Arcona Yachts’ headquarters was—and remains—in Gustavsberg, near Stockholm. The boats are built in Estonia, then completed at Arcona Yachts’ headquarters before being shipped or commissioned. The 370 reflects a disciplined Scandinavian approach to the 37-foot passagemaker. Yachting Monthly judged it a solid passagemaker, well laid out for offshore sailing.
Design and Construction
Qviberg’s design has a 36-foot-4-inch hull, a 33-foot-5-inch waterline and a beam of nearly 11 feet 10 inches. Displacement is 13,669 pounds, including a 4,850-pound lead bulb keel.
The structure is substantial. A galvanised steel box section runs along the centreline, with transverse girders tying together the hull, bulkheads, chainplate anchors and keel fastenings. This spreads the rig and keel loads evenly. The internal frame is bolted to the stringers and main bulkhead, stiffening the hull and taking the loads from the rig and keel; the keel itself is bolted through the frame.
Arcona avoids interior liners, and surveyors note that all bulkheads, structural floors and fixed furniture are hand-laminated to the hull skin. The hull and deck use resin infusion over a Divinycell closed-cell foam core. In the lower underwater body, the construction tapers to solid laminate around the keel, through-hulls and rudder tube.
Below, mahogany joinery is used throughout. The reviewer noted that it stands up to abuse better than most timbers. There are no interior mouldings apart from those in the heads.
Rig, Helm and Handling
The Arcona 370 has a fractional sloop rig, a 60.7-foot mast and 718 square feet of sail area. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is about 20, consistent with a cruiser-racer that can cover miles without being overcanvased.
At the helm, the 370 retains a single wheel rather than the twin wheels common on modern equivalents. The cockpit has a cut-out in the sole, and the transom is only moderately wide by today’s standards, so the helm remains comfortable to reach.
The tester praised the steering for its light but positive feel. High gearing provides a single turn from lock to lock.
Accommodation and Stowage
Below decks, the 370 follows a proven offshore arrangement, with the galley to port and the chart table to starboard beside the companionway. Locker units run along both sides of the saloon up to the deckhead. A door abaft the heads opens into the aft locker, providing practical stowage.
A pair of cowl vents abaft the mast helps circulate air below. Stainless steel fuel and water tanks are fitted; the reviewer observed that they wouldn’t require a chainsaw to remove if servicing became necessary.
Bonded bulkheads and berth fronts laminated directly to the hull contribute to a structure intended to remain quiet at sea.
Known Issues
The galvanised steel frame gives the 370 much of its stiffness, but it isn’t invulnerable. Even galvanised frames can rust.
One surveyor found a boat on which a broken shower drain had allowed wastewater to sit in the bilge. The main bulkhead began to decay, and the frame rusted internally after water entered the holes cut to let zinc flow during galvanising.
The same surveyor has found cracks on Arcona hulls around the keel, where the flexible fibreglass hull distorted around the rigid frame. The lead keel is a good shock absorber, but it provides only subtle evidence of previous groundings.
One Arcona 370 struck a rock in the Stockholm archipelago at 8.5 knots. The owner was airlifted, and the boat was afloat again a couple of days later after a minor hull repair abaft the keel.
Ownership Notes
The lack of interior liners and the directly bonded structure make repairs straightforward, though any work must account for the steel frame’s vulnerability to trapped water. The stainless steel tanks and mahogany joinery are serviceable, while the single-wheel cockpit simplifies the steering gear.
Around 80 boats were built, so spares and class knowledge are reasonably traceable within the Arcona community.
The Verdict
The Arcona 370 is a thoughtfully engineered Scandinavian cruiser-racer. Its infused foam-core hull, centreline steel frame and bonded bulkheads create a stiff, quiet offshore hull. The lead keel and balanced helm make it a dependable passagemaker, while the conventional companionway layout keeps seagoing essentials close at hand.
Buyers should take the frame’s rust risk seriously and inspect carefully for hidden water ingress.
Pros
- Stiff, load-sharing galvanised steel frame tied into the keel and bulkheads
- Divinycell foam core, solid lower laminate and an over-laminated hull-to-deck joint
- Single-wheel helm with light, positive steering and quick lock-to-lock gearing
- Conventional offshore layout, with the galley to port, chart table to starboard and useful stowage
Cons
- The galvanised frame can rust internally if bilge water is allowed to stand
- Cracks may appear around the keel where hull flex meets the rigid frame
- The lead keel can mask grounding damage, making a careful survey important
