Cheoy Lee Clipper 36 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Cheoy Lee Clipper 36 means stepping into a Bill Luders–drawn full-keel cruiser built from 1969 to about 1988, with 60 hulls recorded by Practical Sailor and a separate owner letter citing 78 (sources differ on total). These are mostly ketch-rigged cutter-ketches with wooden spars and bowsprits, a 35-foot-7.5-inch LOA on a 25-foot waterline, and a 5-foot-3-inch draft. The solid fiberglass hull, cast-iron externally fitted ballast, and Lloyd’s 100A1 build make for a traditional boat whose quirks are predictable rather than hidden.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 36 was offered in two interior floor plans, both finished in an all-wood teak environment the original brochure called lavish. Berths are foam with vinyl covers, countertops are Formica, and the head uses a Wilcox-Crittenden Imperial toilet. Ventilation is generous for a boat of this length: a teak-and-Plexiglas skylight, forward hatch, four cowl vents, and two Dorades move air through the cabin. Fuel and water are carried in fiberglass tanks of 60 and 100 gallons respectively, supporting extended cruising even in as-found condition.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the brokerage trail these boats commonly carry solar, a freezer, dinghy davits, radar, and autopilot as fitted equipment. For a buyer the meaningful clusters are power and energy—solar paired with a freezer demands healthy house capacity—and sail handling and navigation, where davits, radar, and autopilot speak to a boat already set up for shorthanded or distance cruising. Original power varies: owner records cite Westerbeke 4-107 or Perkins 4-108 diesels, while some hulls retain Atomic 4 gasoline engines, and the brochure allowed either diesel or gas when new.
What to Inspect
The single documented deficiency to check is that on some boats there was no provision for an emergency rudder anchor; confirm what exists at the transom if offshore use is contemplated. Beyond that, the build itself is sound—solid hull, tabbed bulkheads, fiberglass decks most with teak overlay—so survey effort should center on wooden spar condition, the roller-reefing main versus modern reefing expectations, and the cable-quadrant steering linkage. The full-keel and aperture propeller mean poor backing behavior is inherent, not a defect.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United States market. For a shopper the takeaway is straightforward:
- Verify emergency-rudder provision or plan a retrofit
- Inspect wooden spars and teak deck overlay for age-related work
- Confirm engine type (diesel Westerbeke/Perkins vs. Atomic 4 gas) and tank condition
- Expect a tender initial heel that stiffens; she reaches well, not windsprints
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cheoy Lee Clipper 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26 | 1 | $30,000 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Dory 36 | 36.12' | $ 54,900 | 35 | 11 |
| Rustler Yachts 36 | 35.33' | $ 101,937 | 30 | 8 |
| Creswell Marine 36 | 36' | $ 39,416 | 19 | 1 |
| Nicholson 36 | 36.25' | $ 29,000 | 16 | 1 |
| Bayfield 36 | 36' | $ 59,900 | 13 | 0 |
| Cape George 36 | 36' | $ 89,500 | 9 | 1 |
| Cheoy Lee Clipper 36You are here | — | $ 30,000 | 1 | 1 |