Design and Construction
The 37s is built as a hull within a hull: each shell is hand-laid fiberglass in polyester resin, and during construction the hull and lining are held several inches apart while closed-cell polyurethane foam is injected into the space between them double-skinned hull is built of hand-laid fiberglass. That foam hardens to provide flotation, insulation against condensation, and soundproofing, and more of it is placed forward because a flooded vessel tends to settle by the bow. The double-skinned structure is not obvious from inside, so well is the volume used. The deck flange sits inside the hull so the two are held in compression; the joint is riveted to align it, then adhesive and glass are injected, and finally the toerail is bolted on, making the union exceptionally strong. Bulkheads are laminated to the outer hull, all reinforcing and mounting plates are aluminum, and rig loads are taken by stainless-steel tie rods and shroud plates laminated to the outer hull.
ETAP’s unsinkable claim is not merely marketing. The builder’s CEO described how the French merchant-marine agency sets stringent requirements for the label, and to earn it the 37 was loaded with eight people on the rail and all their gear inside, then flooded with the mast pulled to the water; when the mast was released the boat righted herself, with two bunks and the galley still above the waterline and the crew able to sail on. ETAP had by then built more than 6,000 unsinkable boats, so the method was proven rather than experimental.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the 37s carries a high-performance double-spreader 9/10 fractional rig by Selden, with an adjustable backstay and a gas-charged rod-kicker vang. A Furlex roller furler sets a generous overlapping genoa. The hull beneath draws on the proven performance shape of the 32s: low wetted surface, a long waterline, a canoe-style underbody, and a flattish sheer, with a well-drawn tapered stern that test sailors credited with good downwind running and tracking in following seas. On the water, testers found her close-winded and easy to tack, making about 6 knots to windward and on reaches with a balanced helm. The Volvo engine at 2,500 rpm pushed her at 6.5 knots while registering only 74 dBA in the cabin, and she turned a circle in roughly one and a half boatlengths with straight, easy backing.
Deck and Cockpit Detail
The toerail itself is a quiet piece of engineering: it reads at first glance like a long patterned aluminum cleat, but it is a husky round rail that is very strong, and deck water drains instantly through it. Bow, stern, and midship cleats are simply open sections of that same rail. Decks wear an excellent TBS anti-skid surface, while the cabintop uses a more conventional dimpled pattern. A detachable mid-cockpit traveler can be unpinned and stowed in its locker space when daysailing, freeing the cockpit. There is ample walk-around space on deck and ergonomic teak seating in the cockpit, with a forward-facing panoramic window at the coach-roof leading edge.
Accommodations
Below, the cherrywood interior is simple, bright, and elegant, fitted in light warm cherry and laminate. The layout is fairly standard, with a rather pointy V-berth forward and a pleasant owner’s cabin aft. Headroom is 6 feet, lowering to about 5 feet 9 inches at the forward end of the saloon, and there is a 3-inch step down in the sole. The galley centers on a double sink set in an island so it drains on either tack and gives a solid brace while underway; foul-weather gear lives in its own wet locker in the stylish head beside the companionway steps.
Ownership and Systems
The wiring runs through PVC conduits with messenger lines so later circuits can be added, and hoses are double-clamped to through-hulls and sealed in heat-shrink tubing — both signs of a builder thinking about the next owner’s maintenance. The optional tandem keel achieves shoal draft with two separated in-line fins joined by a ballast bulb, a useful alternative to the deeper fin for thin-water cruising.
The Verdict
The ETAP 37s is a genuinely distinctive 37-foot cruiser. Her double-skin foam construction delivers real, certified unsinkability without obvious penalty in interior space, and the detailing — from the draining toerail to the stowable traveler and the conduit-run wiring — shows a builder solving practical problems. She sails close-winded and balanced, and her documented righting-from-flooded behavior is a rare concrete safety credential.
Pros
- Certified unsinkable hull with forward-biased foam and proven builder track record
- Strong, water-shedding toerail that integrates all primary cleats
- Bright cherry interior with draining center-island galley and dedicated wet locker
- Close-winded, balanced handling with easy tacking and tight turning circle
- Thoughtful systems routing: conduit wiring and double-clamped, sealed hoses
Cons
- Pointy V-berth and saloon headroom drop to 5′9″ limit forward comfort
- Shoal-draft buyers must opt for the tandem-keel variant rather than standard fin
