Dufour 32

The happy Holland family didn't take the prospect of buying a new yacht lightly. In fact, it would be fair to say they tried every flavour available before deciding which one was most satisfying.

But for David Holland, wife Val and son Richard, the yacht-buying process was a labour of love. Having owned a Van de Stadt 32 in England, which he sailed around the Isle of Wight, David was always fond of the pastime.

However, he found the family had well-and-truly grown out of their converted 18-footer in Sydney. The original 18, which apparently won the 1952 championships, has been converted into a quaint but compact day sailor.

Looking for something which they could spend days and nights aboard, the Hollands shopped far and wide over a five-year period. Along the way, they considered virtually everything on the market. Everything, that is, from Paris to Palm Beach.

Sensibly, they spent a lot of time chartering. This experience proved invaluable. The true colours of a lot of popular yachts shone through, says Richard, who found the bunks on some yachts were way too short. Val says she hated other yachts whose head was right alongside the galley.

After becoming a virtual household name among the boating industry, the Hollands finally formed a clear picture of what they wanted. They headed out with a shopping list that went as follows...

The yacht had to be easily sailed short-handed, fully capable of cruising to Port Stephens or Jervis Bay from Sydney, nifty but not too serious for twilight racing in summer, graced with plenty of accommodation, and it had to look and perform like the real thing.

Further, this mythical yacht had to have great sailability, come with a good engine that could propel the boat along at sea and, as if this wasn't enough, it had to be well-crafted and put together as though the makers really cared.

Their wishlist eventually led them to the Dufour 32. David says this yacht, above all others, fulfilled their demanding criteria. Rather, it actually exceeds expectations with its accommodation for up to six people.

SOME MORE ON DUFOUR
Interestingly, the French company Dufour make some 39 different boats for such careful buyers as the Hollands.

At the time, the local Dufour agency was in the hands of Jerry Henry from the old-world boatyard in Careening Cove on Sydney Harbour. Unbeknown to me, the old-stager has established many major yacht agencies in Australia, including Beneteau and Catalina, he says.

He took on Dufour because "the yachts represent good quality, excellent value and their sizes slot in nicely for most sailors".

Yet as any boat buyer will tell you, the success or otherwise of a new yacht brand rests with satisfying the other signature on the cheque.

"It works," says Val, enthusiastically guiding me down below her Dufour 32 to explain exactly what swayed her.

"The bathroom isn't behind the sink, see, it's on the other side. The bunks are big and overall the boat feels spacious inside.

"It's just such lovely workmanship," she says casting her eye around the boat. "It looks really nice, don't you think? And we're still discovering all the storage, too."

Meanwhile, I find myself reclining deeper and deeper on one of the Dufour's incredibly comfortable saloon lounges or settees.

Despite this yacht's waterline length, the saloon is really very big. The settees are among the most comfortable I have sampled.

I could easily fall asleep here, which was part of the deal. Should Val's son decide to bring friends aboard, they can camp on the full-length settees. In fact, these are actually more accommodating than the berths on some so-called cruising yachts.

But, no, there is work to do: opening and closing hatches, surveying under-bunk recesses, checking the inside of timber cupboards, laying on more beds, and casting my eyes and hands over the fabrics and finishes.

Indeed, the Hollands' careful shopping has paid rewards. The Dufour is a classy bit of work down below. On paper, a 32-footer might still sound like a pup, yet for a couple and their occasional crew of kids, this yacht is more than enough.

BELLE MAISON
The Dufour 32 is finished with a timeless combination of sweetly moulded white fibreglass liners and generous mahogany panelling.

Classy French fabrics cover the bunks and lounges, while the galley and bathroom have the good stuff, Avonite, which is like marble and not the moulded Granicoat used more widely. There is also a great sense of airiness from the abundance of hatches, which seem almost oversized. These give no shortage of natural light. Indeed, even on dull days like that of our test, the boat feels cheery inside.

Behind a full mahogany bulkhead and well-crafted door, with double locking latches to stop it chattering, is the owner's forepeak cabin. Here, there is an oversized vee-berth that, with infill, converts to a big double measuring 1.95mx1.65m.

Khaya mahogany wood panelling, judicious use of white headliner, and a bronze and blue-flecked bedspread create a sense of chic. Under the berth is the 170lt freshwater tank. There is a hanging locker and a storage locker, which are both fully lined, and open shelves nearby.

While already touched on, the saloon has a useful dinette with twin folding leaves and bottle storage inside. The mast is deck-stepped, so there is only a support coming through the table.

This table is flanked by those aforementioned giant lounges, which have storage beneath including room for a 22lt hotwater heater. The lounges have curved backrests and are finished with a blue and gold fabric that bears a smart sail insignia on it.

