Aloha 32'

[dnielsen]

I am investigating sailboats for purchase in the 30-33' range and have come across an Aloha 32' which looks interesting. I have no knowledge of this boat.
Anyone out there have any experience with them or know anything about them and their sailing characteristics? I sail the Chesapeake Bay and into the surrounding coastal areas (but not far) and think this boat might be a possibility for me.
DAN

[Faster]

The Aloha 32 is an interesting boat. It is designed by Mark Ellis, who also did the Niagara 35 and the NonSuch series for Hinterholler Yachts. It has the character look, with the short sprit and bobstay. The cockpit is roomy, moving around decks is not bad except for getting around the shrouds fore and aft. As a relatively shoal draft it should suit you well for your intended area.

The layout is a bit unconventional, but should work for a couple unless you intend to have frequent guest couples along for overnight trips. We looked at one of these in our last quest, and decided that since we hoped to take friends and family sailing for multiday trips, it did not really suit our needs. But as a quasi-liveaboard for two it seemed like a nice layout.

Performance-wise I'd expect it to be a bit on the sedate side, but probably quite comfortable. It is not overpowered and should be an easily handled boat in most conditions (we did not get to the stage where we were able to sail the boat, so these are guesses)

Aloha has a good reputation for quality, at least in line with the other mainstream builders. They built a wide variety of boat types in their day - Perry's 8.2, the 32, the Ron Holland designed 30 and a heavier, cruisier 34 who's pedigree I don't know for sure (maybe Ted Brewer).

If you like the look and the layout it's worth further investigation. Good Luck.

[SailorMitch]

I know a fellow who owns one, so I can put you in touch with him (assuming I can find his email address.) Faster pretty much nailed the boat. I recall it's a cored hull so have the surveyor check that thoroughly. It sails pretty well but more on the cruiser side of the scale as you might expect. The interior is different so be sure it will fit your style while aboard. It also has a v-drive, which is an extra something to worry about in my book although they are common as dirt in boats of that vintage and usually perform just fine. It would be a terrific bay boat for you.

[PBzeer]

Here's a link that while not furnishing a lot of info, may prove useful if you look at anyother Canadian built boats from that era.
http://sailquest.com/market/