Sailboats 36-40ft

Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot, shoal-draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter. After sailing the Estero on Florida’s Sarasota Bay and inspecting its interior, construction, and systems, Practical Sailor testers noted that the shoal-water cruiser will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.

Island Packet Yachts has been building cruising boats for over 32 years. It builds five different hull designs—about 80 boats per year—to American Boat and Yacht Council and European Category A (offshore) standards.

Island Packet Yachts has been building cruising boats for over 32 years. It builds five different hull designs—about 80 boats per year—to American Boat and Yacht Council and European Category A (offshore) standards.

The Catalina 375 replaces the very popular Catalina 36, which was launched in 1982. According to Catalina Yachts, better performance was at the top of the improvements list, and giving the 375 a longer waterline and greater sail area-displacement ratio than the C36 ensured success on that front. Clearly, the 375 has a greater potential for faster passages than its predecessor, but it is, for all intents and purposes, a family cruiser, with safety, and comfort taking precedence. A spacious interior, ample on-deck storage, and in-mast mainsail furling are a few of the features Catalina included in the C375 to meet owners lifestyle needs. On the water, the boat moved well in light to moderate breeze, but beating in gustier conditions revealed symptoms of the disease that plagues similar wide-bodied cruisers.

While not the best boat for light-air sailing, the Union 36 is a good sailboat for the bluewater cruiser. It wont get you there fast, but it will get you there comfortably and in one piece. The boats teak decks and lavish use of interior wood is attractive but requires much upkeep and maintenance. A product of the Taiwan-U.S. boatbuilding industry, the Union 36 is a heavy-displacement, full-keel, cutter-rigged double-ender designed for ocean sailing. The Union 36 is nearly identical to several other boats built during the same period: the Hans Christian 36, Mariner Polaris 36, and the EO36. According to well-known naval architect Bob Perry, the Union 36 and its cousins are all based on the design of a 34-footer that Perry was commissioned to create back in the early 70s.

After sifting through the field of sailing sports cars on the market today, Practical Sailor identified five very different watercraft that met our speedster criteria. At the top end of our size and cost profile is yacht designer Bill Lees legacy, the Santa Cruz 37, a wolf in wolfs clothing that offers performance as priority one, two, and three. Next in line is the Andrews 28, a breakaway racer/cruiser that packs performance and a Spartan minimalists cruising package into a 25.7-foot waterline. Hard to miss is the Open 6.50, an out-an-out go-fast sportboat with room below for little more than a cooler and bevy of high-tech sails. For the diehard dinghy sailor, we highlight the quick-planing Stealth, a 14.5-footer that redefines reaching, and in true giant-slayer fashion, can fly by most 40-footers on a power reach. And if thats not action enough, we hop aboard a turbo-charged windsurfer, the Starboard Futura. Powered with a Neil Pryde sail, it runs away with the award for most speed and fun for our dollar.

In a search for a budget cruiser, Practical Sailor examined a field of used sailboats costing less than $75K and built between 1978 and 1984. We narrowed the field to boats with sufficient accommodations for four people and a draft of less than 6 feet. One way to approach a used-boat search is to look for sailboats with informed, active owners associations and high resale values. Practical Sailors quest for recession-proof cruisers led us to the Allied Princess 36, Bristol 35.5C, Endeavour 37, S2 11.0, Freedom 36, ODay 37, Niagara 35, C&C Landfall 38, and the Tartan 37. The report takes a more in-depth look at the Tartan, C&C Landfall, and Niagara.

A daysailer was once simple and small, an entry-level passport to the sport. In the new millennium, however, that has changed. Simplicity may still be a watchword, but the boats have grown into what could be called trophy boats. Hinckley Co.s latest daysail boat is 42 feet long. Morris Yachts is marketing a boat that stretches 53 feet as a daysailer. Ted Fontaine at Friendship Yachts already has built one that size. And these are only a few of the daysail boats with minimal accommodations, big cockpits, and over-size price tags that are filling up the fleet. In all, more than a dozen elegant daysailers have made it to market. This article compares an even dozen: the Alerion Express 28, 33, and 38 (Pearson Composites); e33 (e Sailing Yachts, Robbie Doyle and Jeremy Wurmfeld); the B-38 (Luca Brenta); Bruckmann 42 (Bruckmann Yachts); Crosscurrent 33 (Maxi Dolphin); the Friendship 40 (Ted Fontaine); Harbor 25 (W.D. Schock); Hinckley 42 (Hinckley Yachts), J-100 and J-124 (JBoats), Morris 36 (Morris Yachts), Sabre Spirit (Sabre Yachts), and the wallynano (Wally Yachts).

Born as bluewater cruising boats, the Shannon 37 and Shannon 38 are a few of the designs that made Shannon Yachts a formidable semi-custom boatbuilder. Both boats, traditional designs by Walter Schultz, have relatively heavy displacements and long keels. This makes for comfortable offshore sailing, while their multiple sailplan options make short-handed voyaging possible. This Practical Sailor boat review includes a look at two Shannons: Hull No. 1 of the Shannon 38, owned by circumnavigators Bob Burns and Judi Nester, who completed a 14-year circumnavigation aboard their boat 30 years after it first splashed down in Narragansett Bay, R.I.; and a Shannon 37, Silk, owned by well-known bluewater voyagers Beth Leonard and Evans Starzinger, who finished a three-year circumnavigation aboard Silk. Testers found that the Shannons compare favorably to other full-bodied cruisers, including the Pacific Seacraft, the Cabo Rico 38, and Tayana 37.

The Sydney 36CR reflects the agony and the ecstasy of modern handicap racing. Her designers aim was a durable, sexy, race-ready boat with hassle-free operation and cruiser accommodations. In Practical Sailor testers opinions, the 36CR addresses a very small niche market. Sailed hard and well, it can win races in most places and fleets. But thats not unique. It offers limited, yet realistic cruising, which expands its use. But how close to the top can you expect to get with a 12-year-old design optimized for Antipodean breezes? And is the 36CR enough of a cruiser to make it the dual-purpose boat of your dreams?