Message in a Bottle

“I’ve been a long-time subscriber to your magazine and am also an amateur builder, having constructed a 33-foot cruising catamaran that I designed myself. For health reasons, I had to part with my ‘baby’, and I don’t know what became of it... However, by chance, I came across another small catamaran on the internet that looks very seaworthy and handleable. The lines are a little dated, but the hull would appear very efficient as this boat won a race in Alaska according to the little information I have been able to find.

I would very much like to find plans for this hull and its construction, which was carried out by the Gougeon brothers, who produced this model in a small series. The hull seems to have been designed and built between 1970 and 1990, but not after 2000. If you have any information on this subject, I would be grateful if you could let me know. The catamaran in question is a Gougeon 32, whose design is quite outdated but certainly great for two or three people.

Thank you in advance.

Christian”

Unfortunately, we’ve never tested a Gougeon 32, though it deserves to be included in a future second-hand boat feature...
However, we can provide you with some information and, of course, share your message with our readers—we will be happy to forward their responses to you.

The Gougeon 32 was designed by Jan Gougeon and 14 were built between 1990 and 1992 in Bay City, Michigan. The narrowness of this catamaran is explained by the fact that this multihull was designed to be inexpensive but also transportable by road without being dismantled and to be lightweight (less than 500 kg / 1,100 lbs). On the water, the 32 proved to be fast: Russell Brown sailed his Incognito to victory in the 2017 Race to Alaska in the single-handed class. Prone to capsizing when unladen due to its characteristics, the Gougeon 32 could be made somewhat safer with added ballast (272 liters in each hull).

Technical specifications
Builder: Gougeon Bros
Material: balsa/fiberglass/epoxy sandwich
Architect: Jan Gougeon
Length: 32’ (9.75 m)
Beam: 8’4” (2.54 m)
Waterline length: 32’ (9.75 m)
Draft: 8”/4’3” (20 cm/1.3 m)
Displacement: 1,100/2,300 lbs (499/1,043 kg)
Sail area: 287 sq ft (26.66 m²)
Years: 1990 to 1992
Examples built: 14