Contest 37 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Contest 37 market means considering a low-volume Dutch cruiser drawn by Dick Zaal and constructed by Conyplex B.V. in the mid nineties, with only a few hulls ever completed. These are uncommon boats, so a buyer is choosing a distinctive rather than a ubiquitous design, and the used fleet is correspondingly tight.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Contest 37 carries two cabins and six berths, a configuration aimed at a cruising couple with occasional guests rather than high-occupancy charter use. With a beam near 12 feet and an l/b ratio of 3.15, she offers more interior room than 62% of comparable sailboats, so the modest cabin count reads as generous personal space rather than cramped quarters. Fresh water capacity is 62 US gallons, and the fiberglass hull below the waterline keeps the structure straightforward for survey and ownership.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the Netherlands used market, Contest 37s commonly carry a short-handed setup with electric winches, bow thruster, and autopilot, which together make a 21,000-pound hull manageable single-handed or as a couple. Heating and hot water are commonly fitted for northern European cruising, while solar, a gennaker or spinnaker, and a cockpit shower appear as common sailing and comfort additions. Navigation is commonly covered by chartplotter, AIS, and radar, and teak decks are a common cosmetic and grip upgrade. For a buyer, the practical takeaway is that a well-equipped example will likely already have the energy, steering, and navigation systems that cost the most to add later.
What to Inspect
A pre-purchase survey should focus on the ordinary realities of a mid-90s fiberglass cruiser: hull integrity, rigging wear on the 14 mm sheets and masthead rig, and the condition of commonly added systems such as bow thruster and electric winches. The fiberglass hull requires only minimal maintenance in season anchor, but a survey should still confirm no osmosis or impact damage given the small build count.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical market availability is in the Netherlands. For a buyer, the checklist is brief: confirm hull and rig condition, verify the function of common upgrades (bow thruster, electric winches, autopilot, heating), and assess whether the two-cabin, six-berth layout fits your cruising plan. Accept that sparse production means fewer comparables and slower resale, but offers a well-mannered, comfortable heavy cruiser with ocean-race-capable stability numbers.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Contest 37. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $91,488 | — |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $80,950 | -11.5% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $92,294 | +14.0% |
Where they're listed
Contest 37 listings appear across 1 country. Netherlands has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | $86,622 | 2 | 2 | 100.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallberg-Rassy 37 | 37.14' | $ 243,617 | 27 | 6 |
| Moody 37 | 37' | $ 66,301 | 17 | 1 |
| Sunbeam 37 | 37.57' | $ 149,865 | 13 | 3 |
| Gulfstar 37 | 37' | $ 21,000 | 11 | 1 |
| Malö 37 | 37.83' | $ 226,540 | 9 | 6 |
| CSY 37 | 37.25' | $ 29,900 | 8 | 2 |
| Contest 37You are here | — | $ 86,750 | 2 | 2 |