Haines 32 Offshore review

The Haines 32 Offshore offers single-level living and an Andrew Wolstenholme hull for sea-going clout. Jack Haines puts it to the test in Norfolk

It’s  safe to say that most people who go boating do so as a couple. Now and then there will be friends and family on board but the majority of the time it is just the two of you.

Enter the Haines 32 Offshore, which has the cruising couple in mind with a focus on one-level living where ease of movement and socialising are primary concerns.

As seems to be the way with low-volume builders like Haines, the 32 Offshore was born from customer demand and based on the riverboat with which it shares much of its design and layout.

Andrew Wolstenholme was commissioned to transform the hull from a displacement plodder to something that could hitch up its skirt and go for a jog while sensible shaftdrive power trains make for dependable partners to the solid hull.

Our test boat was fitted with a single 270hp Nanni T4 and topped out at 17.8 knots in our two-way speed runs.

Haines was still in the process of commissioning this boat and had some tinkering to do with the engine mounts, which it says should reduce the resonance we felt at the top end of the rev range.

With this engine, the boat felt most comfortable at a sedate 15 knots, so if you want to cruise at higher speeds it may be wise to spec one of the twin engine set ups.

It’s worth pointing out that Haines has no real allegiance to a specific engine manufacturer, so it’s more a case of if it fits in the engineroom you can have it.

Tailor made

This is where you get a glimpse of what is so special about having your boat built by an outfit like Haines. The customer has their say from the very moment the dotted line is signed and there is scope to properly make your mark on the boat.

The 32 is handmade, so if you want something done slightly differently from the previous boat out of the shed you can do.

And, of course, with handmade craftsmanship comes a level of quality and attention to detail usually reserved for boats twice this size.

It is a wonderfully well put together piece of kit, bursting with sublime woodwork, top notch components and pure clever boat building like thick fiddled edges, plenty of handholds and interior panels that simply unscrew so that you can easily get access behind the scenes if work needs to be done.

The standard layout comprises a double cabin forward with a bathroom to port and U-shaped galley to starboard.

But you can have a bunk bed cabin in place of the galley if so desired and in this instance the galley moves up the saloon.

Thanks to fantastic doors that Haines have sourced from Germany, which split to individual panels and fold flush against the sides of the wheelhouse, the saloon and cockpit can be transformed into one large living space.

• See other wheelhouse and walkaround reviews

A manual sliding sunroof in the saloon and retracting sunshade over the cockpit blur the lines even further between inside and outside to make the 32 a genuine year round, turn-key-and-go option.

You can read the full review of the Haines 32 Offshore in the August 2015 issue of Motor Boat & Yachting, out 2 July.

 

 

Details

Length: 32ft (9.75m)
Beam: 11ft 6in (3.51m)
Fuel capacity: 100 imp gal (455 litres)
Water capacity: 55 imp gal (250 litres)
Draught: 2ft 8in (0.81m)
RCD Category: B (for 8 people)
Test engine: Single Nanni T4 270hp
Top speed: 17.8 knots
Cruising speed: 14 knots