Dehler 32

Name: Dehler 32
Brand: DEHLER

Dehler's 41 and 32 have both been designed specifically with the Orci and IRC rules in mind and they're getting results in Europe. But how will they go here?

LIKES

- Very good light-air boat
- Generous cockpit
- Pleasant and roomy interior
- Powerful sail plan
- Very light steering and sheets etc

DISLIKES

- The forepeak may be a big cosy for some
- Deeper keel could preclude the boat from some berths
- Small step up to the main saloon from the galley/nav area

OVERVIEW

- A solid history

Fairly new to our shores, the Dehler brand is gaining new fans due to their performance and build quality. Now part of the Hanse Group which also includes the comfortable Moody cruising yachts, Dehler is branded more as a performance cruiser or even racer/cruiser.

The Dehler brand was started by Willie Dehler in a former cinema in Germany. Willie’s first boat was called a Winnetou which went to sell more than 400. Willie also designed the first IOR one-design yacht in Germany, the Sprinta Sport. Other successes for the fledgling company came in regattas all over the world including the Montreal Olympic Games.

We touch on this brief history lesson to give readers an idea of the design philosophy of the Dehler brand. Dehler is all about building fast, yet comfortable, yachts. Yachts that win races and regattas but still have the creature comforts for family cruising.

A good example of this is our boat for this review. The Dehler 32, the second-smallest yacht in the Dehler stable.

Dehler builds yachts from 29-60ft in their modern factory in Meschede-Freienohl (Sauerland, Germany) and has been doing so for over 40 years. The boats are primarily designed by the renowned Judel/Vrolijk team and are of a very high quality.

If we were searching for a comparison, it could be X-Yachts out of Denmark. In fact, the current Managing Director of Dehler Ralf Tapken, was formerly the Technical Director at X-Yachts.

Commenting on the re-launch of the brand after it buyout by Hanse, Ralf said: "Australia has a reputation for sailors who want not only to sail but to sail in a fast and enjoyable way. We look at your market and see that the 32 and 41 fit so well and are really great solutions for the sailors who want not only a quality fitout but also a very competitive boat on the water".

Dehler uses a different process of yacht manufacturer from most other mainstream manufacturers. The yachts are constructed of hand laid laminates with a balsa core. According to the company, this gives them inherent strength but with light weight for performance.

There’s not a lot new about this process but when it comes to the hull and deck join, that’s where the production process differs. The hull and deck are joined fairly early in the production process when the hull is still in the mould.

Some components are fitted to the hull before the deck goes on, like bulkheads and engine, as after the hull and deck are joined, all components have to go down the hatches or companionway.

The deck section is then lowered onto the hull and the two are carefully laminated together.

The laminates are hand laid from the inside forming a kind of monocoque construction which Dehler says ensures a "lifetime leak-free boat".

The boat is then lifted out of the mould and transferred to the milling area where the join is ground to a flush finish. The boat is then fitted with the rest of the interior, electronics and deck fittings.

It’s an interesting process of construction but one which stood the test of time for the Dehler brand.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

- Not the cheapest but it’s all quality

The base price for the Dehler 32 is $188,000. For that you get a fairly well-kitted out boat with basic sails. For serious racing however, you may have to add a few items.

The standard boat is tiller steered with the wheel, as seen here, an option at $4793. Short-handed sailors might prefer the tiller steer which for a boat of this size is certainly worth a thought.

Also on this boat was the in-cockpit mainsheet system. With the tiller, you can opt for a German miainsheet system with a Harken traveller and two extra mainsheet winches.

The boat also comes with the ‘Cruising Pack’ which, among other things, give you hot water in the galley and shower, stereo, VHF radio, shorepower, additional battery and a two-blade folding prop.

Standard instrumentation is Tack Tick with dual displays at the companionway.

All the deck gear is top quality with Harken being the main supplier. Also worthy of note are the halyards which apart from being dyneema, feed back under the decks leaving the decks and cabin top clean and uncluttered.

All that sits on the cabin top are the controls for the Selden solid boom vang.

The rig itself also Selden. It’s a keel-stepped two-spreader mast that stretches 15.55m above the waterline. The mainsail area is 33sqm and the 107 per cent jib on the roller is 28sqm. The roller is another Selden item that sits flush with the deck and is barely discernible.

Speaking of the decks, the side decks and foredeck have excellent non-skid and the way forward is uninhibited by the shrouds due to the outboard chainplates. I also noted the moulded toe rails which the crew would like if you’re going to sit them on the rail. Far easier on the thighs than aluminium.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION

- Still has the comforts of home.

Even though this boat is designed as a racer around Orci and IRC rules, it still is comfortable inside.

Climbing down from the big cockpit, we have the nav station to starboard. I was pleased to not that it’s a full-size nav station with a decent seat and room under the chart table for you charts and other equipment. Here resides the switch panel for all the boat electrics. There’s the VHF, Stereo, a 12-volt socket and the little Lowrance HDS5 GPS plotter. There is more room for extra electronics if you want to get more serious.

