Design Brief & Intent
The Antigua 37 was designed to capture both the rapidly growing private family cruising market and the lucrative Caribbean charter industry. Joubert-Nivelt prioritized a low-slung, aerodynamic profile that kept the vessel's center of gravity low. This approach contrasted sharply with the high-sided, high-windage designs of competing builders from the same era, which often sacrificed sailing performance for sheer interior volume.
The interior of the Antigua 37 reflects the practical aesthetic of early 1990s French multihull design. The joinery employs lightweight wood veneers over marine plywood and sandwich panels, keeping the boat’s weight to a minimum. The saloon features an open, airy layout with a central dining area and a bridge-deck galley that places the cook at the center of social activity. While the fit-out is more utilitarian than the lavish, leather-and-solid-hardwood finishes found on some premium monohulls of the era, the construction is robust, highly functional, and optimized for easy washdown and maintenance.
Variations & Configurations
Fountaine Pajot offered the Antigua 37 in two primary interior layouts: a four-cabin, two-head arrangement, and a three-cabin owner's version.
- Four-Cabin Layout: This configuration was highly popular in charter fleets. It utilizes identical double berths in the bow and stern of both the port and starboard hulls, with a shared head compartment located amidships in each hull.
- Three-Cabin Layout: This layout dedicates one entire hull (usually the port side) to an owner's suite featuring a large double berth aft, a writing desk or vanity amidships, and a spacious private head compartment forward.
Unlike many modern catamarans that offer multiple keel and rig configurations, the Antigua 37 was kept simple. It was built exclusively with a fractional sloop rig and fixed, low-aspect ratio mini-keels. This keel design limits the draft to a highly accessible three feet, four inches, making the boat an exceptional platform for thin-water cruising grounds like the Bahamas and the Florida Keys.
Sailing Performance & Handling
Under sail, the Antigua 37 is distinguished by its remarkably light displacement of approximately 9,916 pounds. With a displacement-to-length ratio hovering near 97, the vessel is categorized as a light-displacement cruiser. This low weight, paired with a generous fractional sail plan of roughly 646 square feet, gives the Antigua 37 light-wind performance that modern 37-foot cruising catamarans cannot match.
At the helm, the boat is responsive and communicative. It tracks reliably in moderate conditions, though the fixed low-aspect fins sacrifice some pointing ability compared to daggerboard-equipped catamarans. When sailing close-hauled, tacking angles generally remain between 100 and 110 degrees. The vessel’s light hulls mean it can accelerate quickly out of tacks, but it is prone to "hobby-horsing" if driven hard into a short, steep head sea. Offshore, the boat shines on a reach, where its balanced hull shapes and light weight allow it to easily sustain high-single-digit speeds, occasionally breaking into double digits under favorable conditions.
Known Issues & Triage
Prospective buyers of an Antigua 37 should conduct a rigorous assessment of several well-documented technical areas typical of early-generation Fountaine Pajot builds:
- Balsa Core Integrity: The decks are constructed with a balsa core, which is highly susceptible to rot and delamination if deck hardware—such as stanchions, cleats, and the windlass—has not been regularly re-bedded. Buyers should feel for spongy areas underfoot and look for brown staining around interior fasteners.
- Osmotic Blistering: Early 1990s Fountaine Pajots are known for potential osmotic blistering in the gelcoat. A thorough haul-out inspection and moisture-meter testing of the hulls below the waterline are essential.
- Galley Headroom: The bridge-deck clearance and overall headroom in the galley area can feel tight for individuals over six feet tall. This is a direct consequence of the boat's low-profile, aerodynamic exterior design.
- Saildrive and Engine Age: The original twin diesel engines (typically 18-horsepower Volvos or Yanmars) and their corresponding saildrive units are reaching the end of their operational lifespans. Inspections must prioritize checking the saildrive diaphragm seals, which require replacement every seven to ten years.
Modernization & Upgrades
Due to the age of the hull, many Antigua 37s on the secondary market are prime candidates for targeted modernization projects.
- Repowering: A common and highly effective upgrade is replacing the aging original engines with modern, lightweight diesels such as the Volvo Penta D1-30 or Yanmar 3YM30 series. These newer engines offer improved fuel efficiency, quieter operation, and reliable parts availability.
- Electrical System Overhaul: Because the original electrical systems were designed for minimal DC loads, modernizing with a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery bank is highly recommended. Switching to lithium significantly reduces overall house battery weight, which is critical for preserving the boat's light-displacement performance characteristics.
- Solar Integration: The wide, flat cabin top and the bimini structure of the Antigua 37 provide an excellent foundation for mounting rigid or semi-flexible solar arrays, enabling extended off-grid cruising without the need for a heavy diesel generator.
The Verdict
The Fountaine Pajot Antigua 37 is an exceptional option for cruising sailors who prioritize actual sailing performance and mechanical simplicity over condo-style living space. While it lacks the massive interior volume, high headroom, and heavy flybridge designs of modern multihulls, it offers an agile, sea-kindly, and highly rewarding helm experience at a fraction of the cost of a newer vessel. For a couple or small family willing to invest in maintenance and updates, this classic multihull remains a highly capable coastal cruiser and offshore passage maker.
Pros
- Agile and fast light-wind performance due to its light-displacement hull design.
- Very shallow draft allows safe navigation and anchoring in thin-water destinations.
- Low-profile, sleek aesthetic that generates minimal windage compared to modern designs.
- Straightforward, simple mechanical and rigging systems that are easy for DIY owners to maintain.
Cons
- Restricted headroom in the galley and hulls for taller sailors.
- Prone to hobby-horsing when beating into short, choppy head seas.
- Susceptible to deck core rot and osmosis if routine maintenance has been neglected.
- Upwind pointing capability is limited by the fixed, low-aspect ratio mini-keels.
