Design and Construction
The F 36 measures 36.25 feet overall and 29.5 feet on the waterline. Her 11.92-foot beam produces a length-to-beam ratio of 3.04, placing her among the roomier boats in her size class.
Carroll Marine built the hull and deck in solid fiberglass. Lead ballast of 5,700 pounds is set in a fin-keel configuration, with draft ranging from about 6.99 to 7.29 feet depending on load.
At 10,900 pounds, the F 36 has a displacement-length ratio of 190, which puts her among moderate racers; 79 percent of similar designs are heavier. Her ballast ratio is 50 percent—higher than that of 93 percent of comparable sailboat designs—and gives the boat a very high ability to resist heeling.
The capsize screening value is 2.15, which would bar the F 36 from ocean-race acceptance. Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 19.6 is more comfortable than only 14 percent of similar designs. Together, those figures provide useful context for buyers weighing offshore ambitions against day-sailing steadiness.
Rig and Handling
The F 36 carries a masthead sloop rig with 668 square feet of sail area and a theoretical hull speed of 7.3 knots. The fin keel and spade rudder give her the directional sensitivity expected of a moderate racer rather than a heavy cruiser.
Her wetted surface is about 419 square feet, while the immersion rate is 1,224 pounds per inch. That means she sits sensibly to her load without excessive sinkage.
The estimated control-line geometry is well documented. Jib and genoa sheets are about 36.3 feet long and 14 mm in diameter, while the mainsheet is about 90.6 feet long at the same diameter. Spinnaker sheets are about 79.8 feet long. These measurements are useful when re-rigging: the mainsheet traveler and winch layout must handle a long, heavy line.
Accommodations and Auxiliary Power
The 3.04 length-to-beam ratio yields a cabin plan that is more spacious than 69 percent of similar designs. The 11.92-foot beam creates a broad midsection and useful interior volume without pushing the boat into barge-like proportions.
Where fitted, a 27-horsepower Yanmar diesel provides auxiliary propulsion. The boat’s 10,900-pound displacement and 5,700 pounds of lead ballast keep her motion predictable in a seaway, even though the comfort ratio trails many cruising-oriented contemporaries.
Refits and Ownership
Only 35 F 36s were built from 1982, making this a low-production design. That limited run shapes both parts availability and the size of the owner community.
The solid-fiberglass hull and deck avoid the cored-structure moisture problems that affect some contemporaries. Documented rig dimensions also allow owners to order sheets and runners to known specifications rather than relying on guesswork. Engine-model details and tankage should be verified on each individual boat.
The Verdict
The F 36 is a Frers-designed, Carroll Marine-built performance cruiser-racer with a stiff, lead-ballasted fin-keel hull and a roomy, beam-driven interior. She is quick for her length and resists heeling well, but her capsize screening value and comfort ratio mark her as a coastal and moderate-condition sailor rather than a bluewater campaigner.
The small production run means a careful survey and owner-community networking matter more than they would with a mass-produced 36-footer.
Pros
- High 50 percent ballast ratio; stiffer than 93 percent of similar designs
- Roomy, beam-driven layout; more spacious than 69 percent of peers
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck, without cored-structure moisture risk
- Known rig dimensions simplify re-rigging
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.15 bars ocean-race participation
- Motion Comfort Ratio is better than that of only 14 percent of similar designs
- Low production—35 boats—limits parts availability and community support
