Design and Construction
The Siesta 32's hull is solid fiberglass, and the keel is lead — a combination that keeps the structure simple and the ballast low without introducing core materials that can suffer in older boats the hull is made of fibreglass. The fin keel draws between 5.41 and 5.71 feet depending on load, which keeps her within the reach of most marina entrances while still giving her a useful ballast-to-draft relationship. With a displacement-length ratio of 197.94 and a comfort ratio of 21.71, she is a moderately light displacement hull that should motion reasonably well at anchor and in a seaway without being so tender as to tire a short-handed crew. Her capsize screening value of 1.89 places her in the range typical of coastal cruisers rather than offshore expedition boats.
Rig and Handling
The boat is built with a fractional sloop rig, and the standing and running dimensions are well documented. Halyards for the main, genoa, and spinnaker all run about 102 feet at 3/8-inch diameter, while the working sheets — jib, genoa, and mainsheet — are half-inch line in the 32- to 80-foot range the mainsheet length for the Siesta 32 is 24.2 m. A 135 percent genoa brings her sail-area-to-displacement ratio up to 18.8, compared with 16.4 on the ISO reference sail, so she is built to be driven with overlapping headsails when light air asks for it. Her theoretical displacement-hull speed is 6.8 knots, and her relative speed performance index of 79 suggests a boat that will hold her own on a breezy reach without pretending to be a flat-out racer. The wetted surface of about 279 square feet is modest for the length, which helps her accelerate and makes the most of the 9-horsepower Volvo Penta MD5C diesel and saildrive when the wind fades.
Accommodations
Below, the Siesta 32 is fitted with six berths, a count that suits a family or a small cruising crew without turning the saloon into a bunkroom. The 9-foot 2-inch beam gives enough width for a conventional athwartships or inline layout forward of the companionway, and the 26-gallon water and 17-gallon fuel capacities are in keeping with weekend and coastal cruising rather than long-range liveaboard use. The immersion rate of roughly 808 pounds per inch means she will not change trim dramatically as tanks and crew load vary, a quiet advantage when docking or sailing with partial tanks.
The Verdict
The Siesta 32 is a coherent small cruiser: solid fiberglass hull, lead fin keel, fractional rig with well-finished line sizes, and a six-berth interior that matches her 32-foot length. She is not an offshore heavyweight, but her numbers describe a manageable, reasonably quick coastal boat with a forgiving load behavior.
Pros
- Lead fin keel and solid fiberglass hull keep construction simple and durable
- Fractional rig with documented line dimensions simplifies re-rigging and upgrades
- 135% genoa lifts sail-area-to-displacement to 18.8 for light-air drive
- Moderate displacement and comfort ratio suggest a settled motion underway
Cons
- 44% ballast ratio and 1.89 capsize screen mark her as a coastal rather than offshore design
- Limited tankage suits weekends more than extended cruising
