The boat has a reputation for decent sailing performance, particularly good upwind ability and balance. Its fin-keel hull, moderate-heavy displacement, and varied interiors place it squarely in the cruising camp.
Design and Construction
The Easterly 36 has a fiberglass hull, fin keel, and a partial skeg-hung rudder with semi-balanced elements, according to some reports. It measures 27.5 feet on the waterline, with a 10.83-foot beam, 14,500-pound displacement, and 4,300 pounds of ballast.
A ballast-displacement ratio of 29.66 and a displacement-length ratio of 311.26 put the boat among moderately loaded cruisers rather than light racers. The moderate-heavy displacement was intended to provide stability and a comfortable motion.
Easterly Yachts built the boats in Pearlington until the yard closed around 1980. The precise production total is undocumented, but the short production window suggests that no more than the low hundreds were built.
Rig and Handling
The masthead-sloop rig has a 44.5-foot I and 15.3-foot J foretriangle, paired with mainsail dimensions of 37.5 feet for P and 13.5 feet for E. Working sail area totals roughly 594 square feet, combining a 261-square-foot mainsail with a 331-square-foot jib.
The sail inventory also included a 115-percent jib and a 135-percent genoa of 448 square feet. An 878-square-foot asymmetrical spinnaker extends the boat’s offwind options.
The Easterly 36 earned a PHRF rating around 153 and was noted for good upwind ability and balance, traits consistent with its fin-keel and skeg-rudder configuration.
Accommodations
Most Easterly 36s have an aft cockpit, although some boats appear in a center-cockpit sloop configuration. Interiors vary by build year and degree of owner completion. Buyers should therefore expect considerable variation in cabin trim rather than a single standard fit-out, ranging from basic to finished.
Known Issues
The Easterly 36’s brief production run and low unit count mean that few boats survive. Yard-original finishing also varied widely, leaving many interiors dependent on later owner completion rather than factory standardization.
On boats reported to have semi-balanced, spade-like rudder elements, the bearings and hull-to-skeg joint deserve close inspection for wear or fatigue. More broadly, the builder’s short lifespan and the undocumented production total make an individual survey more useful than assumptions based on fleet knowledge.
Verdict
The Easterly 36 is a Brennan-designed, Mississippi-built cruiser with a bluewater orientation and a moderate-heavy displacement hull. It offers good upwind balance and a versatile sail plan. Low production numbers and the yard’s early closure make every purchase a case-by-case assessment, but the underlying design is coherent.
Pros
- Good upwind ability and balance from the fin keel and skeg-hung rudder
- Moderate-heavy displacement intended to provide stability and motion comfort
- Versatile masthead-sloop rig with genoa and asymmetrical-spinnaker options
Cons
- Low, undocumented production leaves little fleet knowledge
- Interior finish varies widely, from basic to finished
- Rudder configurations reported with semi-balanced elements require inspection
