Design and Construction
Fiskars built the early Finnsailer 35 with hand-laid solid fiberglass throughout the hull and superstructure, without balsa, foam, or other core materials. On-site Lloyd’s Register inspectors certified the work. This heavy, uncored construction underpins Yachting Monthly’s straightforward assessment that she is well built.
The Finnsailer 35 displaces 13,700 lb and carries 4,000 lb of iron ballast in a long-keel configuration. Her ballast-to-displacement ratio is near 29 percent, while her comfort ratio is about 31. Those figures place her firmly among steady, weighty cruisers rather than light racers.
She measures 35 feet long, with a beam of 10 feet 3 inches and a shallow draft of 3 feet 8 inches. These dimensions reflect her pilot-boat parentage and a design intended more for sheltered-water motorsailing than offshore surfing.
Rig, Engine, and Handling
The Finnsailer 35 sits well toward the motor end of the motorsailer spectrum. Her masthead-sloop rig carries a modest 360 square feet of sail, and her displacement-length ratio is above 240.
Yachting Monthly noted that her simple rig provides reasonable sailing performance off the wind. In practical terms, she’s no lightweight performer close-hauled, but she’ll move acceptably when reaching or running.
A 75-horsepower Perkins 4236 diesel and 80-gallon fuel capacity underline the design’s priorities. Under mechanical propulsion, she can maintain a degree of passage-making independence that the sail plan alone wouldn’t provide.
Accommodations and Cruising Capacity
Below, the Finnsailer 35 has five or six berths. The layout is arranged for a family or two couples rather than stripped out for racing. Her 150-gallon water capacity supports extended stays, while the solid-fiberglass structure provides quiet, robust interior boundaries.
When the design was relaunched as the 36 in the late 1970s, it gained an after cabin and better sailing performance. By comparison, the 35’s accommodations are more open-plan and motor-oriented.
The Verdict
The Finnsailer 35 is an honest, heavily built, Baltic-derived motorsailer from Fiskars’ pioneering fiberglass era. She suits owners who value structural simplicity and motoring range more than sailing agility, while her pilot-boat roots give her the character of a working cruiser.
The later 36 addressed the 35’s weakest sailing traits, but the Finnsailer 35 remains a sensible, undemanding coastal passagemaker.
Pros
- Hand-laid, solid-fiberglass hull and deck, certified by Lloyd’s Register and built without core material to degrade
- Shallow 3-foot-8-inch draft, useful in sheltered waters and for drying berths
- Generous 80-gallon fuel and 150-gallon water capacities for self-sufficient cruising
- Five or six berths, suitable for a family or two couples
Cons
- Limited close-winded performance from the simple rig and modest sail area
- The 360-square-foot sail plan can leave her sluggish on the wind
- Superseded by the Finnsailer 36, which added an after cabin and improved sailing ability
