Islander 36 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin arrangements predominate among resale boats, though two-cabin versions appear, and ex-charter hulls are a common sight. Below, the V-berth forward pairs with a head and shower to port, while the saloon’s straight settees flank a bulkhead-folding table and the starboard settee drops to a double. A port-side nav station fronts a quarterberth beneath the cockpit, and late models added outboard lockers and a mid-cabin hatch. The L-shaped starboard galley holds a double sink and three-burner stove, but its sloping sole and companionway-only ventilation are period constants regardless of layout.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

A bimini is a standard sight on listed boats, and buyers will often find solar panels, a spinnaker, autopilot, inverter, chartplotter, and a simplified short-handed sail rig among the inventory. Less uniformly, an asymmetric spinnaker, a dodger, or similar owner additions turn up. For consequence, the power-and-energy cluster — solar with inverter — matters most for anchoring independence; an autopilot and self-tailing winches define whether single-handed or couple sailing is realistic; and a chartplotter paired with the existing nav station modernizes passage planning. Canvas such as a dodger addresses the slanted aft bulkhead that otherwise forces dropboards shut in rain.

What to Inspect

Recurring defects deserve direct attention at viewing. Most 1970s hulls have shown mast-step corrosion, so check the stepped spar base for rust staining or weld bonding and budget for spar pull-and-trim. A few mid-70s boats reported blistering, so sound the solid-glass hull below the waterline for soft spots. On deck, confirm the intermediate and lower shroud chainplate is not lifting from the bulkhead — a 1980 owner logged exactly that failure, and probe the plywood-cored deck for spongy traverse near chainplate penetrations. Inspect any aluminum holding tank for the failure one 1979 owner reported, and test the original foam-vinyl headliner zippers, which corrode shut. Finally, note the cockpit sole sits flush with the companionway sill with small drains and no bridgedeck; watch for prior flooding stains at the dropboard threshold.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats change hands across the United States, Croatia, Spain, Fiji, Mexico, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before committing, run through a short checklist:

• Pull the mast-step cover and check for corrosion staining.
• Press the deck near chainplates for core softness.
• Inspect the aluminum tank for pinhole or seam leaks.
• Test every headliner zipper for free movement.
• Confirm cockpit drains clear and sill shows no flood marks.
• Verify the engine is a Yanmar or noted original Pathfinder.