USED BOAT REVIEW CLASSIC CRUISERS FOR LESS THAN $75,000 The Endeavour 37 was based on a Lee Creekmore hull that was cut in half and extended. The handsome Luders 33 was the boat in which teenager Robin Lee Graham completed his historic cir- cumnavigation. Arthur Edmunds designed the full-keel Princess 36 aft-cockpit ketch and the larger Coyle Brian by Photo Mistress 39 center-cockpit ketch. None of these boats are fancily finished, but the fiberglass work is solid and well executed. They’re Bargain Voyagers ocean-worthy, and affordable. The Princess 36 was in production from roughly 1972 to 1982. We’d look for PS picks a few recession-proof a later model year; prices are under cruisers worthy of sweat equity. $50,000. BRISTOL 35.5C et’s say you’re looking to buy a board engine. Too small, however, to Bristol Yachts was founded by Clint L boat for summer cruising along satisfy our new criteria. So we need Pearson, after he left Pearson Yachts the coastal U.S. or on the Great Lakes, to jump up in size. As we culled in 1964. His early boats were Ford one that, when the time is right, is through the possibilities, we found and Chevy quality, good but plainly also capable of taking you safely and a fairly narrow range of boat lengths finished, like the Allieds. Over the efficiently to Baja or the Bahamas, and vintages that satisfy the criteria. years this changed, so that by the and perhaps even island-hopping Of course, there always are excep- late 1970s and early 1980s, his boats from Miami to the West Indies. Like tions, but basically it is this: 35- to 38- were between Buicks and Cadillacs most of us, your budget is limited, so footers built between 1978 and 1984. in overall quality. This includes the a new boat is out of the question. Let’s Bigger or newer boats that meet our Ted Hood-designed 35.5C. It’s a cen- set more specifics: criteria cost more than $75,000. terboarder with a draft from 3 feet, • Passes a thorough survey by a Here’s the list of nine models we 9 inches board up to 9 feet, 6 inches respected surveyor and has been came up with: Allied Princess 36, board down; a keel version also was upgraded to meet current equipment Bristol 35.5C, C&C Landfall 38, En- available (named without the “C”). and safety standards. (These are old deavour 37, Freedom 36, Niagara 35, The solid fiberglass hull was laid boats, after all, prone to all sorts of O’Day 37, S2 11.0, and the Tartan 37. up in two halves and then joined on potentially serious problems.) All were built by reputable compa- centerline. It had an inward-turning • Fun to sail inshore (which means nies in the U.S. or Canada, with un- flange on the hull, superior to the not too heavy and not too big). derwater configurations ranging from more common shoebox hull-to-deck • Sufficient accommodations and full keels with attached rudders to fin joint. The 35.5C is very good in light stowage to cruise four people for keels and spade rudders. Displace- air, but tender in a breeze. Pick one up two weeks. ments are mostly moderate. for around $60,000. • Popular model (active owners’ Below we present notes on six of the support group for help and camara- finalists, and in the following pages, ENDEAVOUR 37 derie) with decent resale value. we’ll look at the three favorites: the The Endeavour Yacht Corp. was • Under $75,000. Niagara 35 (page 10), the Landfall 38 founded in 1974, and its first model • Monohull (multihulls violate the (page 12), and the Tartan 37 (page 14). was a 32-footer, built in molds given price cap, anyway). to it by Ted Irwin. Yup, the Endeavour • Draft of less than 6 feet (for the ALLIED PRINCESS 36 32 has the same hull as the Irwin 32. islands, mon). Allied Yachts developed an excel- Its second model was the Endeavour In the February 2008 issue, we lent line of cruising sailboats in 37, based on a smaller, little known examined 30-footers from the 1970s, the 1960s, including the first fiber- Lee Creekmore hull that was cut in which is just above the minimum glass boat to circumnavigate, the half and extended. It’s not the prettiest length for the Big Three: standing Seawind 30 ketch, which later was boat in the world, and not very fast, headroom, enclosed head, and in- expanded to the 32-foot Seawind II. but heavily built. Owners report no APRIL 