ETAP 37s Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The 37s was offered in two keel configurations — a standard fin drawing just under six and a half feet, and a shoal-draft tandem fin that achieves a draft of around four and a half feet while retaining a ballast bulb between the two in-line fins. Both variants show up on the brokerage market, and the choice matters: the shoal-draft tandem keel opens up shallow anchorages and tidal harbors but requires a balanced sail plan to perform correctly; under mainsail alone it can feel sluggish or feel as though the foils are stalling, a characteristic that disappears once the headsail is drawing. Buyers who plan to spend time in shoal-draft cruising grounds will find this feature genuinely valuable; those who sail deeper water may prefer the simplicity and outright windward performance of the standard fin.

Below, the interior follows a sensible cruising layout with a V-berth forward, a comfortable owner's cabin aft, and a saloon amidships. The galley stands out: a central island integrates a double sink that drains on either tack, and the stove cover converts to additional counter space — a detail that signals the boat was designed by people who have actually cooked at sea. The cherrywood and laminate interior presents warmly, and headroom runs to six feet through most of the saloon, stepping down slightly toward the forward end where a three-inch drop in the sole accommodates the sheerline. Stowage throughout is generous, with a dedicated wet locker for foul-weather gear adjacent to the companionway. The nav station accommodates a full-size chart and has sufficient panel real estate for a plotter and instruments.

One of the more memorable deck features is the removable mid-cockpit traveler. Two pins secure it in place for performance sailing and racing; pull them, and the traveler stows below, giving the cockpit a wide-open social footprint for daysailing. It reinstalls in about a minute. This is the kind of thoughtful ergonomic detail that distinguishes the 37s from its contemporaries.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The 37s left the factory reasonably well equipped. A Seldén fractional rig with double spreaders and an adjustable backstay, roller-furling headsail, a rod kicker vang, and electric anchor windlass with a Delta bow roller were standard fare. Engine access is good, and the saildrive installation is tidy with unusually effective soundproofing — cabin noise under power runs low by the standards of any sailboat in this size range.

Wiring aboard these boats runs in PVC conduit with messenger lines included, which simplifies the addition of new circuits. Through-hull hoses are double-clamped and heat-shrink sealed at the factory. These construction details mean that much of the below-waterline infrastructure tends to remain in sound condition, but buyers should verify that original standards have been maintained through any previous owner's modifications.

Electronic upgrades are common on boats that have been in cruising use. Wind instruments, chartplotters, VHF with AIS, and autopilots are frequently added by owners preparing for extended passages. Solar panels and lithium battery banks are increasingly seen on boats that have been refitted for liveaboard or long-range use. Given the boat's strong insulation, refrigeration upgrades are sometimes seen where the original unit has been replaced with a more energy-efficient compressor unit.

What to Inspect

The ETAP 37s's double-hull foam construction is its defining advantage, but it also shapes the inspection approach. The inner liner is separated from the outer hull by injected foam throughout, which means direct inspection of the outer hull laminate from inside the boat is not possible in the way it would be with a conventional single-skin vessel. Osmotic blistering can form between the outer skin and the foam layer without being immediately visible from inside. A careful external examination of the topsides and topsides-to-waterline transition, ideally with a moisture meter applied to the outer hull, is worth the effort. The deck-to-hull joint is held in compression with adhesive, rivets, and glass, then bolted through the rail — this is an engineered joint and tends to remain sound, but any signs of separation, cracking at the rail, or weeping deserve attention.

The saildrive powerplant is accessibly installed, and its condition is straightforward to evaluate, but the bellows seal on a saildrive demands close inspection on any older boat — this is a consumable that requires periodic replacement and is a known maintenance item across all saildrive-equipped vessels, not specific to ETAP. Verify the service history.

The tandem keel, where fitted, is a precision hydrodynamic system. The engineers invested considerable development time to get the performance right, and it performs as intended when properly maintained, but any play, corrosion at the ballast bulb, or grounding damage to either fin warrants investigation by a surveyor familiar with the design. A boat that has been grounded on the tandem keel should be hauled and inspected carefully.

Rigging age matters on any cruising boat; verify that standing rigging has been replaced within an appropriate interval for the number of offshore miles accumulated. The fractional rig with adjustable backstay puts particular load on the forestay-to-deck chainplate area — inspect for any signs of movement or cracking in the surrounding deck laminate.

Electrically, the wiring conduit system is an asset for condition and traceability, but owner additions over the years can bypass that system. A thorough electrical survey is always prudent.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The ETAP 37s occupies a small but consistent niche on the used market. Production began in 2003 and the model was built in relatively modest numbers compared to mass-market cruisers, so inventory tends to be limited at any given moment. Examples are most commonly found in European brokerage — Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and the UK — reflecting the boat's Belgian origins and its popularity in the North Sea and Channel cruising community. Occasional examples turn up in North American listings, particularly on the East Coast, and the Mediterranean market holds a few as well.

Because of the specialized construction and the certification value it carries, these boats tend to attract buyers who understand what they are buying. That tends to keep condition reasonable, but it also means motivated sellers are uncommon — owners who appreciate the engineering tend to keep them.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• External hull moisture survey with meter; focus on waterline and topsides
• Deck-to-hull joint inspection along the full rail
• Saildrive bellows condition and service records
• Tandem keel (if fitted) for play, corrosion, and any grounding history
• Standing rigging age and forestay chainplate deck inspection
• Full electrical survey, including owner-added circuits outside factory conduit
• Below-waterline through-hull fittings and heat-shrink seals
• Interior stowage, wet locker, and bilge for signs of water ingress
• Traveler attachment points and cockpit hardware
• Engine hours, saildrive service log, and cooling system history