Coastal cruiserr

This boat looks like a mini-Little Harbor, which should come as no surprise considering Dieter was head designer at Hood's office for years. The proportions are classic with shapely overhangs and a nice sheerline punctuated by a teak toerail and handsome bow casting. The hull form is a cutaway, full-keel design with centerboard. Dieter has probably designed more centerboard cruising boats than any other American designer. The prop is in an aperture, and that usually means challenging performance in reverse. The D/L is 381.5. I think you can assume this boat will be stiff and carry a gentle helm.

If I have one complaint with this design, it is that, given the cockpit size and rudder location, you could not fit in tiller steering. The tiller swing would be too intrusive. It's a shame to steer a small boat with a wheel. It may look "yachty," but a tiller gives a better feel. The singlehander can tuck a tiller between his legs, freeing up both hands for raising the sails and tacking and jibing maneuvers.

This interior layout has no tricks or angles, just good common sense application of space. The head can be enclosed and is quite large. The galley is just fine, and the quarter berth will make an excellent place for an additional ice chest or your guitar: You could even store your extra sails there at night to free up the V-berth.

The only hanging locker I see is outboard of the w.c., and I think this design would benefit from a dedicated wet locker to starboard instead of a second sink. Stowing wet gear on a small cruiser is a tough problem. Wet gear needs to have air circulation if it is to have any chance of drying. In Seattle this is important. Two sinks on a boat this size is too luxurious a use of space. This interior will have a good feel to it. Meaning? It will feel like a boat.

The displacement of this boat is sufficient to allow for a pair of 25-gallon water tanks and a 24-gallon holding tank. There is also a 20-gallon fuel tank. This is lots of tankage for a little boat and will help make the Hadley self-sufficient for extended periods. Fifty gallons of water will last a couple a week easily.

The engine can be either an 18-horsepower, two-cylinder Wester-beke diesel or a three-cylinder 27-horsepower diesel. I would think that the 18-horsepower model would be more than enough power. Two 12-volt 80-amp-hour batteries provide a bountiful electrical system for this small cruiser.

The SA/D is 16.42. That won't win you any bragging rights at the rendezvous, but it will be comforting in a breeze. The drawings show end-boom sheeting, but the photo shows midboom sheeting. You know how I feel about that. Put the traveler on the bridgedeck where it belongs. If you can't step over it take up golf. Of course you could argue that the endboom sheeting would allow for a dodger, but I've never owned a boat with a dodger. The hood on my Helly Hansen is my dodger.