Nauticat 36 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Nauticat 36 means looking at a Finnish-built, Aarnipalo-designed ketch pilothouse motor-sailer from the early eighties, a boat whose enclosed helm and long-keel steadiness appeal to cruisers who value comfort over sprint speed. Examples on the used market carry the wear and the owner-driven upgrades of four decades, and the smart buyer reads those modifications against the boat's known quirks.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 36 was built around a pilothouse with interior teak, 7–8 berths, a galley, and a toilet facility, a layout that supports long stretches aboard in cold or wet conditions. The ketch rig with a mizzen aft defines the deck plan, and the long iron keel gives a draft of roughly 5.25 to 5.55 feet depending on load. Fuel capacity runs 132 US gallons and fresh water 118 US gallons, numbers that matter when judging range and tank condition on any specific hull.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats you encounter will commonly carry a self-tacking jib, teak decks, and an autopilot — the first two speaking to the original cruising brief and the last to single-handed or short-handed ease. Beyond those, a ProFurl furler is a frequent owner refit that simplifies headsail work, and a teak swim platform with aft arch and davits appears on upgraded examples for dinghy and solar expansion. Windshield wipers and a forward paddleboard rack outside the life rail are owner-fitted creature comforts rather than standard, and the Ford 80-horsepower diesel with shaft drive is the baseline propulsion.
What to Inspect
The one documented handling fault is the mizzen's tendency to overpower and induce excessive weather helm if left unreefed while the headsail is shortened, which can round the boat up in a freshening breeze anchor. On deck, check the wooden-capped life rail for damage where paddleboards or other gear have been carried in the forward rack outside the rail, since that exposure invites pounding. Otherwise the hand-laid fiberglass hull asks only for normal seasonal inspection.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up most readily in Italy and Denmark. For a buyer, the checklist is short and backed by the record:
- Confirm the mizzen reefing system and that the prior owner trimmed both sails in strong wind
- Inspect the wooden life rail where forward racks mount paddleboards
- Verify the shaft-drive Ford diesel and 132-gallon fuel tank integrity
- Look for a self-tacking jib, teak decks, and autopilot as common fitted gear
- Favor examples with a furler and aft-arch solar/davit upgrades for cruising range
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nauticat 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $93,244 | — |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $72,486 | -22.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $77,370 | +6.7% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $84,396 | +9.1% |
Where they're listed
Nauticat 36 listings appear across 2 countries. Denmark has the most listings with 2 (50.0%), followed by Italy.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Yachts 36 | 36.33' | $ 35,700 | 182 | 34 |
| Bavaria Yachts 36 | 37.89' | $ 69,513 | 119 | 27 |
| Hallberg-Rassy Varvs AB 36 | 35.66' | $ 122,968 | 69 | 18 |
| Rustler Yachts 36 | 35.33' | $ 101,978 | 30 | 8 |
| Creswell Marine 36 | 36' | $ 39,431 | 19 | 1 |
| Cape George 36 | 36' | $ 89,500 | 9 | 1 |
| Nauticat 36You are here | — | $ 77,370 | 5 | 1 |