Morris M36 Buyer's Guide
The Morris M36 on the used market is the 2004-launched Sparkman & Stephens-designed daysailer from Morris Yachts, a 36-foot sloop built as a yacht-quality alternative to production boats rather than a volume model. Shopping used Morris M36s means weighing a carbon-composite hull, a self-tacking rig, and a light-filled cabin against a few documented ergonomic gaps and a custom-option lineage that makes no two boats identical in fit-out.
Layouts on the Used Market
The M36 carries a small cabin with a galley, day head, sitting area, and plenty of storage, and the port and starboard settees are long enough to lie down on. An icebox sits under the starboard cockpit settee hatch, while the galley is outfitted with an icebox, coffee thermos, and sink; the day head has a toilet and sink but no shower. Headroom in the saloon prevents six-footers from standing upright except directly below the companionway hatch, and ventilation comes from two low-profile dorade vents, the companionway, and the forward hatch, with fixed portals and removable teak companionway doors. The forepeak may be left unfinished for sail storage or converted to a V-berth for overnight stays, the latter offered as a custom option by the builder. Cockpit seats forward of the control pods run over six feet in length and suit seating six adults or sunbathing.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Teak decks, autopilot, chartplotter, short-handed setup, spinnaker, and electric winches are commonly fitted to used Morris M36s on the brokerage market. Often seen are solar, lithium batteries, self-tacking jib, gennaker, and asymmetric spinnaker. Less commonly, as owner upgrades, appear heating, code zero, furling main, bimini, cockpit shower, radar, and AIS. The boat's own design already routes all sheets, halyards, and control lines under deck to two control and winch pods within reach of the helmsman, with the only above-deck sheets for the asymmetric spinnaker, and a trio of Lewmar rope clutches and pair of self-tailing Harken winches are part of the described rig. Tacktick depthsounder, wind, and boat-speed instruments powered by photo-voltaic cells require no wiring, and a big wooden wheel, compass, and Morse throttle sit at the pedestal.
What to Inspect
Documented known issues center on access and safety gear. The DC refrigerator is difficult to reach and the lid is heavy, though modifications were planned in the early run, and a solar-powered ventilator for the head was also planned but may or may not be present on a given boat. Most significantly, the M36 has no swim ladder, and the standard layout lacks bow and stern pulpits, stanchions, and lifelines. The companionway flips up to expose the diesel's primary fluid sticks and filters, with engine access also via the cockpit lockers, and the builder documented superb access to engine, through-hulls, and electrical systems as a design strength worth verifying in person.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The M36 typically appears on the used market in the United States and France. For a shopper, the takeaway is a custom-finished daysailer with strong short-handed credentials and a few fixed omissions:
- Confirm whether lifelines, pulpits, and a swim ladder were added by the owner
- Check the refrigerator access and lid weight, and ask about planned or completed modifications
- Verify the solar head ventilator and instrument wiring status
- Inspect the under-deck control routing and winch pods for wear from constant use
- Review the keel draft variant (standard 6'6" or shoal 5'3") against intended waters
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Morris M36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 9 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 4 | $ 330,000 | — |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $ 315,000 | -4.5% |
| Sep 25 | 5 | $ 295,000 | -6.3% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $ 450,000 | +52.5% |
| Jan 26 | 4 | $ 305,000 | -32.2% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $ 450,000 | +47.5% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $ 419,000 | -6.9% |
| May 26 | 2 | $ 269,000 | -35.8% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $ 13,584,518 | +4950.0% |
Where they're listed
Morris M36 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 16 (88.9%), followed by France.
Country view
18 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 315,000 | 16 | 5 | 88.9% |
| France | $ 228,980 | 2 | 0 | 11.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris M36You are here | — | $ 315,000 | 18 | 5 |
| Dehler 36 | 35.92' | $ 89,255 | 16 | 1 |