Design and Construction
The CS 36 carries a solid fiberglass hull below the waterline, with the deck, coachroof, and cockpit built from balsa core for light weight and stiffness. Inside, foam-covered fiberglass structural stiffeners are bonded to the hull and tasked with carrying the keel loads. A semi-balanced spade rudder rides on a partial skeg, and Robert Perry, writing in his Sailing magazine design column, singled out the boat's rather large bustle ahead of that rudder. Two keel configurations were offered: a 6-foot-3-inch deep fin carrying 6,500 pounds of lead ballast and a 4-foot-11-inch shoal version with 6,650 pounds. Displacement is a substantial 15,500 pounds, and the displacement-length ratio of 276 places her firmly among heavy, seakindly cruisers rather than light displacement racers.
Rig and Handling
The rig is a masthead sloop with anodized spars and Lewmar winches, the halyards led aft to winches on the cabin top at the companionway so they can be worked from the cockpit. Standard primary winches are Lewmar 43s on the cockpit coaming, which a used-boat review found marginal for larger genoas typically carried on these boats. The mainsheet traveler is recessed into the cockpit seat, and rod rigging with a backstay adjuster were optional; because the backstay fastens low on the transom, mast tuning follows a particular geometry. On the water she is an easily driven hull that balances well when not overpowered and shows no nasty performance traits. The sail-area-displacement ratio sits in the 16.5 to 17.1 range depending on the year boat and mast used, and PHRF ratings cluster around 120 seconds per mile. Her limit of positive stability averages about 120 degrees with a Stability Index near 125, figures that speak to a fundamentally upright cruising character.
Accommodations
Below, the CS 36 lays out a V-berth master cabin forward, followed by a starboard head with shower and a large hanging locker to port. The saloon holds an L-shaped settee to starboard and a settee-berth to port, with a floor-mounted dining table; the starboard settee converts to a double, yielding six berths in total. A port-aft galley carries a three-burner stove with oven, a 9-cubic-foot ice box, single sink, and stowage lockers, while opposite sits a navigation area with chart table and three drawers, its seat forming the head of a starboard quarter berth. A thoughtful oilskin locker to starboard of the companionway is also reachable from a cockpit seat locker. The T-shaped cockpit itself is small but protected by a high bridgedeck meant to keep cockpit water from migrating below.
Known Issues and Factory Fixes
Early production boats were fitted at the factory with brass gate valves on bronze through-hulls; later models received Marelon ball valves, and any surviving gate valves below the waterline need replacement with marine-quality quarter-turn seacocks or ball valves. The anchor well was built with thick plywood laminated to the floor for a windlass and tended to fill with water in heavy sailing. Some owners report water intrusion in the rudder. Tennyson, a former employee, recounted that all early deck-lifting problems were corrected at no charge with heavier tabbing. The AC electrical systems using solid copper wire not suited to marine service were inadequately protected and not properly grounded to the DC negative, and LPG systems need updated pressure and overfill valves plus sealed lockers to meet current standards.
Ownership and Refit Notes
Most CS 36s are powered by fresh-water-cooled Westerbeke 30 diesels, though a number left the factory with 28-horsepower Volvo engines; the engine sits beneath the cockpit on a V-drive, and access for service is rated poor to good from the front via the companionway ladder or from the sides through panels. The foredeck carries a large anchor locker and a stainless stemhead with rollers sized for a 35-pound CQR, backed by a 3-gallon aluminum fuel tank and 83 gallons of water tankage split port and starboard. Factory-supplied gear included a Wilcox-Crittenden head with a 32-gallon holding tank.
The Verdict
The CS 36 Traditional is a thoughtfully engineered heavy-displacement cruiser whose solid hull, balsa-cored topsides, and well-executed joiner work have aged better than many production peers. Her stability numbers and easily driven hull recommend her for offshore-minded owners, while the known through-hull, electrical, and LPG updates are predictable and well-documented refit items rather than hidden defects.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull with foam-stiffener keel loading and balsa-cored deck for stiffness
- Strong positive stability (LPS ~120°, Stability Index ~125)
- Well-above-average construction and joiner quality for the era
- Practical six-berth layout with dedicated nav station and quarter berth
Cons
- Early brass gate valves and non-marine AC wiring require safety updates
- Engine access is difficult beneath the cockpit V-drive
- Standard primary winches marginal for oversized genoas
- Anchor well prone to flooding in heavy sailing
