Bayfield 36 Buyer's Guide
The Bayfield 36 on the used market is a Haydn Gozzard-designed traditional cruiser built by Bayfield Boat Yard of Ontario from 1984 until the yard's 1988 closure, recognizable by its clipper bow, bowsprit, and wine-glass stern over a 36-foot deck length. She appeals to shoppers wanting a full-keel cruiser with modern production infrastructure rather than a barebones vintage boat, and most surviving examples have been upgraded by owners during decades of service.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Bayfield 36 shares the same fundamental arrangement: a compartmented interior rather than one open saloon, with two enclosed double berths in isolated cabins, a half dinette to port, and a galley by the companionway. The standard galley came with 12-volt refrigeration and an Origo alcohol stove with oven, though many owners have swapped in propane despite the original builder's reservations. A manual bilge pump and bronze lake-water hand pump at the galley were standard, and the enclosed head includes a shower and tub. Because the hull liner and bulkheads are glassed in place, layouts do not vary between individual boats the way they might on a custom design.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats will already carry the systems a cruising couple expects: hot water, autopilot, a dodger, chartplotter, cabin heating, solar panels, an inverter, and a bimini are commonly fitted. Often-seen additions include a wind generator, radar, and AIS. Less common but present on some examples are a watermaker, bow thruster, or dinghy davits, and a few have completed a transatlantic passage. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar and inverter with sometimes a wind generator — which determine off-grid range; canvas and sail handling — dodger and bimini with autopilot — which shape short-handed comfort; and navigation — chartplotter, radar, and AIS — which signal a boat equipped for coastal or offshore use.
What to Inspect
The one structural caveat is the keel: water can enter a porous region between the outer fiberglass skin and the lead ballast after grounding damage, so any boat with a grounding history warrants close survey of that interface keel construction can cause problems if water works its way into a porous region. The hull-to-deck joint is a bolted perforated toe-rail, and chainplates attach inboard to bulkheads or hull stubs, so check those bonds for separation. Bronze thru-hulls are standard throughout, and the engine is a Yanmar 4JHE 44-horsepower diesel with no sound insulation but a smooth-running reputation.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States, Bahamas, Grenada, and Canada. For a shopper, the practical checklist is: confirm keel-to-lead integrity after any grounding; verify chainplate and toe-rail bonds; test the Yanmar and inspect bronze thru-hulls; review whether the stove is alcohol or propane and how the change was done; and assess the solar, inverter, and navigation suite against your intended cruising. A well-kept example offers a stiff, traditional full-keel cruiser with serious structural bones and a comfortable, compartmented interior.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Bayfield 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 2 | $50,000 | — |
| May 25 | 1 | $64,900 | +29.8% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $49,900 | -23.1% |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $59,900 | +20.0% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $73,917 | +23.4% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $48,583 | -34.3% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $59,900 | +23.3% |
| May 26 | 2 | $54,900 | -8.3% |
Where they're listed
Bayfield 36 listings appear across 3 countries. United States has the most listings with 5 (62.5%), followed by Bahamas and Canada.
Country view
8 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $59,900 | 5 | 0 | 62.5% |
| Bahamas | $55,201 | 2 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Canada | $85,900 | 1 | 0 | 12.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria Yachts 36 | 37.89' | $ 67,177 | 110 | 32 |
| Gozzard 36 | 36' | $ 65,000 | 33 | 4 |
| Cape Dory 36 | 36.12' | $ 57,250 | 31 | 10 |
| Rustler Yachts 36 | 35.33' | $ 99,524 | 31 | 8 |
| Bowman 36 | 36' | $ 37,819 | 15 | 2 |
| Ericson 36 C | 36' | $ 35,000 | 13 | 1 |
| Bayfield 29 | 29' | $ 15,500 | 12 | 1 |
| Cape George 36 | 36' | $ 112,250 | 12 | 5 |
| Bayfield 36You are here | — | $ 59,900 | 9 | 0 |