Her proportions and documented construction present a coherent picture of a small, purpose-built coastal cruiser. She’s also among the heavier cruisers in her size range, with substantial internal ballast and moderate sail power.
Design and Construction
The Watkins 29 measures just under 29 feet overall, with a 10.33-foot beam. She displaces 8,800 pounds, including 3,900 pounds of ballast, and her fin keel draws four feet.
The hull is molded as a single unit in polyester resin, fiberglass woven roving, and multidirectional chopped-strand fiber. The keel is molded integrally with the hull, with all ballast contained inside rather than bolted on. The integral keel contains internal ballast.
The deck and cockpit form another one-piece molded assembly made from the same materials. Plywood coring is sandwiched into the cabin top, deck, seats, and cockpit sole for stiffness. This sandwich construction also provides insulation against cold water and helps limit cabin condensation.
At the flanged hull-to-deck joint, the mating surfaces are heavily coated with adhesive sealant, lowered into place, and secured with stainless screws. An aluminum toe rail, bedded in the same compound and through-bolted, ties the structure together.
The exterior has molded, pigmented gelcoat, with the boot and sheer stripes permanently incorporated into the hull. Nonskid is molded into the deck. Below, a molded fiberglass interior assembly is bonded to the hull with woven roving and mat to form a single unit. The finish includes hand-rubbed teak accents over teak-veneered plywood and a teak-and-holly cabin sole.
Rig, Steering, and Performance
The Watkins 29 is a masthead sloop with extruded 6061-T6 aluminum spars, a single spreader, and a single-reefing boom. The standing rigging is stainless wire. The forestay attaches to a welded stainless stemhead, while the remaining stays attach to through-bolted chainplates. Additional hull reinforcement is molded into every chainplate area. The mainsheet traveler is mounted on the cabin top.
Steering is through an Edson pedestal, with stainless cables running to a quadrant on the rudder post. The solid stainless post is welded to an internal steel blade and molded integrally into a solid, high-density-foam rudder with a fiberglass skin.
A 1-inch stainless shaft exits through a stuffing box. Aft, it is carried by a cutless bearing in a shaft log formed as a continuation of the keel.
Sail area is 370 square feet, and the displacement-length ratio is 284. She is moderately powered for light air: her sail-area-to-displacement ratio places her faster under sail with the standard rig than 24 percent of similar designs. Her 44 percent ballast ratio exceeds that of about 69 percent of comparable boats, contributing to a motion comfort ratio that indicates she is more comfortable than 58 percent of them.
Accommodations
The interior sleeps five. A V-berth fills the forward cabin, separated from the main saloon by a head to port and lockers to starboard. In the saloon, a fold-up dining table serves the settees. The port settee pulls out to form a double berth, while the starboard settee provides a single.
A quarter berth lies aft to port. Opposite, the galley occupies the aft starboard side and includes a sink, stove, icebox, and storage. At 75 inches, headroom is above average for a boat of this size.
Eight opening ports and one large deck hatch provide ventilation. Teak grab rails run along the cabin top. The companionway steps descend only about a foot to the cockpit sole and can be removed for engine access.
At the bow, a hawse pipe leads the anchor rode into the forward-berth locker.
Equipment and Engineering
Standard equipment included a Yanmar diesel: either the 18-horsepower 2GM20 or the 27-horsepower 3GM30. The engine drives the boat through a shaft and draws fuel from a 20-gallon tank.
The raw-water cooling path runs from the intake through the engine block, then discharges with the exhaust through the muffler. Electrical power comes from two parallel 12-volt batteries charged by a 35-amp Hitachi alternator. Shore power was also standard, and the electrical panel is mounted just below the companionway.
Fresh-water capacity is 40 gallons. The boat has pressure water and a shower. The galley originally included an icebox and a gimbaled two-burner alcohol or gas stove with an oven.
Verdict
The Watkins 29 is a small, solidly unified coastal cruiser with a thoroughly integrated molded structure, practical five-berth accommodations, and a ballast profile that gives her a steadier motion than most peers. Her modest production run and active class club keep her a recognizable niche boat.
Her heavier displacement and limited light-air sail performance place her firmly among leisurely cruisers rather than racers.
Pros
- Integral keel with internal ballast and reinforced chainplate areas
- Sandwich deck construction that provides insulation and limits condensation
- Above-average headroom and a genuine five-berth layout
- Removable companionway steps for straightforward engine access
Cons
- A capsize screening value of 2.00 excludes her from ocean-racing acceptance
- Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio leaves her slower than most peers in light wind
- Only 60 were built, so finding one takes patience
