About Rhapsody, an Aries 32 sloop

First trip, motoring home with new bottom paint
Rhapsody is an Aries 32, designed by Thomas C. Gilmer and built, allegedly, in the C. C. Chen boatyards in Taiwan in 1982. The hull design is said to be the same as the Weatherly 33, Roughwater 33, and the venerable Southern Cross 31. She's a heavily-built full keel double-ender with fiberglass decks and a teak cockpit. Most hardware is of high-quality bronze. The interior is finished in teak, with a teak and holly sole. The rigging consists of stainless steel wire holding up an unpainted deck-stepped aluminum mast of about 37' in length. Halyards are internal, and currently spliced rope to stainless steel wire 3/8" StaSet.

Rhapsody is now a documented vessel, No. 1242996

The following numbers were gleaned from the web and may not be accurate.

Displacement: 14500 pounds
Length on deck: 31'8"
LOA: 35'9"
Beam: 9'6"
Draft: 5'5"
Length at waterline: 26'
Ballast: 7000 pounds (reportedly concrete-encapsulated steel)
Engine: Westerbeke W30
Sail Area: 470 square feet

I (deck to mast top): 36.9"
J (mast to foot of jib): 13.6")
P (boom to top of mast): 31.7
E (boom length): 13.5'

20140115 edit, as measured when hauled:

  • Draft: 60", aft keel about under cockpit winches
  • Center of prop: 23" below waterline
  • Engine Intake: 17" under waterline
  • Galley Sink Drain: 10" under waterline
  • Watermaker Intake: 33" under waterline
  • Head Intake: 17" under waterline
  • Head Pumpout: 16" under waterline
  • Head Sink Drain: 10" under waterline

Rhapsody had been more or less abandoned when we found her, and was in need of much loving. She's becoming more or less seaworthy and has been for several short sails on San Francisco and San Pablo Bays.

This site will attempt to chronicle our work on her, and hopefully one day our adventures on her. Please check back often, and leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions.

A quick tour, with the disclaimer that we're completely incapable of taking a systemic picture. Rusty bolt? Thousands of pictures. Cockpit layout? Zero.


In the slings with a new bottom
The cockpit is small and constructed of teak. Engine access if through a hatch in the footwell.
Teak doors guard the companionway, and a new dodger gives us a place to dodge.

DSC03192
A large ladder leads over the engine cover to belowdecks. The doors to either side provide access to a long storage locker under the cockpit seats. We've since added a Link2000 battery monitor, bilge pump controls, Racor fuel filter, and kitchen storage to this view. Maybe we'll update the picture someday!
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