Corsair 36 Buyer's Guide
The Corsair 36 occupies a distinct niche on the brokerage market: a folding trimaran introduced in February 2003 that brought genuine cruising volume to a platform previously capped at 31 feet. Shoppers are buying a boat designed by an in-house team rather than Ian Farrier, built with carbon and Kevlar composite structure, and capable of folding to a 9-foot-10-inch beam for slip or transport. The used fleet rewards a careful look at both multihull-specific structure and the compromises of a speed-first interior.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The standard arrangement below puts a C-shaped dinette to port that converts to a 6-foot berth, a V-berth forward measuring 6 feet 4 inches on centerline, and a queen-sized berth below the cockpit sole reached by hatches aft or by removing companionway steps. An enclosed head sits on one side of the daggerboard trunk, and the saloon runs nearly 6 feet from companionway to head with 6-foot-6 standing headroom. A small galley area to starboard with a sink and two-burner alcohol stove appears in period descriptions, while the standard configuration placed a 12-volt fridge to port just forward of the dinette. The cockpit seats 4–6 and carries mesh-bottomed stern pulpit seats; there is no dedicated nav station.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, boats often carry an inverter, freezer, autopilot, and chartplotter as often-seen equipment. The standard deck gear was all Harken or Spinlock, with Harken B40 self-tailing winches on the cabin top, two B42.2 cockpit winches, and two B32.2 mast winches; a spinnaker control kit with two extra cockpit winches and a carbon fiber bowsprit was optional. A flexible solar panel on the cabintop or port netting provided an all-day trickle charge in service. Propulsion in the fleet varies between a 15-hp long-shaft Honda and a 20-hp four-stroke outboard, the latter linked to the kick-up rudder by a drop-in bar with electric start and power tilt. Refrigeration, pressure hot and cold water, and a propane-fired stove with on-demand hot water were options rather than standard fitments.
What to Inspect
The documented structural issue centers on the forward beam. An early Corsair 36 experienced a crack at the inboard end of the forward beam due to a fiberglass block that was not up to the job; the builder states the part was replaced on all boats with a stronger aluminum casting, so confirmation of that casting is the key check. The folded beam of 9 feet 10 inches is wider than other models, meaning owners may be required to secure wide-load permits in some states—verify local transport rules if trailering is planned. The head shares space with the daggerboard trunk and the daggerboard is balsa encapsulated in fiberglass, so inspect that trunk area for moisture or compression. The trampolines between hull and amas provide a sturdy but bouncy platform and should be examined for UV or chafe damage, and the amas’ watertight bulkheads deserve a look given their buoyancy role.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Corsair 36 typically appears in the Netherlands, France, and the United States. For a shopper, the short checklist is: confirm aluminum forward-beam casting replacement, check daggerboard-trunk and ama bulkheads for water intrusion, verify folded-beam transport permitting, and assess whether the often-seen inverter, freezer, autopilot, and chartplotter meet your cruise profile. It is a transportable rather than trailerable fast cruiser—fold it in about five minutes, but budget roughly two hours to step the mast and launch.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Corsair 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $ 177,400 | — |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $ 108,729 | -38.7% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $ 90,417 | -16.8% |
| May 26 | 2 | $ 136,864 | +51.4% |
Where they're listed
Corsair 36 listings appear across 3 countries. Netherlands has the most listings with 3 (50.0%), followed by France and United States.
Country view
6 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | $ 108,729 | 3 | 0 | 50.0% |
| France | $ 90,417 | 2 | 0 | 33.3% |
| United States | $ 165,000 | 1 | 1 | 16.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 36 | 39.33' | $ 399,000 | 27 | 8 |
| Dehler 36 | 35.92' | $ 89,255 | 16 | 1 |
| Trimaran 36You are here | — | $ 108,708 | 7 | 2 |