Opposite is the galley with single sink, two-burner gas stove with oven, lockers for all your utensils and a 60-litre top-opening fridge.
Aft of the galley is the aft cabin which has a roomy double berth, a clothes cupboard and storage underneath.

On the other side of the companionway is the head which is quite big for a 32-footer. I features a wet locker (a very handy inclusion) a shower, wash basin and holding tank. There’s also an opening port for ventilation.

The main saloon is fairly standard with for-and-aft lounges, a folding table with storage drawer and storage cupboards along either side. Interestingly, there is a small step up to the saloon from the galley/nav area which I assume is there to allow for the keel bolts while maximising the headroom in the galley, but I reckon it'd get annoying the third or fourth time you tripped on it.

One good feature were the two strong hand rails along each side of the boat. This show the intention of the boat and that it’s designed to go out a bit of the rough stuff. All too often these days we get on boats that lack good hand holds... but this isn’t one of them.

The forepeak berth seemed a little small to me but when the agent, John Cowpe who is a pretty big boy, got in there, it didn’t seem too bad. I have to remind myself that this is only a 32ft boat. Headroom throughout was over six feet in the old money.

It’s a nice feeling down below with the ambience of the mahogany joinery and the ‘mood’ lighting which would be lovely at night. It’s quite roomy for a boat of this size and there would certainly be enough room for a crew four to toodle off for a weekend of adventure.

ON THE WATER

- Fast in the light stuff

As our photos will attest, the day of our sail turned out to be beautiful autumn day in Melbourne with a light breeze (perhaps a little too light) and flat sea.

We met our hosts John and Rick out on the water where I was taking photos from my mate’s Cav 32. Heading in to the light breeze of perhaps 7-8 knots, The Cav with its motor flat out couldn’t keep up. My first impression of the Dehler 32? Quick in light airs!

After chasing the boys around for a while and taking my photos, I radioed for them to head in so we could park our not-so-quick camera boat and jump aboard with them.
The test boat was fitted with extras, as we’ve mentioned, and these include the deeper cast iron T-keel and some upgraded sails.

The deep keel gives a draft of 1.98 metres which is a lot for a boat of this size and may keep some owners out of shallow marinas. The standard keel is 1.74m and we understand that there is an option for a shallow-draft keel of 1.43 with an extra 220kg of ballast. Perhaps the race keel could have a bit less draft and a bit more lead?

We headed back out onto the bay and unfurled the jib (the boys had left the main up during the pickup. My initial feeling was how quickly we accelerated. With that big stick and a displacement of just 4,215kg, this little boat boogies! How it’d go in blow I don’t know, but in the light stuff it was great!

It does heel a bit initially and wasn’t as stiff as I’d thought it would be with the deep keel, but it does get going.

I took over the helm and instantly noticed how light it was. In fact, everything on the boat is light... maybe I’m not used to smaller boats but this felt really easy to manage.

With the wheel, it’s difficult for the helmsman to trim anything. He could help a bit with the main, but it’s not ideal. The crew person could do everything if you were just cruising around but in race mode, you’d need more.

If you’re thinking of doing two-handed racing, it might be wiser to look at the tiller version.

Up wind, we were pointing high and doing 4.3 in six knots of breeze, cracked off the boat felt comfortable and fun – I couldn’t help thinking that it would have been great to have a kite!

As the day progressed, the breeze died and we headed for home. The standard engine in the Dehler is a 18hp Volvo which will push the 32 along a good six knots -- plenty. The fuel tank, at 65 litres, is probably sufficient to get you from Melbourne to Tassie (well, King Island anyway) if you don’t over-rev it.

I liked the Dehler 32. It’s roomy for boat of its size, it goes fast in light airs and as it’s built around the IRC rules, it should rate well. Build quality is very good as is the joinery. It’s light, manoeuvrable and should be a heap of fun.

Specifications:

LOA: 9.80m
LWL: 8.94m
Beam: 3.25m
Draft: 1.74m (standard) 1.98m (racing) 1.43 m (short)
Displacement: 4.310kg (standard) 4.215kg (racing) 4.530kg (short)
Ballast: 1.480kg (standard) 1.385kg (racing) 1.700 kg (short)
Engine: Volvo D1-20 (18hp)
Fresh water: 100 litres
Fuel tank: 65 litres
Mast height above WL: 15.55 m
Total sail area: 56.0sqm
Main sail: 33.0sqm
Furling Jib: 28sqm (107 per cent)
Spinnaker: 89.0sqm
Gennaker: 74.0sqm
Rig I: 13.20m
J: 3.60m
P: 12.67m
E: 4.55m
Design: Judel/Vrolijk
Interior: Dehler

Supplied by:

Windcraft Sydney
Smiths Boatshed, Mosman
Tel: (02) 99606222
www.windcraft.com.au

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Dehler 32

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