Design and Construction
The 32RK follows Hake's established signatures: a plumb stem, a classic sheer, and a vertical walk-through transom. The hull is solid fiberglass with a lifting keel carrying a weighted bulb, and 2,400 pounds of ballast give the boat a ballast-to-displacement ratio near 29 percent. At 10 feet 6 inches of beam and a hull speed of 7.41 knots, the platform reads as a beamy, moderate-displacement coastal cruiser rather than a racer. The lifting keel is actuated by an electric winch, and with the keel down the draft is 6.42 feet anchor; retracted, it draws just 1.67 feet, which allows operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the boat carries a Bermuda-rigged masthead sloop with a bowsprit, giving a total sail area of 460 square feet. The rudder is transom-mounted, lifting, and controlled by a wheel, paired with the lifting keel so the whole underwater profile can be raised or lowered. Tester reports describe the RK name as "retracting keel," and note that the arrangement enables you to lower the keel to whatever depth you want and raise it again when the water starts to get thin anchor. A simple electric winch raises and lowers the keel, which keeps the operation from becoming a manual chore at the dock or anchorage.
Accommodations
Below, the 32RK sleeps six. A double V-berth occupies the bow cabin, while a U-shaped dinette converts to a second double, and an aft cabin on the port side holds another double berth. The head sits just aft of the bow cabin on the port side. The galley is L-shaped and placed on the starboard side just forward of the companionway ladder, fitted with a two-burner stove and a double sink; opposite it, also to starboard, is the navigation station. That layout puts the working stations together on one side and leaves the port hull for sleeping and the head.
Equipment and Deck Features
The walk-through transom is more than a boarding face: it carries a swimming ladder and a hot and cold shower, which extends the swim-and-shore routine without tracking water through the cabin. A Yanmar 3YM30 diesel of 29 horsepower drives the boat, and the 20-gallon fuel tank pairs with a 65-gallon fresh-water tank for modest coastal range. The keel-and-rudder retraction, the transom shower, and the electric keel winch together define the boat's day-use personality as much as its sail plan does.
The Verdict
The Seaward 32RK is a specialized coastal cruiser for sailors who value shallow-water access and trailering as much as six-berth accommodations. Its retracting keel and rudder are genuine enablers rather than novelties, and the Hake-designed hull delivers a roomy, practical interior in a 34-foot footprint. The trade-off is the complexity and draft compromise inherent in a lifting-keel cruiser, but for its intended niche the boat is coherent and well resolved.
Pros
- Retracting keel and rudder allow 1.67-foot retracted draft and trailerability
- Sleeps six with distinct bow, dinette, and aft double berths
- Walk-through transom with swim ladder and hot/cold shower
- Electric winch keel operation reduces manual effort
Cons
- 6.42-foot keel-down draft limits some moorings versus fixed-shallow rivals
- 20-gallon fuel capacity is small for extended cruising
