Design and Construction
The Endeavour 37 is a monohull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, though the keel itself is better described as a shallow, long "cruising fin" with a straight run, cut away at the forefoot and terminating well forward of the spade rudder anchor. The keel is integral to the hull mold, with the 8,000-pound lead ballast dropped in internally and glassed over, so there are no keel bolts to concern a buyer or surveyor. The hull is a single-skin solid fiberglass laminate, and the boat is heavily built and reasonably well finished. Owners echoed that structural substance, describing the boat as feeling solid, "built like a tank," and Practical Sailor's survey found no owners reported oilcanning panels or moving bulkheads. The interior is built up of plywood with teak trim, and one woodworking owner praised the excellent trim joints; the teak parquet cabin sole became an Endeavour trademark.
Rig and Handling
Most Endeavour 37s are sloop rigged, though the company offered the ketch as a paid option in 1977, and later added a bowsprit to enlarge the foretriangle and ease ground-tackle handling, plus a tall-mast option. The rig is very simple and unlikely to confound a newer sailor. That simplicity does not buy speed: with either rig the boat is not fast, and the sloop is somewhat underpowered, with windward performance purposely sacrificed for shoal draft anchor. Sailing performance is marginal especially upwind, and many owners complain of heavy weather helm in stronger winds, while one reported tacking through 115 degrees and another noted excessive leeway. PHRF ratings run from 198 for the standard rig in the Gulf of Mexico to 177 for a tall rig with bowsprit racing in Florida. Many owners, however, report satisfactory balance as long as they attend to trim, reefing, and sail combinations, and the boat has made safe ocean passages.
Accommodations
Two interior arrangements were offered. Plan A is unconventional, replacing forward V-berths with an enormous U-shaped dinette and devoting a large divided forepeak to chain and sail stowage accessed from the deck; the galley is a starboard sideboard with the head opposite to port near midships, and aft are two large double quarter berths. Plan B is more traditional, with forward V-berths, a head with toilet just abaft the bunk, saloon settees around an offset drop-leaf table, a pilot berth above the starboard settee, and an aft port quarter cabin with a privacy door. Each layout gives berths for six or more including proper sea berths; Plan B's pilot berth brings the count to seven, though most owners converted it to stowage. Hot and cold pressure water, a shower, copper plumbing with an automatic sump pump, porcelain sink, full-length mirror, deep double sinks near the centerline, and chart tables are found across both layouts, with a three-burner alcohol stove and oven standard in the late 1970s. The aft cabin is cramped, and some Plan B owners found the quarter cabin stuffy; still, Practical Sailor's survey found a high percentage of owners are liveaboards who consider the boat ideal for that purpose, and she is comfortable to cruise and live aboard.
Deck and Cockpit
On deck the side decks are wide and uncluttered, and the foredeck, though narrow at the bow, is adequate for sail handling. The toerail rises forward to form a mini-bulwark that adds security when changing sails or handling ground tackle, and the high cockpit coaming gives a good backrest and sense of protection. The cockpit itself is large—arguably bordering on too large for offshore sailing—and one owner found it too wide to brace his feet when heeled. The boat has been happily employed as a charter boat by several companies, including Bahamas Yachting Services.
Known Issues
Several recurring problems surfaced in owner reports and survey notes. Practical Sailor's survey found numerous owners complained of gelcoat crazing, a fault also cited on the Endeavour 32. Problem areas included gate valves on through-hulls, which some owners correctly replaced with sea cocks; side-loading refrigerators on some boats that were later swapped for top-loading ice boxes; pumping of the Isomat spar; inaccessible electrical wiring; V-berths too short for anyone over six feet; a tendency to list from water and holding-tank placement; and plastic Vetus hatches that crazed and dripped.
The Verdict
The Endeavour 37 is a straightforward, heavily built Florida cruiser that asks little of her operator and rewards those who prize liveaboard space and passage-making steadiness over racing pace. She is a sensible choice for a cruising couple or a liveaboard who can accept modest upwind performance and a few dated details.
Pros
- Solid single-skin hull with internal lead ballast and no keel bolts to maintain
- Two flexible interior plans with strong liveaboard appeal and standard pressure water and showers
- Simple, forgiving rig suited to less-experienced sailors
- Proven capability for safe ocean passages and charter service
Cons
- Marginal upwind sailing, underpowered sloop rig, and notable weather helm
- Gelcoat crazing and several dated hardware issues (gate valves, Vetus hatches, Isomat spar pumping)
- Short V-berths and a cramped aft cabin; listing from tank placement
- Oversized cockpit and wide beam that some find hard to brace against when heeled
