Rupert Holmes celebrates the attributes of this iconic, but expensive, Scandinavian design and highlights other options
There are many things to like about the Hallberg Rassy 352, one of the Swedish yard’s most popular models ever.
More than 800 were built over a 14-year period and they continue to command a high price on the second-hand market, far in excess of most other boats of a similar size and era.
A big part of the appeal is that the Hallberg Rassy 352 was one of the first centre cockpit boats of its size to combine an aft cabin with a walk-through from the main saloon, while retaining dependable sailing performance with good handling characteristics.
At the same time, excellent build quality and a high standard of interior joinery appealed to a wide audience, who also appreciated the fairly traditional underwater profile with an encapsulated fin keel that has a long chord length, three tons of cast iron ballast and a full depth skeg.
Combined with Hallberg Rassy’s hallmark reputation for quality and reliability, these features proved an immediately popular combination, selling more than 800 boats in a production run from 1979 to 1991.
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The trademark Hallberg Rassy windshield provides good shelter on the 352. Credit: Hallberg Rassy
The spacious accommodation didn’t detract from the boat’s sailing qualities – Christoph Rassy and Olle Enderlein drew a nicely balanced hull with a long waterline for its day.
Although the draught is modest at 1.6m (5ft 7in), and this was before the days when low centre of gravity bulb keels became commonplace, a combination of a moderately generous beam, healthy 45% ballast ratio, plus fuel and water tanks positioned low down in the keel, all aid sail carrying ability.
The raised topsides have a number of advantages.
Below decks this increases internal volumes, creating a feeling of greater space, as well as additional stowage.
At the same time, the small coachroof means side decks are wide, which makes going forward easy, and the foredeck is wonderfully flat and relatively unobstructed.
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Later versions of the Hallberg Rassy 352 have a bigger skylight in the saloon, providing more natural light down below. Credit: Hallberg Rassy
One drawback for many owners is the teak decks that were fitted to a lot of boats.
These looked great when the boats were new and with care could last well over a couple of decades, but can be an expensive liability at the end of their life, even if the more economical option of removing the old timber, filling the thousands of screw holes, then fairing and painting the deck is taken.
Many modifications were carried out during the production run.
In 1980, for instance, the freeboard was raised by a few centimetres, which allows more headroom in the walk-through and the aft cabin, though the former still falls short of providing full standing headroom.
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A smaller wheel than found on most modern boats means the Hallberg Rassy 352 is quick to put through the wind. Credit: David Harding
In the mid-1980s, the galley was improved, while around 1986 the skylight in the saloon was increased in size to give more natural light.
Freeboard was again raised around this time to further improve headroom.
Large engines were always a big part of the appeal, with early boats fitted with the Volvo Penta MD21, a four-cylinder 51hp unit using a Peugeot base engine. This was replaced by the Volvo Penta 2003T, a turbocharged three-cylinder 43hp unit.
A few later boats were fitted with the bigger MD 22 model. After a few years of production an optional taller, double spreader rig was offered, which eventually became the default choice for most owners including those who specified in-mast furling.
Today asking prices typically fall in the £50,000-£90,000 range.
Also consider…
Moody 34 and 346
Moody’s popular second generation of spacious aft cabin cruising yachts was launched in the early- to mid-1980s.
By this time a walk-through to the aft cabin had become standard practice, although cockpits tended to be raised higher in the boat, arguably giving a reduced sense of security and also subject to more motion.
The Moody 34, which later morphed into the 346 thanks to the addition of a small (30cm long) sugar scoop transom bathing platform was launched in 1983 and remained in production until 1990.
It was designed by Bill Dixon, who had taken over the Angus Primrose design office after his boss was lost at sea.
He created a more refined and spacious design that capitalised on the developments of Moody’s earlier boats.
Although the 34’s hull was only 6in longer than that of the 33, the new boat had significantly more volume, particularly in the after sections.
This allowed for an enlarged walk-through to the aft cabin, as well as achieving marginal standing headroom in this part of the boat.
