Design and Construction
The hull is a single-skin solid fiberglass laminate of polyester resin, woven roving, and multi-directional chopped strand fiber, with the keel molded integrally and the lead ballast dropped in and glassed over — there are no keel bolts to monitor anchor. The deck and cockpit are likewise a single molded unit with plywood coring in the cabin top, deck, seats, and cockpit sole for stiffness, and the hull-to-deck joint is fastened with stainless steel bolts. Bulkheads are bonded to the hull with two layers of woven roving on each side. The rudder is a solid high-density foam piece with a fiberglass skin and an integrally molded solid stainless post welded to an internal steel blade. Owners surveyed by Practical Sailor described the boat as feeling solid, "built like a tank," and no structural problems with oilcanning panels or moving bulkheads were reported.
Rig and Handling
Most Endeavour 37s are masthead sloop rigged, though the ketch was a factory option, and the boat came with short, standard, and tall mast choices plus an optional three-foot bowsprit on ketch and cutter versions to enlarge the foretriangle. The standard sloop carries 580 square feet of sail area and the tall-mast cutter 726, but Practical Sailor judged the sloop somewhat underpowered and noted that with either rig she is not a fast boat, nor was she intended to be anchor. Windward performance was deliberately traded for shoal draft, and readers report heavy weather helm in stronger winds, excessive leeway, and tacking angles as wide as 115 degrees. Many owners, however, report satisfactory balance when they attend to trim, reefing, and sail combinations. The rig itself is simple, with external halyards to mast-mounted Lewmar singles and #40 self-tailing sheet winches in the cockpit, and is unlikely to confuse a newer sailor.
Accommodations
Endeavour offered two principal interior arrangements, later supplemented by a Plan-C that privatized the aft cabin by removing the chart table from Plan-A. Plan-A replaced the forward V-berths with an enormous U-shaped dinette and devoted the forepeak to chain and sail stowage; Plan-B kept conventional V-berths forward and added a pilot berth that most owners converted to stowage. Both layouts sleep at least six with decent sea berths, and the teak parquet sole, varnished teak trim, and soft white overheads define the marque's interior character. Headroom is 6 feet 3 inches. Practical Sailor found the aft cabin cramped and some Plan-B owners called the port quarter berth stuffy, yet a high percentage of surveyed owners were liveaboards who considered the boat ideal for that purpose. The side decks are wide and uncluttered, the cockpit coaming is high for backrest and protection, and the forward toerail rises into a mini-bulwark for sail changes.
Known Issues
Several recurring defects surfaced in owner reports and survey notes. Numerous owners complained of gelcoat crazing, a condition also seen on the Endeavour 32. Problem areas included gate valves on through-hulls that some owners correctly replaced with sea cocks, side-loading refrigerators on some boats later swapped for top-loading ice boxes, pumping of the Isomat spar, and inaccessible electrical wiring despite the builder's claim that most wiring ran high and removable under side-deck panels. V-berths proved too short for anyone over six feet, the boat could list from water and holding tank placement, and plastic Vetus hatches were known to craze and drip.
Refits and Ownership
The standard auxiliary was a freshwater-cooled 50-horsepower Perkins 4-108 with a Warner hydraulic reduction gear and a 1-1/4-inch stainless shaft driving a bronze two-blade prop, with a three-blade option. Fuel capacity is cited at about 65 gallons in a baffled tank and water at 101 gallons. The simple rig, robust solid laminate hull, and no keel bolts make for straightforward structural ownership, while the through-hull and hatch issues are conventional mid-life upgrades. The Endeavour 37 served happily as a charter boat with several companies including Bahamas Yachting Services, and has made safe ocean passages.
The Verdict
The Endeavour 37 is a heavily built, comfortable liveaboard cruiser whose shoal draft and solid feel outweigh her marginal upwind speed for the protected-water and passage-making buyer. She rewards attentive trim and benefits from targeted upgrades to through-hulls, hatches, and refrigeration.
Pros
- Integral keel with internal lead ballast and no keel bolts to corrode or loosen
- Solid fiberglass hull and bonded bulkheads with no reported structural movement
- Teak parquet sole and flexible A/B/C interior plans suited to liveaboard use
- Simple masthead rig easy for less experienced sailors to manage
Cons
- Underpowered sloop rig with heavy weather helm and wide tacking angles
- Gelcoat crazing, dripping Vetus hatches, and inaccessible wiring on some boats
- V-berths too short for tall owners and a cramped aft quarter cabin
- List tendency from tank placement and gate-valve through-hulls needing replacement
