound lift capacity
- Four berths longer than 6 feet
- Enclosed head with shower
- 5 feet 10 inches of headroom
Cons
- Early boats had rudders that could not retract fully and extended 12 to 18 inches below the hull
- Limited bulk stowage unless the quarterberth is used
- Edson wheel obstructs passage along the sidedeck
