Design and Construction
Perry gave the 32 the traditional Valiant profile: a canoe stern retained for behavior in confused or following seas, moderate bow flare, and high bulwarks forward that together keep the boat dry and comfortable. The fuller, broader hips of that canoe stern set it apart visually from the more pointed transom of the Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34, though both boats share the same waterline length and beam. Underbody, the modified fin keel carries 4,700 pounds of external lead ballast for a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 40, paired with a skeg-hung rudder. The hull is solid laminate; the deck and cabintop are balsa-cored. Despite the moderate displacement and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.18, the design was pitched as an ultimate bluewater performance cruiser and an easily handled yacht for a cruising couple.
Rig and Handling
Most Valiant 32s are cutter rigged, a configuration that breaks the roughly 524-square-foot sail plan into manageable pieces. The standing rigging is substantial for a 32-footer—headstay, backstay, and uppers in 5/16-inch 1x19, with lowers, inner forestay, and intermediate backstays in 1/4-inch 1x19. A small number of later boats left the factory as sloops with the mast moved forward, a change made partly to reduce weather helm and trim production cost. As originally tuned, the boat develops weather helm above 15 knots but balances nicely with the first reef in the main. Owners report comfortable motion with two reefs in winds over 35 knots, and the boat sails best with the rubrail—about 10 inches below the caprail—clear of the water. A 4-cylinder 25-horsepower Westerbeke L-25 diesel burns a half gallon per hour at hull speed, giving a powered range beyond 500 miles from 48 gallons of fuel and 80 of water.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is custom finished in teak and ash, with a handcrafted feel carried through the saloon. The layout centers on opposing settees with a drop-leaf table around the keel-stepped mast; the port settee extends into a small double or twin, and storage sits behind and under both settees. A U-shaped galley to port faces a forward-looking navigation station to starboard, while the head to port and a large hanging locker to starboard can be joined by latching the head door aft to form a private V-berth enclosure. A quarterberth aft is standard, though some boats substitute an optional large hanging wet locker with a storage shelf in that space.
Known Issues
No structural or systemic defects specific to the Valiant 32 appear in the authority documents; the known construction notes center on the solid hull laminate and balsa-cored deck and cabintop as built.
Refits and Ownership
Owners have tailored the boats to taste: one owner fitted a large pelican hook to the inner forestay for easier sail handling, and the optional wet-locker layout shows how the aft quarter was reworked on individual hulls. The relatively substantial rig and easily managed cutter sail plan make the 32 a straightforward boat for a couple to maintain and modify without a yard.
The Verdict
The Valiant 32 is a compact Perry bluewater cruiser that distills the Valiant 40's hull logic into a couple-friendly package. The canoe stern and high forward bulwarks deliver a dry, seaworthy platform, and the cutter rig keeps sail handling within two-person reach. Balsa-cored topsides over a solid hull are the main construction caveat to survey carefully.
Pros
- Fin keel and skeg rudder give responsive, proven bluewater handling
- Cutter rig with substantial standing rigging is easily managed by a couple
- Dry, seaworthy behavior with balanced reefing in strong winds
- Thoughtful interior with convertible saloon and private V-berth enclosure
Cons
- Balsa-cored deck and cabintop require careful moisture survey
- Late sloop-rigged hulls departed from the standard cutter balance brief
