Design and Construction
Griffiths' hull pairs a typical long keel with a centreboard, giving the Clipper 36 a loaded draft near 6 ft 3 in that lifts to roughly 3 ft 2 in with the board up anchor. The solid fibreglass hull places it firmly among heavy cruisers, with a displacement-length ratio of 332 and a ballast ratio of 45 percent. The wetted surface runs about 258 ft², and the immersion rate of 845 lb per inch speaks to a hull that sits deep and moves slowly in the water but resists being pushed around by load or sea state.
Rig and Handling
The boat is built with an easily handled ketch rig and a sail-area/displacement ratio of 18.01, a modest figure that marks her as a steady voyager rather than a light-air sprinter. With a centre cockpit and that split ketch plan, the sail plan is divided for manageable shorthanded work. The theoretical hull speed of a displacement hull this length is 6.8 knots, while the calculated maximum is about 7.5 knots, and the capsize screening value of 1.65 and Motion Comfort Ratio of 32.8 place her in the reassuring band for an ocean-going cruiser of this size.
Accommodations
Below, the layout is dominated by a huge aftercabin served by a centre cockpit and a big galley, with six berths distributed through the accommodation. The galleon poop deck is not mere styling; it shelters the aftercabin and gives the stern a volume rarely seen in a 36-foot cruiser of the period. The beam of 9 ft 8 in and length overall of 36 ft contain a plan that prioritizes private sleeping space and a working galley over open-plan saloon living.
Production and Availability
The Atlantic Clipper 36 was a 1968 Maurice Griffiths design built by Philip and Son Ltd., and it was also offered as full kits for owner completion. That kit option means surviving boats can vary in joinery finish and fitting-out detail, but the hull and deck structure remain the common denominator across the class.
The Verdict
The Clipper 36 is a specialist's boat: a heavy, centreboard-equipped ketch with an unusual stern profile and a genuinely large aft cabin. It will not win around-the-buoys races, but its comfort ratios and draft flexibility suit a cruiser who values steadiness and anchorage access over speed.
Pros
- Centreboard keel gives shallow-draft gunkholing with deep-keel stability
- Huge aftercabin and big galley support extended liveaboard cruising
- Easily handled ketch rig suits shorthanded offshore work
- Strong capsize screening and comfort ratios for a 36-foot cruiser
Cons
- Modest sail-area/displacement ratio limits light-air performance
- Deep loaded draft restricts access to minor marinas
- Unconventional poop-deck profile is not to every buyer's taste
- Kit-built heritage means variable fit-and-finish between hulls