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The deck of the Moody 346 has a balsa core, with plywood backing plates for hardware
This was only part of the makeover of the interior styling, which saw the heads compartment moved aft near the companionway, close to the boat’s centre of motion and convenient for the crew on deck.
This also allowed for a larger forecabin with improved standing and stowage space.
The aft-facing chart table uses the end of the port saloon berth as a seat, allowing the galley on the starboard side of the boat to make use of space in the walk-through to the aft cabin.
Although displacement climbed by some 5% compared to the earlier Moody 33, this was complemented by an increase in sail area of closer to 10%, thanks to the additional stability afforded by the wider aft sections and a heavier and slightly deeper keel.
While many new designs of this period had changed to spade rudders, the 34 retained a half-depth skeg from which the rudder was hung, but it also benefited from some balance area below this point to reduce the weight of the helm.
The 346 is effectively a Mark 2 version of the 34, dating from 1986, with the transom extended by 12in to create a small bathing platform.
By the time production stopped in 1990 the two models accounted for more than 400 boats built.
They tend to be a lot more competitively priced than the Hallberg Rassy 352, though the quality of fit-out was not generally considered to be as good as that of the Swedish boat.
Nevertheless, I have friends who spent 10 years cruising around the world on one of the earlier 346s, covering 30,000 miles in that time, with the boat still looking immaculate at the end of their circumnavigation.
Westerly 33 and Discus
The Westerly 33 was from the company’s second generation of centre cockpit boats, designed by Laurent Giles in 1977.
Initially, the aft cabin was still accessed only from the cockpit, although later models – some of which were re-badged as a centre cockpit version of the Discus – have a walk-through from the saloon, aft of the chart table.
In addition to improving access to the aft cabin, especially in inclement weather, this also gives the feel of considerably more internal volume, making the boat feel more spacious, while still preserving a sense of privacy, with the two double cabins at opposite ends of the boat.
Sadly the aft cabin lacks standing headroom, but otherwise, the interior is surprisingly spacious and the design is well-proven with many having successfully completed ambitious ocean passages including voyages at high latitudes.
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The Westerly Discus replaced the Westerly 33 in 1980. Changes included a larger bridgedeck and a double cabin. Credit: David Harding
The most notable of these is Dodo’s Delight, the Westerly Discus owned by Bob Shepton who won the 2014 Yachting Journalists’ Association Yachtsman of the Year Award in recognition of his three decades of extensive voyaging in the boat, encompassing the Antarctic, Arctic, and most recently a successful double transit of the Northwest Passage.
Accommodation includes versions offering berths for up to seven people, plus good stowage and a spacious heads compartment.
As with other Westerly models at this time, the 33 was offered with fin or twin keels, centre or aft cockpit and sloop or ketch rigs.
The 33 was replaced by the Discus in 1980. While the centre cockpit boats had few changes relative to the 33, the aft cockpit versions gained a large bridgedeck to enable a double cabin to be slipped in aft of the main companionway – this is the version that Shepton owned until only a few years ago.
In total around 540 boats were built to this hull design until it was replaced by the 34ft Seahawk (centre cockpit) and Falcon (aft cockpit) in 1984.
The larger 36ft Conway, Solway, Medway and Galway ranges are also worth considering.
These were a slightly earlier Laurent Giles design, with the different model names referring to various combinations of bilge/fin keels, aft/centre cockpit and sloop or ketch rigs.
Around 300 were sold from 1974 to 1978.
Both the 33ft and 36ft designs typically sell for well under half the price of the Hallberg Rassy 352 and, while they lack the cachet of the Swedish marque, along with its higher standard of fit-out, they can make a good choice for those on much lower budgets.
Amel Sharki
Henri Amel was a boatbuilder with firm ideas of the features essential in a serious cruising yacht: a sheltered steering position, a deep, safe centre cockpit, plus tall bulwarks and a solid stainless steel rail for security when working on deck.
As a result, his La Rochelle yard became renowned for producing some of the most sought-after long-distance cruising boats available, with legendary models including the 46ft Maramu and 53ft Super Maramu, both of which remained in production for more than a decade.
The Sharki is a heavy displacement 39ft ketch of which almost 200 were built between 1979 and 1989.
