Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass, and Conyplex offered the Contest 36 with more than one keel alternative. The shallow fin keel draws just 4.92 to 5.22 feet depending on load, letting the boat enter most marinas without fuss. A deeper fin option was also built, drawing 6.23 to 6.53 feet and limiting the boat to major marinas. The 11.15-foot beam and 28.87-foot waterline give a wetted surface of about 344 square feet, and the immersion rate of roughly 1,122 pounds per inch tells you how steadily she carries her cruising load. With a capsize screening value of 1.71 and a motion comfort ratio of 31.7 to 35.6, the numbers describe a stable, forgiving offshore hull rather than a twitchy performer.
Rig and Handling
Zaal gave the Contest 36 more than one rig option, with a masthead sloop and a ketch both available. The masthead configuration carries 531.5 square feet of sail area in main and jib, and the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 12.4 on the ISO reference sail, rising to 15.1 with a 135 percent genoa. By the numbers the boat carries more rig than only 46 percent of similar sailboats, marking her as slightly underrigged in standard trim — a ketch rig or a larger headsail being the obvious remedies for light-air passage work. Under power, the inboard Volvo Penta MD17C diesel at 36 horsepower with shaft drive turns a theoretical 7.0 knots, while a smaller 25-horsepower Volvo Penta diesel option manages about 4.7 knots; the theoretical hull speed for the length is 7.2 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the Contest 36 is laid out with three cabins and seven berths, a galley, and a toilet facility, supported by 118 gallons of fresh water. Headroom is above average for the class, which counts for a great deal on a boat of this vintage when you are living aboard for weeks at a time. The combination of seven berths across three cabins and that standing room makes her a practical family or charter cruiser rather than a minimalist racer.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership of a Contest 36 is straightforward in the sense that the builder's core facts are stable: solid glass hull, lead-ballasted fin keel, shaft-drive diesel, and a conservative sail plan. The chief ownership variables are the ones Conyplex itself built in — a buyer or owner choosing between sloop and ketch, between shallow and deep fin, and between 25- and 36-horsepower diesels. Those choices, not deferred maintenance, are the principal things that distinguish one Contest 36 from another on the used market.
The Verdict
The Contest 36 is a sober, well-found Dutch cruiser of the heavy-displacement school: stable, roomy, and conservatively rigged, with factory options that let her be tailored to coastal or deeper-water use. She is not a sparkling light-air performer, but she is built and proportioned for comfortable, predictable cruising.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull with lead-ballasted fin keel and stable heavy-cruiser numbers
- Above-average headroom with three cabins and seven berths for a 36-foot boat
- Shallow-draft fin option keeps her in most marinas; deeper option for offshore stability
- Choice of masthead sloop or ketch rig to suit owner preference
Cons
- Slightly underrigged on standard sail plan compared with peers
- Smaller 25-horsepower engine option yields only about 4.7 knots under power
