Her overall length is just under 31 feet 8 inches, with a waterline length near 25 feet 6 inches and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.49. She displaces about 7,350 pounds, including roughly 3,935 pounds of lead ballast in the keel, for a ballast ratio of 44 percent. Those figures support her reputation as a practical cruiser-racer.
Design and Construction
The Siesta 32 combines a solid fiberglass hull with a lead-ballasted fin keel. This keeps the structure simple and the ballast low, without introducing hull core materials that can suffer in older boats.
Depending on load, the fin keel draws between 5.41 and 5.71 feet. That should keep the boat within reach of most marina entrances while still providing a useful ballast-to-draft relationship.
A displacement-length ratio of 197.94 places the Siesta 32 among moderately light-displacement boats. Her comfort ratio is 21.71, suggesting that she should move reasonably well at anchor and in a seaway without being so tender that she tires a short-handed crew. The capsize screening value of 1.89 is more typical of a coastal cruiser than an offshore expedition boat.
Rig and Handling
The Siesta 32 carries a fractional sloop rig, with well-documented running dimensions. The main, genoa, and spinnaker halyards are each about 102 feet long and use 3/8-inch-diameter line. The working sheets—jib, genoa, and mainsheet—use half-inch line in lengths ranging from 32 to 80 feet; the mainsheet is 24.2 m long.
With a 135 percent genoa, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio rises to 18.8, compared with 16.4 using the ISO reference sail. In other words, the boat is intended to use an overlapping headsail when light conditions call for more drive.
Her theoretical displacement-hull speed is 6.8 knots. A relative speed performance index of 79 suggests that she should hold her own on a breezy reach without pretending to be a flat-out racer. Wetted surface is about 279 square feet, modest for her length, which should help her accelerate. It also allows the 9-horsepower Volvo Penta MD5C diesel and saildrive to make the most of their power when the wind fades.
Accommodations and Tankage
Below, the Siesta 32 has six berths. That capacity suits a family or small cruising crew without turning the saloon into a bunkroom. Her 9-foot 2-inch beam provides enough width for a conventional athwartships or inline layout forward of the companionway.
Tankage consists of 26 gallons of water and 17 gallons of fuel. Those capacities are appropriate for weekend and coastal cruising rather than long-range liveaboard use.
The immersion rate is roughly 808 pounds per inch, so changes in crew and tank loads shouldn’t alter the boat’s trim dramatically. That’s a modest but useful advantage when docking or sailing with partially full tanks.
Verdict
The Siesta 32 is a coherent small cruiser, with a solid fiberglass hull, lead fin keel, fractional rig with well-documented line sizes, and a six-berth interior suited to her 32-foot length. She isn’t an offshore heavyweight, but her numbers describe a manageable, reasonably quick coastal boat with forgiving load behavior.
Pros
- Lead fin keel and solid fiberglass hull keep construction simple and durable
- Fractional rig with documented line dimensions simplifies rerigging and upgrades
- A 135 percent genoa raises the sail-area-to-displacement ratio to 18.8 for better light-air drive
- Moderate displacement and comfort ratio suggest a settled motion underway
Cons
- A 44 percent ballast ratio and 1.89 capsize screening value mark her as a coastal rather than offshore design
- Limited tankage is better suited to weekend sailing than extended cruising
