List of Weaknesses/Flaws in Downeaster designs and build General Forum Forums

DE's are great boats.  Every boat is a compromise so here's a good list of the down sides of the design or manufacture (which may also function as a list of suggested upgrades/fixes).    Of course there can be a companion thread which lists the major plus's of the DE's.  This thread just lists the bummers, through this list a better comparison to other boats can show the contrasts easily.   So if you have some complaints about the design then add to the list.

Make note to list which DE is referenced since the designs are a bit different.

DE32 in general:

The Staysail boom is not considered a safe or space-saving design though it is
convenient to sail in several ways.  Many DE's rerig without the staysail boom as the drawbacks outweigh the positives.

Batteries are located in a relatively inaccessible area behind the engine.
Makes it difficult to maintain or check the batteries.  Many DE's move the
batteries into a settee (aft or stbd)

Others have complained about the small size of the DE32 cockpit. Compared to
other boats especially modern designs, the DE's do have a very tiny cockpit.  (It has also been called a more wet cockpit, compared to other boats, when under good heel.)
If a priority is on socializing or lounging esp. with a larger group, this drawback is a bummer.
The cockpit well is fairly narrow so a wheel takes a significant amount of
space and is difficult to walk around.

Anchor chain runs below deck into the chain locker then down through a very
narrow fiberglass opening into the bottom of the forepeak.  Chain tends to bunch
up in the chain locker at this narrow opening unless raked down by hand.

On some DE's the deck hardware bolts thru the deck and the nuts are glassed
into the interior ceiling, so it is not possible to access the bolts unless the
fiberglass is chipped or cut away.

The headliner is attached to strips of wood, these strips of wood are stapled
to the fiberglass and the staples are glassed in.   The staples are not monel
and they rust.  The headliner uses a hideaway plastic strip, this strip is
stapled to the headliner, with hundreds of small staples, also not rust
resistant.

The main sheet uses an end-boom sheeting arrangement which does not allow for a
traveller.  Some DE's add a traveller just forward of the dodger.  On my DE,
which has a wheel, standing at the wheel is risky because the sheet tends to be
at neck level.

The v-berth is really high, it is quite a climb to get in & out.  For sleeping,
the v-berth's step is usually hidden because the extension piece is in (so the
step is not usable).  Many guests have complained that it is hard to get into
the v-berth because it's so high and there's no step.  Sounds odd, it's true.

The head is not oriented in the correct direction (it should face aft).  Under
heel, sitting on the head is a far lean back or a far lean forward.

The fridge does not have any insulation between the counter top and the
interior (it's just wood).  There is a lot of temperature loss in this area, so
insulation needs to be added.

Engine access behind the companionway stairwell is good, except access behind
the engine requires climbing over the engine (esp to reach the batteries or other
maintenance).  There's no way to reach behind the engine except through the
open stairwell.

A couple DE owners expressed concern regarding the support of the mast through the deck and suggested this area is not that strong, and the door frame for the head is the only real re-enforcement to the deck in this area.  A beefier brace beam likely resolves this.

Older DE's use chainplates which travel thru the caprail instead of outside the caprail. This likely leads to increased likelihood of corrosion on the chainplates.