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The ketch-rigged Armel Sharki remains popular for bluewater cruising, given its accommodation. Credit: Amel
It offers a spacious two-cabin layout that includes internal access between the saloon and aft cabin, along with the legendary Amel standard of fit-out and attention to detail that makes these such sought-after boats.
An extra 9in of beam, and almost 3ft 6in of waterline length makes this a significantly larger vessel than the Hallberg Rassy 352, yet they typically change hands for similar prices.
External woodwork was eschewed in favour of a teak effect pattern in the deck moulding.
This may not have looked quite as good when the boats were new, but has saved subsequent owners a fortune in maintenance.
However, there’s nothing economic about the standard of fit-out and far more attention than usual was paid to ergonomics and maximising stowage.
These are aspects often not fully apparent at first glance and are therefore frequently overlooked by boatbuilders, yet they make an enormous difference to life on board.
Second-hand Amel Sharki’s command a price of between £50,000-£80,000.
Sweden Yachts 340
Although built close to the Hallberg-Rassy boat yard at Orust, north of Gothenburg, this is a slightly later and somewhat different design, intended as a comfortable, fast aft cockpit cruiser with a distinct performance bias.
The 340 was one of the best yachts of its size and era, combining speed and good handling characteristics with a spacious and superbly fitted-out interior, including a double aft cabin.
At the foot of the companionway is a good galley to starboard and a decent-sized outboard-facing chart table to port.
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A fin keel came as standard on the Sweden Yachts 340, although a wing-keeled version was offered. Credit: Rupert Holmes
The bigger-than-average aft cabin is accessed from next to the chart table, while a pair of slightly curved settees give more visual interest to the saloon and allow for additional stowage behind the seat backs. Immediately forward of the main bulkhead is a large and well-appointed heads compartment to starboard and hanging space to port.
The forepeak can be arranged as with an offset double berth, or as a giant vee berth spanning the whole width.
Deep draught combined with a powerful spade rudder, tucked a little further under the boat and away from disturbed water at the transom than some of its contemporaries, make for good performance and excellent handling.
A total of 101 Sweden Yachts 340s were built between 1986 and 1999. Prices range from £35,000 to £55,000.
Dufour 39 CC
This is a much more recent, more spacious design, yet can be found at a similar price to many Hallberg Rassy 352s.
Internal volume is far larger than that of the Swedish boat, giving space for a larger saloon, a huge galley in the walk-through to the aft cabin, with excellent headroom.
The aft cabin is also in a different league and can be fitted with either a peninsula double bed, or an offset double bunk to starboard, plus a full-length settee to port, with the latter arrangement believed to be by far the most popular.
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The Dufour 39 CC has a curved windshield which provides good protection and comfortable accommodation. Credit: David Harding
Perhaps surprisingly for a more mass-produced yacht, the extensive interior joinery is of a high standard and will appeal to those who seek a more traditional style below.
The emphasis on internal accommodation means the cockpit is relatively small by the standards of 39ft boats, but still compares well with that of the Hallberg Rassy 352.
A choice of keels was offered – a deep fin with a 1.9m (6ft 2in) draught, or a 1.5m (4ft 11in) winged keel.
A second-hand Dufour 39 CC will set you back between £60,000 to £80,000.
Sadler Starlight 35
In the early 1990s, when Sadler was still one of the UK’s largest boatbuilders, the company turned to Stephen Jones to create a range of top-quality performance cruisers.
They quickly gained a reputation for fulfilling exactly that brief and would surely have sold in much larger numbers had a combination of recession and high prices not restricted the market.
Although conceived as a pure cruising boat, the 35 was towards the performance end of the spectrum and had excellent deck hardware that made for efficient and easy sail trimming and manoeuvres.
As a result, the boat is a joy to sail and will put in fast passage times, yet is easy to handle short-handed.
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The cockpit of the Sadler Starlight 35 is well thought out, with plenty of stowage and a deep bridgedeck. Credit: David Harding
No attempt was made to squeeze two aft quarter cabins into the back of the 35, which benefits from a spacious cabin on one side, and a well-executed heads compartment on the other.
