Design and Construction
Butler's hull is wood, built by an American yard, with an interior finished in mahogany much like many of her contemporaries. The length-to-beam ratio of 3.70 and a displacement-length ratio of 190 place her among what one reference calls "moderate racers" — a boat with enough beam and lightness to move, yet enough volume to live aboard. The fin keel draws between 5.31 and 5.61 feet depending on load, which keeps her within the draft limits of most marinas while preserving a recognizable fin-keel turn of foot. Her capsize screening value is 1.78 and her motion comfort ratio is 25.3, figures that describe a vessel steady enough for coastal cruising without pretending to heavy-weather expedition credentials.
Rig and Handling
The Controversy 36 is built with a yawl rig, a configuration that splits the sail plan between a mainsail and a mizzen abaft the helm. The running rig follows period norms: jib and genoa sheets of 11.3 meters at 14 mm diameter, a 28.4-meter mainsheet of the same diameter, and spinnaker sheets of 25 meters. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.33 and a theoretical displacement-hull speed of 7.3 knots, she is tuned for balanced performance rather than outright pace. The immersion rate of about 1,052 pounds per inch means she sits heavily when loaded, so the published draft range is a real variable a surveyor should note rather than a fixed figure.
Accommodations
Below, the boat offers headroom described as above average for her type, and the mahogany interior follows a familiar mid-century cruiser layout. The wood construction shapes a cabin that feels traditional rather than experimental, and the proportions — 10.08-foot beam carried over a 30-foot waterline — give the accommodation a roomy quality without resorting to the wide-body extremes of later designs.
The Verdict
The Controversy 36 is a period-correct wooden yawl with credible cruiser-racer numbers and a manageable draft. She rewards an owner who values traditional construction and a split rig, but her wooden hull and unspecified production span mean she is a boat to be chosen with eyes open to maintenance. The moderate racer classification and comfort ratios suggest a vessel built for enjoyable coastal sailing rather than bluewater anonymity.
Pros
- Traditional wooden construction by a named American yard
- Yawl rig with period-standard running rig dimensions
- Above-average headroom and mahogany interior
- Draft under 5.61 feet keeps most marinas accessible
Cons
- Wood hull demands continuous upkeep
- Load-dependent draft varies by several inches
- Moderate racer profile limits heavy-weather expedition use