On the ceiling, meanwhile, are well-positioned grabrails so you can move forward in a seaway. Storage cupboards are built in near the galley and crafted from mahogany. Inside, I found a full set of Dufour unbreakable crockery with matching cutlery for six.

Admittedly, the galley is smaller than some boats of this length but it is sufficient to whip up three meals a day. Being L-shaped, you can lock yourself in at sea. And being near the companionway, you can serve lunch up top rather easily.

Features include a stainless sink with pressurised water, gimballed two-burner stove/oven, 65lt icebox with 12V fridge unit, opening porthole for ventilation, storage for pots in draws below the stove and an overhead pantry for other items.

THE CRUISER YOU HAVE...
Opposite the galley is the navigation station. It's not one of those Claytons nav stations you see on some 32-footers, but a full-blown, sitdown, plan-your-voyage job, with a big chart table and storage below.

Nearby is a facia for flush-mounting your GPS and radios, while the switch panel is at arms' reach.

The aft cabin, while having only one hatch, was wonderfully oversized. A strapping young basketballer could stretch out and still have room to spare and, realistically, a couple could sleep like babies on the 1.95m x 1.6m double berth.

I sat on the edge of the berth and found you could easily converse with others in the saloon or someone whipping-up lunch in the galley alongside. The aft cabin had a hanging locker with a shelf and stowage under the berth.

The head on this 32-footer also deserves a mention. It too is oversized, thanks to the flare of the hull above the waterline, and with white moulded fibreglass, it's delightfully bump-free. The fittings are stylish, the toilet a manual model with room to sit and think, and there is a moulded sink unit with washbasin, handheld shower and storage. The top of the washbasin was finished in Avonite. A big mirror was on the door.

But impressively, and this deserves a special mention, there was also a dedicated hanging space for wet weather gear in the head. If you're doing nothing more than fair weather sailing, it will do nicely for your fluffy beach towels.

Under the teak companionway steps, meanwhile, was terrific access to the Volvo 20hp Saildrive, which is a safer option than the standard 10hp auxiliary. With the companionway hatch open, the boat's interior flows invitingly from the cockpit and you shouldn't hit your head on the way down.

Despite its European heritage, the Dufour 32's cockpit was well-proportioned and accommodating of up to six sailors and guests on either the teak-covered moulded cockpit seats or higher up on their windward edge when underway.

Below these seats was a big sail locker with room for a rubber ducky (deflated, of course), plus the gas bottle locker. The only complaint the Hollands had was that the gas bottle was a tad small But they correctly point out that it's done this way, so you can refill it on dry land.

While the transom wasn't walk-though, it was simply a matter of unclipping the lifelines and stepping onto the integrated boarding platform with swim ladder. A hot/cold deck shower awaits your return from the morning swim.

RIGGED AND READY
The stout twin spreader rig, with inboard shrouds tied to chainplates bolted to stringers, looks plenty tough enough to handle a blow at sea. And with this rig, the decks remain wide and clear for accessing the bow.

There are handrails on the cabin top, and even room on the foredeck to stretch a towel while at anchor. The mooring cleats, pushpit and pulpit rails, stanchions and chain locker, and deck gear including a Lewmar 16 winch on the coachroof and twin two-speed Lewmar 30s for the big genoa, are all first-rate. (You might care to add another winch for the reefing lines).

Though the traveller is only a short one and situated near the companionway, it doesn't ruin access below. On the positive side, it puts the sheet right in front of the skipper for safe short-handed sailing.

Sheeting angles are also nice and low for the headsail, which has a roller furler. The main is really quite small and you'd have to try hard to cop the boom on the noggin' during tacks or gybes. Most of the power comes from the 32's big genoa.

The construction side of things also forms a big part of Dufour's reputation. The hull, a J&J design, is hand-laid with a PVC core above the waterline. Importantly, it is vacuum-bagged and finished with NPG gelcoat to ward off osmosis.

WE ARE SAILING...
We left the amateurs in Mosman Bay about 2pm under a leaden sky and with a stout 12-14kt nor-easter riffling down the harbour. With the full No.2 genoa and main out, the boat showed a willingness to get going.

Broad reaching, we hit 7kt on the speed log and pointing we sat around the five or sixes. Upwind, the boat proved responsible with a well-balanced helm. Though it is usually fitted with a tiller, the optional wheel steering is a better go.

The Dufour 32 comes in three different keel arrangements. There is a deep fin-bulb design, a shallow draft keel and even a lift keel. This was the second version, with a shallow keel suitable for cruising waterways like Lake Macquarie.

I got the feeling, however, that the boat would prefer flying a full head of sail in 14kt with that deep keel. Still, as the Hollands have found out, this is a great family boat. And now they want nothing more than to cruise to Port Stephens together.

As the adage goes, the family that plays together stay together. And while it has been said that all happy families resemble one another, on the Dufour they have an air of distinction tossed in.