The saloon includes two long settees that make excellent sea berths, the L-shape galley is of a good size and there’s also a proper chart table with a dedicated seat.
Close to 100 Starlight 35s were built between 1991 and 1999.
They are still held in high regard as solid, well-mannered and rewarding boats to sail that benefit from a high standard of fit-out.
The 35 and 39 were by far the most popular models, although a handful of Starlight 46s were also built at a later stage.
A second-hand Sadler Starlight 35 will cost from £55,000 to £70,000.
Other alternatives to the Halberg Rassy 352
The Comar Comet 11 is based on an innovative interior concept that creates an enormous amount of space, making it easy to forget this is only a 36ft boat.
Yet the hull is that of a successful racing design, with very fair hull lines, and a powerful rig.
The saloon is right aft, under the cockpit, with a big central table and big windows across the transom that let in plenty of natural light, while providing an unusual vista.
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The Comar Comet 11 has plenty of space above and below deck. Credit: Finot
This opens onto a big, bright working area with great headroom at the foot of the companionway, a linear galley to port and a massive outboard-facing navigation station to starboard.
Ahead of this is a double cabin to port, plus bunk beds to starboard alongside a passageway leading forward to the heads compartment, further stowage and a smaller double forecabin.
Almost 200 boats were built between 1979 and 1993. Most change hands in the £30,000-£50,000 bracket, though they can be hard to find on the second-hand market.
Another Scandinavian option is the Maxi 108, a 35ft performance-oriented centre cockpit cruiser designed by double Olympic medallist Pelle Petterson.
Like the Hallberg Rassy 352, there’s a walk-through to the aft cabin, while the forecabin is larger, as is the linear galley that takes up the port side of the saloon at the expense of a smaller seating/dining area.
The aft cabin also lacks full headroom, but the boat nevertheless has a lot of space for one of its size and era.
Around 200 were built from 1979 until the mid-1980s. Today most boats advertised are in the £27,00-£33,000 bracket.
While the majority remain in the Baltic area, a number were sold in the UK and into charter fleets in Greece.
The Malo 36 is a two-cabin aft cockpit design, built from 1996 to 2006, that blends comfort at sea with top-quality construction and well-thought-out stowage.
It was offered with two options for the transom shape.
The classic marginally extended counter maximises deck space, while the slightly reverse transom incorporates a small bathing platform.
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The hull of the Malo 36 is a balsa sandwich from the waterline up, which offers stiffness as well as excellent insulation. Credit: David Harding
Under the water, there’s a moderate-length fin keel, a large spade rudder and good protection for the propeller.
They built 106 Malo 36s and prices today appear to be in the £90,000-£120,000 bracket.
The Dutch Contest yard has many similarities with Hallberg Rassy, including a reputation for quality cruising yachts, and has also been family-owned for several generations.
Equally, Contest has a long-standing reputation for innovative design.
The Contest 32CS of 1978, for instance, was a centre-cockpit model with huge accommodation for a 32-footer of its era, including a walk-through to the aft cabin, while the heads is conveniently positioned next to the companionway.
Owners appear to hang on to them for a long time and they rarely appear on the second-hand market.
Given Westerly was one of the world’s biggest boatbuilders in the 1970s and earlier 1980s it should come as no surprise that other models are also potential lower-cost alternatives to the Hallberg Rassy 352.
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The Westerly Corsair was available with a choice of sloop or ketch rig; most owners preferred the sloop version
The 36ft Corsair is a beamy centre cockpit design with walk-through to a nicely configured aft cabin that morphed into the Oceanranger 38 after the addition of a sugar scoop bathing platform.
Between 1984 and Westerly’s final demise in 2000 190 boats were built.
The later Seahawk 34, and its variants including the Oceanquest 35, also had Ed Dubois-designed hulls with the beam carried further aft, giving a significantly larger aft cabin and more head and elbow room in the walk-through.
Despite additional beam, the Seahawk is noticeably faster than the Westerly 33 and the Discus, although it has a more lively motion in a big sea.
Some 350 boats were built between 1983 and 2000, including around 260 in a centre cockpit format.
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