Sailboats 36-40ft

From the outset the Irwin 37 was a roomy, appealing cruising boat that was once described as the Chevrolet Belair of the boat market. Her greatest appeal was to the sailor/owner who is not into tradition, sailing performance, elegance, construction details, or investment.

A big cat springs from small beginnings.

Two of the best built production boats in America, the 3700 and 4100 will go darn near anywhere.

Most are familiar with Charles Morgan and his Out Island 41, primarily made to cruise and charter in the Bahamas, but not many are...

This well-built cruising boat, Caliber 40 LRC with an attractive wood interior has loads of room but sails marginally to windward and has a few problems with its tanks.

A Mexican vacation with her husband had Debbie Bulk dreaming of a better way to see local village life, away from the regular tourist...

Hans Christian 34/36 - While not a good boat for the weekend coastal cruiser, or for anyone who does much sailing in light-to-moderate air, this is an excellent choice for the serious blue-water sailor. This is a boat that will take you offshore to Bermuda or just about anywhere and will stand up to a gale. The 34/36 wont get you there fast, but it will get you there safely.

The Tartan 37 is a moderately high performance, shoal-draft cruiser built between 1967 and 1988 by Tartan Marine, a company that helped usher in the fiberglass era under Charlie Britton in the 1960s. At the time of the Tartan 37s introduction, the company had its headquarters in Grand River, Ohio, and a factory in Hamlet, N.C.

For cruising in comfort and sailing with ease it's hard to top modern designs like the Beneteau 393. Openness, creature comfort, and smooth-running systems put boats like these well ahead of the "narrow, dark, cavelike" designs of just a few years ago. However, if your need is to claw off a lee shore in a gale, to go where the waves are bigger than you are, or to cast off with "anything goes" readiness, these new coastal cruising designs aren't as good as the old.

When classical musicians start playing rock and roll, fans take note. When their first songs a hit, everyone listens to the lyrics. Bob Johnson, Bill Bolin, and the Island Packet Yachts (IP) crew have decades of experience delivering traditional cruisers to appreciative owners, but IPs newest player has increased the tempo.