[Moonfish]

I looked at both, and finally go to the point where I decided I would get whichever one I found first that was a good value for the money. Though I will say, somewhat echoing JeffH's comments and having owned a Newport 28, that the Rawson's are more "solidly built". Not to say the Gulf's are cheap, but Capital Yachts like all similar manufacturers during that era built boats to a price point. I do think the Gulf's were built better than my Newport was. The joke around here about Rawson's is that you could drop one from the Space Needle and still sail it away...

Regarding market value, the Rawson PHs have typically been quite a bit more than the standard sloop models (due to their relative rarity), but still somewhat less than a Gulf 32 (probably due to their ubiquity). You can find either model for a good price and condition, though the average asking prices for both seem to be increasing.

As far as performance, I am more familiar with the Gulf. Every single owner I've talked to says they are surprisingly good performers, with most of them impressed with the boats ability to point higher and more comfortably than they would have imagined. Rawson owners more often mention the feeling of safety and comfort their boat gives them in harsh conditions. Some of said they are fairly slow, which is no surprise given the even shorter waterline.

William Garden himself has stated that the "little Gulf 32" was one of his favorite all time designs.