BoatsIsland Packet 32

Island Packet 32

Cutter · Long Keel · 1990–1996

A 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-metre draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stability

Designed by Robert K. Johnson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Island Packet 32, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from All About Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26
CoastalBluewater

1.94 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.94
LightHeavy

258 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 258
EasygoingPowered-up

15.7 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.7
TenderStiff

44% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 44%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Beamier than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 426 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Island Packet 32, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Island PACKET 32 is a cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Robert K. Johnson and built by Island Packet Yachts from 1990 to 1996. It features a long keel hull, measures 10.7 meters LOA, has a 3.5-meter beam, a 1.3-meter draft, and displaces 6123 kg. The design incorporates a full-foil keel, a signature of Johnson's engineering, which uses NACA airfoil sections to provide tracking stability and a gentle motion while maintaining a draft under five feet. Construction involves a one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass hull and keel molding, eliminating keel bolts, and utilizes triaxial knitted laminate with a proprietary Polyclad gel coat.7:53 A centerboard version of the Island PACKET 32 was also available, offering a draft of 2.29 meters with the board down and 1.07 meters with it up.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 32 on video

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.7
Displacement / length
258.2
Comfort ratio
26.4
Capsize screening
1.94
Hull speed
7.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1174
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1990–1996
Units built
120
Designer
Robert K. Johnson
Builder
Island Packet Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus 3510.52 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA long-keeled cruiser that transitioned from mahogany to GRP construction, offering a stable platform for blue-water sailing
Full Sailboat Tour: Hallberg Rassy 35. Full time live-aboard boat ready to sail offshorefrom WhiteSpotPirates
Vindo 5010.65 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10.65-metre masthead sloop with a 46% ballast ratio, engineered for a stiff, predictable motion in open water
Erling Kagge - It started with sailing1:22from SEILmagasinet
Wright Princess 3610.97 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA long-keeled masthead ketch available as a cutter, offering a stable 1.37-metre draft for versatile cruising
Allied Princess 36 // Boat Shopping5:34from 59° North Sailing
Henry R. Hinckley Pilot 3510.90 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Sparkman & Stephens fiberglass classic designed for Hinckley, featuring a long keel and available as a sloop or yawl
Don’t Launch Without This: The Essential Sailboat Maintenance Guide7:51from Practical Sailor
Morgan Yachts Out Island 3610.92 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 1970s production cruiser featuring a 1.14-metre draft and a heavy ballast ratio for stability in shallow waters
AMAZING MACHINES! How They Make Sailboat Sails12:02from Practical Sailor
Bayfield 3610.97 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Haydn Gozzard-designed cutter with a long keel, built for steady, comfortable passage-making.
Bayfield 36 – A Cheap Bluewater Sailboatfrom Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Island Packet 31A 10.46-metre cutter with a shallow 1.22-metre draft, engineered for stable, long-distance cruising in shoal watersIsland Packet 320A 10-metre cutter with a 1.3-metre draught, balancing a high comfort ratio with a stable, long-keeled hullIsland Packet 35A 10.77-metre cutter featuring a 45% ballast ratio, engineered for heavy-weather stability and extended offshore rangeIsland Packet 38A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stabilityIsland Packet 29A 9.75-metre cutter with a 1.3-metre draft, offering a stable, heavy-displacement platform for coastal explorationIsland Packet 37A 37-foot cutter with a 1.37-meter draft, balancing offshore stability with the ability to explore shallow anchorages

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The fleet has more to say

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