We owned a 32c (tall rig) for 10 years and loved it. Here's my take on the good and bad of these
boats.
The Good:
Hull: Strong, good glasswork. It's shape is really nice in that the
hull never pounds when going upwind.
Osmosis is not a common problem.
Rig: I loved the
cutter rig for balancing
sails, and the low sheet loads associated with splitting the rig ahead of the
mast into two
sails. Great for balancing. Not as good upwind though as a masthead
sloop.
Cockpit and deck: Wide decks and low freeboard made it easy going forward. Deep safe
cockpit was easy to
work in during rough
weather. The mainsheet coming endboom to behind the
helm made it a simple and fun boat to
single hand.
The low freeboard made it a piece of cake stepping off onto a low pier.
Down below: Nice and cozy. Good
teak materials used. Lots of
storage, but really only suitable for a couple. Four guests overnight was fine for a weekend but that was it. Excellent handholds below for moving around in rough seas.
Full keel: It helped the boat track well, and gave excellent protection from an accidental grounding.
The Bad:
Full keel: It made low speed handling, especially in reverse, a royal pain in the butt. I've docked 44'+ fin
keel and catamarans that were far easier to deal with in close quarters and a breeze than our old Bayfield 32.
Learn to "back and fill".
How to Maneuver in Narrow Channels - BoatSafe.com
Get out and practice lots when the winds are light, and
fender up when the breeze builds.
For the 32, not 32c, Sail Area: The model you are looking at has the shorter
mast and will be a dog in light airs. Off the
wind a good assymetrical/code zero/gennaker will fix things but upwind in light air get used to motoring. The only plus of this rig is in the trades, you will reef less often.
Cockpit: The plusses above are offset by the smallish size. Sailing with more than four people gets crowded. The scupper drains for the cockpit and side decks aren't huge, and if you sail
offshore in waters where getting pooped is a risk. this may not be the ideal boat. We only sailed coastal waters, (Great Lakes, and Pacific NW) so it was a non-issue for us.
Down Below: The
head is small and most didn't have a
shower. Many that have showers installed don't have a
grey water sump and all the soapy
water ends up in the
bilge.
Sleeping more than two adults for anything more than a weekend isn't recommended. However for two, the boat is good for long term livaboard use provided you aren't pack-rats.
The boat's deep
bilge really narrows and is challenging to keep fully dry because it shares space with the
fuel tank. We plumbed a second
bilge pump that mounted vertically in that narrow gap which helped immensely.
Wiring: Expect old
fuses and pole switches if the owner hasn't updated things. We upgraded ours with BlueSeas
panels and were very pleased.
Power Plant: We only had 15 hp and it wasn't really enough. 21 Hp sounds better but really 25-30 is ideal for this boat. The
engine room isn't insulated and as a result motoring is noisy. This is an easy fix though to
DIY.
The
fuel tank is below the
engine in the bilge. Unless the previous owner has added a
fuel pump between the tank and the
racor, expect bleeding the engine to be a miserable experience. This was one of the first things we did when we bought the boat and it made servicing the engine a much easier job. I cannot stress how important this upgrade was as you could bleed the engine in seconds versus 10+ minutes. Critically important if doing this in a rolling sea and a filter change becomes necessary.
Good or Bad...Outside Teak! Looks gorgeous when maintained, looks shameful when ignored. It is a fair amount of
work, but it gives the boat its distinctive look and we really liked the
teak.
We thought this was the perfect first boat for us. We learned lots, especially sail trim as the
cutter is a bit more of a puzzle than a
sloop. We always trusted the boat and felt safe on her. Expect some work, its old and old stuff always requires more work than new. However you will be a better sailor for the experience. Best of luck and hope this helps.