What sets the M36 apart isn’t just her appearance. Every system supports spontaneous single-handed sailing: long-time solo sailors can reportedly be off the dock and sailing within five minutes.
Design and Construction
At 36 feet 1 inch overall, with a 25-foot waterline and a 10-foot 1-inch beam, the M36 displaces 8,900 pounds and carries a 3,750-pound lead bulb.
She looks like a classic from the outset. Traditional overhangs, a timeless sheer and a low cabintrunk preserve her sleek profile, while teak decks and carefully varnished trim heighten the effect. The absence of bow and stern pulpits, stanchions and lifelines keeps the decks uncluttered in period-correct daysailer fashion.
Beneath that traditional appearance, the hull is a cored vinylester composite with Core-Cell core. The manufacturer describes the structure as carbon-epoxy and Kevlar, while the bulkheads are structural plywood. A high-aspect-ratio fin keel with a bulb works with a carbon spade rudder, a combination reviewers credit with maximum stability and minimum drag.
Morris built the M36 as a yacht-quality masterpiece rather than a production boat.
Rig, Sailing and Handling
The M36 is intended to be fast and nimble, and her hull and appendages deliver both upwind and off the wind without disappointment. Her fractional rig has swept-back spreaders and a keel-stepped carbon-fiber mast. The builder argues that the fractional layout—with the headstay stopping below the masthead—allows a smaller headsail and larger mainsail for easier handling.
A self-tacking 100-percent jib makes tacking straightforward. All sheets, halyards and control lines run under deck to winch pods at the helmsman’s fingertips. The only sheets above deck belong to the asymmetric spinnaker, and they lead aft to winches at the helm.
The North Sails package combines a jib and full-batten mainsail for 558 square feet of sail area. Jiffy reefing is standard, with one manual reef point, and lazyjacks help control the mainsail during the douse.
Single-handed sailors value the M36’s close-quarters manners: she backs straight without prop walk and turns on a dime. The builder claims she’ll still move in two knots of wind and can cruise at a sustained seven to eight knots.
Cockpit Systems and Machinery
The helm-centered control layout is central to the M36’s appeal, but access below deck is also unusually generous. The companionway flips up to expose the diesel’s fluid sticks and filters, and the engine can also be reached through the cockpit lockers. The builder notes superb access to the engine, through-hulls and electrical systems—access often overlooked elsewhere.
A 21-horsepower, three-cylinder Yanmar saildrive draws from a 20-gallon tank. A 22-pound Bruce anchor rides in the chain locker.
Accommodations
The M36 offers more below than a bare-bones daysailer. Her Herreshoff-style interior combines white bulkheads and solid cherry trim with marvelously varnished hull sheathing. The cabin sole is teak and holly, and the portals are fixed.
Ergonomically shaped settees to port and starboard provide places to lounge or sleep, while well-positioned reading lights suit quieter time aboard. Large safety-glass windows and a huge foredeck hatch bring in plenty of natural light.
The forepeak provides generous storage. An alternative layout converts that space into a V-berth, and Morris will finish it as sleeping quarters as a custom option. These arrangements extend the boat’s overnight reach.
The compact galley includes a sink, refrigerator and modest Corian counter. The enclosed head has a toilet and sink, but no shower. Ventilation comes through two low-profile dorade vents, the companionway and the forward hatch. The companionway has removable teak doors and a safety-glass sliding hatch.
Headroom is limited: a six-footer can stand upright only directly beneath the companionway.
Practical Shortcomings and Planned Changes
A few practical gaps appear in the record. The DC refrigerator is difficult to reach, and its lid is heavy, though modifications were planned. The head has no shower and relies on a future solar-powered ventilator that was in the works.
Most strikingly for a boat carrying so much equipment, the M36 has no swim ladder. The refrigerator changes and planned head ventilator address daily-use annoyances rather than structural concerns.
The Verdict
The M36 is a singular daysailer, combining the conceptual purity of a 1930s dayboat with carbon-composite execution. At her 2004 introduction, no other daysailer offered the same helm-centered control scheme.
She rewards the solo sailor with quick setup and precise close-quarters handling, yet still provides genuine cabin comforts for day guests and occasional overnight stays. Her omissions—a missing swim ladder, a cramped refrigerator with a heavy lid, and a head without a shower—are concessions to the daysailer brief rather than flaws in the yacht itself.
Pros
- Self-tacking jib and under-deck lines led to helm pods support five-minute single-handed departures
- Carbon-fiber mast, bulb fin and spade rudder provide nimble, stable performance in light and fresh air
- Herreshoff-style, light-filled interior and optional V-berth extend her usefulness beyond day sailing
- Superb access to the engine, through-hulls and electrical systems simplifies ownership
Cons
- No swim ladder as delivered
- DC refrigerator is difficult to reach and has a heavy lid
- Head has no shower and limited ventilation, pending the planned solar-powered ventilator
- Fixed portals and limited headroom restrict cabin livability for taller sailors
