Contest 36 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a used Contest 36 means dealing with a small class — fewer than 100 were built by Conyplex N.V. in the 1970s — but a coherent one, with solid fiberglass hulls and a heavy-cruiser disposition that wears well. The variability you will meet is mostly factory-original: keel draft, rig choice, and engine size differ hull to hull, so the smart buyer learns which version is in front of him before discussing price.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Contest 36 is a 36-foot monohull with three cabins and seven berths, a galley, a head, and about 118 gallons of fresh water — a layout that suits a family or two couples cruising. Headroom is above average for the era, which matters more than spec sheets suggest when you are offshore for a week. Two keel versions exist: a shallow fin drawing roughly 4.9 to 5.2 feet that fits most marinas, and a deeper fin at 6.2 to 6.5 feet that needs major harbours. Rig is either a masthead sloop or a ketch, and the engine is a Volvo Penta diesel of 25 or 36 horsepower, both with shaft drive. These are the facts that separate one used Contest 36 from another.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market the Contest 36 commonly carries hot water, autopilot, cabin heating, electric winches, and a life raft as factory or early upgrades. For a buyer, the consequential clusters are power and energy — heating and electric winches draw on the house bank, so verify the charging path from the Volvo Penta — and safety and self-steering, where an autopilot and life raft speak to a boat equipped for longer hops. A watermaker or generator does not appear in the common tier and should be treated as an owner addition if present, not assumed.
What to Inspect
The things to confirm are the factory-original variability rather than faults. Verify the actual keel draft against the stated marina limitations, confirm whether the rig is sloop or ketch and the condition of that stick, and identify the installed Volvo Penta — the 36-horsepower MD17C reaches about 7 knots while the 25-horsepower unit manages only 4.7, a meaningful gap under power. Check the shaft-drive transmission on either engine, and treat the 39-gallon diesel tank and 118-gallon water capacity as the baseline the boat was built around.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Contest 36s typically appear in the United States, France, Croatia, Greece, the Netherlands, and Germany. For a buyer, the takeaway is simple: confirm the keel draft, rig, and engine against your own cruising plans; expect common cruising kit like heating and autopilot rather than exotic upgrades; and judge each hull on how its specific factory configuration matches your use.
- Confirm keel draft: shallow fin for widespread marina access, deep fin for offshore stability
- Identify rig: masthead sloop or ketch, and inspect accordingly
- Verify engine: 25 hp vs 36 hp Volvo Penta, both shaft drive
- Expect common upgrades: hot water, autopilot, heating, electric winches, life raft
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Contest 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 1 | $67,590 | — |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $52,149 | -22.8% |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $32,430 | -37.8% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $19,000 | -41.4% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $19,000 | 0.0% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $40,670 | +114.1% |
Where they're listed
Contest 36 listings appear across 5 countries. United States has the most listings with 3 (42.9%), followed by France and Greece.
Country view
7 listings · 5 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $19,000 | 3 | 0 | 42.9% |
| France | $48,944 | 1 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Greece | $34,960 | 1 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Croatia | $40,670 | 1 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Netherlands | $55,354 | 1 | 0 | 14.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria Yachts 36 | 37.89' | $ 69,513 | 119 | 27 |
| Hallberg-Rassy Varvs AB 36 | 35.66' | $ 122,919 | 69 | 18 |
| Rustler Yachts 36 | 35.33' | $ 101,976 | 30 | 8 |
| Westerly Conway 36 | 35.75' | $ 43,700 | 28 | 10 |
| Conyplex 33 | 32.25' | $ 24,500 | 13 | 2 |
| Conyplex 36You are here | — | $ 34,960 | 7 | 0 |