Controversy 36 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Interiors follow the period mahogany treatment common to many boats of her generation, with headroom noted as above average for the type. The 10.08-foot beam over a 30-foot waterline gives a cabin volume that reads as roomy without modern wide-beam exaggeration. A buyer should evaluate each individual boat's arrangement at the viewing rather than assume a standard plan.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The yawl rig carries period running rig of 14 mm diameter sheets — 11.3 meter jib and genoa sheets, a 28.4 meter mainsheet, and 25 meter spinnaker sheets — so any buyer should verify the standing and running rigging has been renewed to modern standards rather than sailing on six-decade-old line.

What to Inspect

Wood construction is the central inspection theme. The hull is wood and the deck is wood, so every plank, frame, and fastening is a candidate for degradation that a careless owner lets progress. Probe the hull and deck with a sounding hammer and moisture meter; soft spots, dark staining, or fastener corrosion are the evidence of problems that compound if ignored. Because the boat's draft varies from 5.31 to 5.61 feet with load and her immersion rate is about 1,052 pounds per inch, confirm the stated draft against the actual load and any added tankage or gear that has driven her deeper than a light condition. The fin keel and skeg-hung rudder are wood-built assemblies — inspect the keel-hull joint and rudder skeg for working, leakage, or delamination that lets water into the timber.

Buyer's Takeaway

• Sound the wooden hull and deck for softness or staining
• Check fasteners for corrosion at every accessible point
• Verify draft against load and any added weight
• Inspect keel-hung and rudder-skeg joints for leaks
• Confirm running rig has been replaced, not original