2009 WWW.PRACTICAL-SAILOR.COM CLASSIC CRUISERS FOR LESS THAN $75,000 Allied Princess S2 11.0 O’Day 37 Freedom 36 Bristol 35.5C Endeavour 37 MODEL LOA LWL BEam DRAFT BALLAST DISPLACEMENT SaIL AREA D/L SA/D ALLIED PRINCESS 36’ 0” 27’ 6” 11’ 0” 4’ 6” 5,000 lbs. 14,400 lbs. 604 sq. ft. 309 16.3 BRISTOL 35.5C 35’ 6” 27’ 6” 10’ 10” 3’ 9/9’ 6” 7,000 lbs. 15,000 lbs. 589 sq. ft. 322 15.5 ENDEAVOUR 37 37’ 5” 30’ 0” 11’ 7” 4’ 6” 8,000 lbs. 21,000 lbs. 580 sq. ft. 347 12.2 FREEDOM 36 36’ 5” 30’ 7” 12’ 6” 4’ 6” or 6’ 0” 6,500 lbs. 14,370 lbs. 685 sq. ft. 224 18.6 O’DAY 37 37’ 0” 30’ 4” 11’ 2” 4’ 9” 5,370 lbs. 14,000 lbs. 594 sq. ft. 226 16.4 S2 11.0 36’ 0” 28’ 3” 11’ 11” 5’ 6” or 4’ 8” 6,000 lbs. 15,000 lbs. 632 sq. ft. 297 17.2 C&C LANDFALL 3 37’ 7” 30’ 2” 12’ 0” 4’ 11” 6,500 lbs. 16,700 lbs. 648 sq. ft. 272 15.9 NIAGARA 35 35’ 1” 26’ 8” 11’ 5” 5’ 2” 5,500 lbs. 14,000 lbs. 598 sq. ft. 329 16.5 TaRTAN 37 (CB) 37’ 4” 28’ 6” 11’ 9” 4’ 2”/7’ 9” 7,500 lbs. 15,500 lbs. 625 sq. ft. 298 16.1 structural problems with the single- duces weight, which improves per- S2 11.0 skin laminate hull. It has a long, formance. The downside: Core rot Built in Holland, Mich., the S2 sail- shoal-draft keel and spade rudder. near the partners on this boat could boat line emerged in 1973 when owner What helped popularize the Endeav- lead to a dismasting and costly hull Leon Slikkers sold his powerboat our 37 was the choice of layouts: an aft damage. Interior finishing is above company, Slickcraft, to AMF and had cabin with a quarter berth, a V-berth average. These boats sell right at our to sign a no-compete agreement. The and quarterberth, and a (rare) two aft- price break: low to mid-$70s. 11.0 was the largest model, introduced cabin model. Production ended after in 1977. The designer was Arthur 1983. Prices are around $50,000. O’DAY 37 Edmunds, who also drew the Allied This low-profile family sloop was Princess 36, though the two are very FREEDOM 36 second only to the O’Day 40 in size different. Edmunds resisted some of After the Halsey Herreshoff-designed of boats built by O’Day under its vari- the bumps and bulges indicative of Freedom 40 that reintroduced the ous owners. Founded by Olympic the International Offshore Rule (IOR), idea of unstayed spars, several other gold-medalist George O’Day to build but still gave the 11.0 fine ends, and a designers were commissioned to one-designs and family daysailers, large foretriangle. Two accommoda- develop the model line-up. These subsequent ownership expanded tion plans were offered: an aft cockpit included David Pedrick and Gary into trailer sailers and small- to with conventional layout of V-berth, Mull; the latter drew the Freedom medium-size coastal cruisers. Like saloon, and quarter berth and galley 36, in production from about 1986 the others, the 37 was designed by flanking the companionway; and an to 1989. While the early and larger C. Raymond Hunt Associates. The unusual center-cockpit layout with V- Freedoms were ketch rigged, mod- center-cockpit is a bit unusual but berth forward immediately followed els like the 36 were sloops, which some prefer it. The cruising fin keel by opposing settees, and then galley were less costly to build and easier and skeg-mounted rudder are well and head more or less under the cock- to handle. To improve upwind per- suited to shallow-water cruising, and pit. The master suite is in the aft cabin, formance, a vestigial, self-tacking jib the generous beam provides good of course. The hull is solid fiberglass was added. That’s the main appeal form stability. The hull is solid fiber- and includes the molded keel cavity of these boats: tacking is as easy as glass, and the deck is cored with bal- for internal ballast; the deck is balsa- turning the wheel. The 36’s hull is sa. Owners report it is well balanced cored. Overall construction quality is balsa-cored, as is the deck. Balsa and forgiving. Early 1980s models are rated above average. Prices range from adds tremendous stiffness, and re- on the market for less than $40,000. about $30,000 to $50,000. PRACTICAL SAILOR APRIL 2009 USED BOAT REVIEW NIAGARA 35 Capt. John Bailey’s Niagara 35, Segel, does a brisk bareboat charter trade on the Chesapeake. to protect the rudder, often aren’t built strong enough to do the job.