Rhodes Chespeake 32
Description
The Rhodes Chesapeake (most commonly known as the Chesapeake 32) is a classic American fiberglass cruising sailboat designed by Philip Rhodes (his design #700) in the late 1950s/early 1960s. It was originally commissioned by U.S. yacht broker George Walton and built in Denmark by Danboat (or Danboats) from 1960 to around 1965. The boats were imported and sold in the U.S. under names like Chesapeake 32, Danboat 33, or ISL 33, reflecting variations in marketing or minor tweaks. This design is celebrated for blending Rhodes' signature elegant, timeless lines (graceful sheer, spoon bow, counter stern) with early fiberglass production—retaining the "old-time wood yacht" aesthetic while offering low-maintenance durability. It's often compared to near-contemporaries like the Pearson Vanguard (also a 32-foot Rhodes design, but slightly heavier and more commodious) or the Rhodes Bounty series, but the Chesapeake 32 stands out for its lighter displacement, spirited performance, and excellent balance as a coastal/offshore cruiser-racer.
Construction Details
| Designer | Phil Rhodes |
|---|---|
| Builder | Danboat or Danboats (Denmark) |
| Length | 32.000 ft |
| LOA | 32.000 ft |
| LWL | 24.000 ft |
| Beam | 9.833 ft |
| Year Built | 1960 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 37.25 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 12.50 ft |
| p | 32.25 ft |
| e | 14 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.25 ft | 12.50 ft | 32.25 ft | 14 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 32.25 ft - (9830 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.43 ft - (10494 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 34.71 ft - (10580 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 232.77 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 31.43 ft - (9580 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.75 ft - (5105 mm) |
| Leech | * 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 112.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.12 ft - (4304 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 13.98 ° |
| Area | * 221.93 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - GENOA
| Luff | * 37.33 ft - (11378 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.36 ft - (6206 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.3 ft - (10455 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 148.16 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.52 ft - (5645 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 6 ° |
| Area | * 345.67 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - GENOA
| Luff | 36.75 ft - (11201 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17.67 ft - (5386 mm) |
| Leech | 34.25 ft - (10439 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.37 ft - (4990 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.6 ° |
| Area | * 300.72 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 37.33 ft - (11378 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.62 ft - (6285 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.34 ft - (10467 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 577 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 37.33 ft - (11378 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 22.5 ft - (6858 mm) |
| Foot | * 22.5 ft - (6858 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 714 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 21.61 ft - (6587 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.46 ft - (2883 mm) |
| Leech | * 17.53 ft - (5343 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 7.5 ft - (2286 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19 ° |
| Area | * 81.04 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Rhodes Chespeake 32 - STORMTRYSAIL
| Luff | * 13.75 ft - (4191 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.64 ft - (3853 mm) |
| Leech | * 11.46 ft - (3493 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 11.46 ft - (3493 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * -25 ° |
| Area | * 68 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.