The Princess belongs to a generation of Edmunds cruisers that also included the center-cockpit Mistress 39. With her shoal draft and full keel, she was conceived as a family cruiser rather than a racer.
Design and Construction
The Princess 36 has moderate overhangs and a somewhat exaggerated sheer that rises toward a high bow. Her 11-foot beam is generous for a boat of her vintage. The cutaway full keel draws 4 feet 6 inches, although a dozen boats were built with deeper 5-foot-1-inch keels.
The hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass, built with 24-ounce woven roving and mat beneath a cloth surface layer and gelcoat. The laminate becomes thicker at the turn of the bilge and again farther down around the keel. Ballast consists of 6,000 pounds of lead, glassed over and encapsulated within the keel cavity, so there are no external keel bolts.
The deck is balsa-cored, and all bulkheads are tabbed directly to the hull. The hull-to-deck joint uses an outward-turned flange bedded in sealant and through-bolted on five-inch centers. It is then glassed over and protected by an extruded aluminum rubrail.
The rudder stock is a substantial 1-1/2-inch bronze piece supported by a 32-pound bronze heel casting.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Princess is slow to windward in her standard ketch configuration, a consequence of her beam, shallow keel, and modest rig. Owners responding to surveys rated her upwind speed from average to below average. Practical Sailor also notes that the mizzen may induce weather helm when close-hauled and is often struck.
She performs best on a reach, particularly with a mizzen staysail set between the masts. The long keel tracks well, and the ketch rig is easy to balance with the right combination of sails. A few boats were finished as sloops or cutters, while the dozen boats with 5-foot-1-inch keels carry more draft than the standard model; those variants should be faster and more close-winded.
Most boats have non-reversing worm-gear steering, later identified as an Edson system requiring three turns from lock to lock. It allows the boat to hold a course unattended for long periods, but it provides no helm feedback, and some sailors find quartering seas awkward to manage.
Owners report that the Princess is unusually dry for a boat with her profile. Testers found her initially tender, but noted that she settles without burying her rail and has a comfortable motion in a seaway.
Accommodations
Below, the Princess is genuinely roomy, with more than six feet of standing headroom. The interior is finished in wood, with a teak sole and trim rather than molded fiberglass, although the bulkheads have simulated wood veneer.
Every layout has a good-sized V-berth forward, with the head to port and drawers and a locker to starboard. The major variations are all aft of the main saloon bulkhead. Some boats have collapsible dinette tables to port, while others use fold-down centerline tables.
The L-shaped galley is always aft to starboard, but its size varies, sometimes at the expense of the starboard settee berth. Aft to port, some layouts have a single quarterberth, which testers say leaves room for a modest navigation desk. Others substitute a cramped, enclosed quarter-cabin with a double berth and bulkhead cut-outs. The layout provides three good sea berths.
Earlier boats lack a main saloon deck hatch; later boats gained one. Interiors built before 1979 relied heavily on faux-wood Formica. Natural wood came later and looks better, though it requires more upkeep.
Machinery and Systems
The original engine was a 25-horsepower Westerbeke diesel. It wasn’t powerful enough to drive the boat through head seas, and owners cited its limited output as a problem when docking and powering. Allied later increased engine power to 40 horsepower.
Early electrical systems relied on a single 60-amp battery; later boats received a 90-amp battery. The fuel tank beneath the cockpit was originally made from black iron, which often corroded. Later Corten steel tanks are preferable. Large stainless-steel water tanks are buried in the bilge.
Known Issues and Ownership Considerations
The outward-turned deck flange is exposed and may be damaged in even minor collisions. The joint itself remains easy to reach for repairs, but matching the original extruded aluminum rubrail is likely impossible today. In practical terms, repair access is good, but replacement of the original rubrail is a dead end.
Some hulls have cockpit drains that are a little small. The original black-iron fuel tank is another consequential ownership concern because of its tendency to corrode. Steering also warrants consideration: the worm-gear system helps the boat hold a course, but its lack of feedback won’t suit everyone.
Later-model improvements—including the 40-horsepower engine, 90-amp battery, main saloon hatch, Corten steel fuel tank, and natural-wood interior—address several shortcomings or improve livability, though the timing of the Corten steel tank change isn’t specified. The natural wood, however, brings additional upkeep.
The Princess’s shoal keel makes her a near-perfect low-budget family cruiser for shallow waters, though she sails poorly in light air.
The Verdict
The Allied Princess 36 is a thoroughly practical shoal-draft cruiser with honest, solid-fiberglass construction and a dry, comfortable hull. Her roomy interior and manageable ketch rig favor family cruising, while the original underpowered engine and several dated details count against her. She rewards buyers who value volume and simplicity more than speed.
Pros
- Solid hand-laid hull with encapsulated lead ballast and a bronze rudder stock
- Roomy wooden interior with several accommodation plans and three good sea berths
- Easy-to-balance ketch rig
- Long keel tracks well
- Non-reversing steering allows her to hold a course unattended
- Shoal keel suits shallow cruising grounds
- Dry hull with a comfortable motion in a seaway
Cons
- Original 25-horsepower engine is inadequate in head seas; a later upgrade is advisable
- Slow to windward and poor in light air
- Replacement of the original aluminum rubrail is effectively impossible
- Cockpit drains are small on some boats
- Non-reversing helm provides no feedback and can be awkward in quartering seas
- Original black-iron fuel tanks often corroded
