Dickerson 37 AC Buyer's Guide
The Dickerson 37 on the used market is the George Hazen-designed cruiser built by Dickerson Boatbuilders from 1980 until the type went out of production. It is not to be confused with the 1983 Bruce Farr racing design that once shared the name. As a 37-foot fiberglass cruiser with aft or center-cockpit options, it attracts couples and small groups planning coastal or offshore passage-making, and the variety of factory layouts means no two brokerage boats are trimmed identically.
Layouts on the Used Market
The center-cockpit version appears in "standard" and "athwartships aft berth" forms, the latter trading two single aft berths for a starboard double. The aft-cockpit boats were delivered as "traditional," "tri-cabin," or "short handed" interiors — the tri-cabin encloses a port-side aft cabin with navigation station, while the short-handed deletes the aft berth for added nav space and aft stowage with galley to starboard. All layouts share a teak-and-holly sole, a three-burner alcohol galley with pressurized water, and ventilation via main and bow hatches with opening ports. The aft cabin on center-cockpit boats has its own companionway from the cockpit.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Period boats carry a Perkins 4-108 diesel for maneuvering and a bow anchor locker as standard. The ketch rig uses aluminum spars with a mizzen sheet traveler and jiffy reefing on main and mizzen, and three halyard winches are fitted. Because the original galley is alcohol-fired, many owners have converted to propane or electric cooking. The teak deck hardware — handrails, cap rails, bow platform, coamings — is often refinished or replaced. A wheel-steered skeg rudder and fixed fin keel are standard, and the 45-gallon fuel and 90-gallon water tanks define the cruising range as found.
What to Inspect
The hull is fiberglass over an Airex core, and the on-deck woodwork is all teak including handrails, cap rails, bow platform, and cockpit coamings, so check for soft deck cores beneath teak and deteriorated caulking. The aft cabin companionway on center-cockpit boats is a separate penetration worth examining for leak paths around the cockpit sole. Confirm the condition of the alcohol galley stove and pressurized-water plumbing, and verify the mizzen traveler and jiffy-reefing hardware on main and mizzen are intact.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Availability follows general brokerage flow for older cruising yachts. A short checklist for a serious look:
- Verify which factory interior (traditional, tri-cabin, short-handed, standard, athwartships) is fitted
- Inspect all teak deck woodwork and underlying core for softness
- Test the Perkins 4-108 and confirm 45-gallon fuel / 90-gallon water tanks
- Check aft-cockpit or center-cockpit companionway seals for leakage
- Confirm ketch or cutter rig hardware: mizzen traveler, jiffy reefing, halyard winches
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tartan 37 | 37.29' | $ 40,000 | 69 | 28 |
| Pacific Seacraft 37 | 36.92' | $ 132,500 | 56 | 14 |
| Hunter 37 | 37' | $ 19,900 | 23 | 6 |
| Moody 37 | 37' | $ 59,697 | 17 | 4 |
| Ericson 36 C | 36' | $ 35,000 | 13 | 1 |
| Gozzard 37 | 42' | $ 195,000 | 11 | 0 |
| Gulfstar 37 | 37' | $ 21,000 | 10 | 2 |
| Oyster Yachts 37 | 37' | $ 50,369 | 9 | 3 |
| Dickerson 37 CC | 37' | $ 42,000 | 4 | 0 |
| Rustler 37 | 37' | $ 419,000 | 4 | 1 |