CS Yachts built roughly 100 Merlins between 1986 and 1990, and the design remains one of the most popular boats in its class. Buyers still confuse it with the older, Raymond Wall–designed CS 36, which brokers call the “Traditional.” That was a separate generation, built alongside the Merlin for nearly a year before the Merlin replaced it in the line.
Design and Construction
Castro’s Merlin was a deliberate break from the earlier CS 36 Traditional. The hull has a plumb bow and carries its generous beam all the way aft, keeping the helm spacious and creating genuinely usable swim platforms when the optional transom was specified. Its flat bottom and low stem angle give the boat a long waterline for its length, though those flat sections leave very little bilge space for excess water.
Construction is vacuum-bag-molded fiberglass or Kevlar, with a balsa core above the waterline to reduce weight and add stiffness. CS Yachts glassed the bulkheads to both the hull and deck. A structural grid laminated to the hull carries the rig and keel loads and incorporates the engine stringers.
The hull-to-deck joint is through-bolted and bedded in butyl tape that never sets hard. That detail is worth knowing because oozing from the butyl tape is normal and can continue for years without indicating a failure. The chainplates are forged stainless steel at right angles and are bolted to the main bulkhead and deck.
Rig, Deck Layout, and Handling
The Merlin was one of the first production boats to tidy up the foredeck by leading the lines aft through deck organizers and clutches. All winches are self-tailing. Most boats left the factory with genoa furling, and the reefing system allows the crew to tack and clew down from the cockpit.
The sail plan combines a low-aspect main with a high-aspect foretriangle, resulting in a long boom, a very tall mast, and a powerful rig overall. With a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 43 percent or more, the Merlin is stiff. Even so, as the wind builds, crews need to reef early to keep it upright.
In light to medium air, the boat moves quite well. The flat bottom comes with a trade-off, however: in a choppy sea, the bow throws water aft and the hull slams through the waves.
Traveler location changed during the production run. Most pre-1990 boats had a short traveler track ahead of the wheel, while some later boats moved it to the bridge deck. A handful of late-1989 boats had the traveler on the coach house, with the mainsheet attached one-third of the way aft from the gooseneck. That arrangement makes it very difficult to sheet the main properly and isn’t healthy for the boom.
Accommodations and Stowage
Below, the Merlin has a three-cabin layout comprising a forward cabin, main saloon, and aft quarter cabin. The large aft cabins and aft cockpit contribute to real carrying capacity.
The forward V-berth is slightly offset, with its starboard side shortened where the head bulkhead intrudes. Stowage includes opening cupboards, cave lockers, and space beneath the berth. The head is a good size and omits teak to make cleaning easier. Across from it is a full-sized, cedar-lined hanging locker; both spaces have their own teak doors.
Lexan in the hatch spray shield and slider helps make the main saloon bright. The starboard settee folds out into a large double berth, while the port settee serves as a single. A modest chart table closes off the starboard end and has storage underneath. Massive water tanks beneath the main berths hold up to 130 gallons.
The galley is set well aft. It includes a double sink, a Force 10 three-burner propane stove and oven, kern cutting board and sink covers, a 7.5-cubic-foot main ice box, and a smaller drained ice box. Most boats also have a microwave built into the bulkhead.
Options and Variations
The Merlin’s long options list means that, outside the charter fleets, no two boats were built alike. Buyers could choose a Kevlar or fiberglass hull, a swim platform or regular transom, and a tall or regular rig. Engine options included a 28 hp diesel or a 43 hp turbo, while the standard Volvo Penta was rated at 25 hp.
By 1990, four keel configurations were available: shoal, wing, deep, and performance bulb. CS also built two high-performance examples for well-funded racers, using a deep-draft bulb keel and an extra-tall, flexible rig.
About 20 of the roughly 100 Merlins built went into charter service, and those boats tend to be more uniform. The wide variation elsewhere in the fleet—from keel and rig choices to engine, transom, and traveler arrangements—means each boat needs to be considered on its own terms.
Verdict
The CS 36 Merlin is a thoughtfully engineered Castro design that brought European volume and deck organization to a Canadian-built cruiser with lasting appeal. Its structural grid, glassed-in bulkheads, and vacuum-bag construction with a balsa core above the waterline are sound. The accommodations are roomy for a boat of this length, and the deck is remarkably clean for its era.
The main caveats are the flat-bottomed hull’s tendency to slam in a chop and the poor mainsheet geometry of the late-1989 coach-house traveler. Buyers must also account for the extensive variation between boats and survey each example on its own terms.
Pros
- Stiff, powerful rig with lines led aft and self-tailing winches
- Spacious three-cabin interior with large aft quarters and water capacity of up to 130 gallons
- Vacuum-bag-molded Kevlar or fiberglass construction, with glassed bulkheads and a structural grid
- Early reefing keeps the boat’s 43-percent-plus ballast ratio manageable in stronger air
Cons
- Flat bottom slams and throws water aft in a chop
- Late-1989 coach-house traveler makes it difficult to sheet the main properly and strains the boom
- Very little bilge space for excess water
- Extensive variation in options makes direct comparisons between boats difficult
