Design and Construction
Roughly 70 Nonsuch 36s were built between 1983 and 1990, the first two by Express Yachts under the name Nighthawk before Hinterhoeller Yachts of Ontario took over production. The late George Hinterhoeller — a master Austrian builder who co-founded C&C Yachts before striking out on his own — gave these boats a reputation for heavy, reliable construction. Hull and deck are fiberglass over balsa core, with reinforcements applied wherever the engineering demanded them, and the keel is an external lead casting.
Bob Perry, who sailed aboard one with owner Graham Kerr, noted that the displacement-to-length ratio sits at 197 — solidly moderate — while the beam-to-length ratio of 2.84 places the hull in beamy but not extreme territory. Unlike a Cape Cod catboat, the Nonsuch carries a medium-aspect external lead keel drawing 5.5 feet and a partially balanced spade rudder, giving it a modern underbody that a traditional catboat never possessed. Against a Catalina 36 of the same era, the Nonsuch 36 offers eight inches more beam, three and a half feet more waterline length, and a mast a dozen feet taller — from the outside, it reads as a 40-footer; below decks, closer to a 42.
Rig and Handling
The wishbone rig borrows from windsurfing boards and from Garry Hoyt's Freedom line, but it was Ellis who refined its application to a full cruising yacht. The naturally tapered top section of the unstayed mast flexes to spill air in a breeze, making the enormous sail more manageable than appearances suggest. That self-depowering quality, combined with 6,500 pounds of lead ballast, keeps the boat sailing remarkably flat. Ellis advises using rudder feel rather than heel or weather helm to guide reefing — reef when the rudder begins to drag, not when the boat looks pressed.
Sail controls are unusual but genuinely simple. A topping lift, a pair of fixed lines at the mast, five jacklines forming a cradle for the dropped sail, and a single choker line that pulls the wishbone aft to flatten the canvas — that is the complete inventory. There are no jib sheets, no traveler, and tacking requires nothing more than a quarter turn of the wheel. Jibing deserves respect: 100 feet of mainsheet and 742 square feet of sail carry real momentum, and owners employ one of several practiced techniques — sheeting in and easing out, a 270-degree tack, or a controlled S-curve — rather than letting the boom run free.
Performance is genuine. One owner recorded 7.46 knots on a close reach in 19 knots apparent and 9.1 knots on a beam reach in 17 knots apparent. Upwind in 13 knots apparent, the boat moves at better than 5.5 knots at wind angles under 30 degrees. The wind must approach 30 knots before a first reef becomes necessary for an owner sailing year-round in ocean conditions.
Accommodations
Ellis designed the 36 not for racing but for long-range coastal cruisers and live-aboards, and the interior reflects that intention. The companionway drops nearly to the cabin sole and opens onto a layout that includes a large engine room beneath the cockpit sole, a spacious lazarette, wet locker, navigation table, a standing-headroom head with separate shower, an aft-facing U-shaped galley, a saloon with U-shaped seating for six and a long opposing settee, and a forward stateroom with a double berth. Storage throughout is exceptional, with thoughtfully arranged access to maintenance items built into the structure from the start.
Ventilation was not an afterthought. Ten opening portlights by Atkins and Hoyle, four large hatches, four Dorade vents, and two solar fans keep the interior dry and comfortable, a meaningful advantage for anyone spending extended time aboard.
On deck, the cockpit is comfortable for four, perhaps six, and increasingly crowded above that, with deep coamings providing security and comfortable seating. Sidedecks are wide enough to move forward easily — made easier still by the complete absence of shrouds.
Known Issues
The mast and its supporting structure demand careful attention in any survey. The mast drops through a large hole in the deck, surrounded by an aluminum collar, wedged with chocks, and sitting on a heavily reinforced aluminum base attached to the keel. Water intrusion at the deck collar or the base represents the most expensive risk on the platform, and several factory notices address mast attachment, reinforcement, and crack avoidance. Drilling holes in the mast creates crack initiation sites and should be avoided.
Deck leaks can also arise along the chocks incorporated in the deck bulwarks, bolted to the hull through a stainless steel cap rail with a vinyl insert. The boats are generally regarded as tight, but this junction is worth examining closely. Original engines were 52-horsepower Westerbeke diesels; owners report that OEM replacement parts are spectacularly overpriced, and at least one owner found that a Westerbeke-advertised drop-in replacement was nowhere near the case. Original tankage — 49 gallons of diesel, 112 gallons of fresh water, and 45 gallons of waste — has led many owners to upgrade to roto-molded replacement tanks negotiated through the owners' group, often adding capacity in the process.
The rig is sturdy but specialized: riggers who understand and can maintain the unstayed wishbone system are rare and worth finding. Older boats fitted with teak handrails carry higher maintenance demands; owners seeking reduced upkeep prefer later hulls on which stainless replaced teak, or have substituted synthetic teak products.
Raising and lowering the full battens is an infrequent but labor-intensive task, and electric winches for the halyard and mainsheet are effectively mandatory on a boat carrying this much sail area. A low-friction sail track system greatly eases the process.
The Owners' Community and Ongoing Support
One of the Nonsuch 36's most durable assets is institutional. The International Nonsuch Association retains a strong majority of current owners as members, despite the factory having closed decades ago. The association's discussion forum is exceptionally helpful and above average in civility, and the Nonsuch.org website hosts digitized owner's manuals, brochures, factory maintenance notices, and sailing guidance. For a boat whose rig demands specialized knowledge, this depth of organized community knowledge is a genuine safety net.
The Verdict
The Nonsuch 36 is a coherent design philosophy executed with unusual consistency: simplicity at sea, genuine performance, and a live-aboard interior in a package two people can handle without drama. It asks prospective owners to commit to learning an unconventional rig, to attend carefully to the mast-deck interface, and to budget for the specialized riggers and systems that a nearly-one-of-a-kind platform requires. Those who make that commitment tend not to let these boats go.
Pros
- Unstayed wishbone rig eliminates shrouds, simplifies tacking, and genuinely enables shorthanded sailing
- Mast flex self-depowers in gusts, enabling flat, fast sailing without constant reef management
- Interior volume and ventilation rival boats four to six feet longer
- Exceptionally well-organized owners' association provides technical support unavailable for most discontinued designs
- Proven coastal and offshore performance across a wide wind range
Cons
- Mast-deck interface is the platform's primary structural risk and requires diligent surveying and maintenance
- Jibing demands practiced technique; errors with 100 feet of mainsheet and 742 square feet of sail are consequential
- Westerbeke engine parts are costly; drop-in replacement engines require modification rather than simple swap
- Specialized rig means competent riggers are scarce
- Cockpit capacity is limited relative to the boat's overall size
- Full-batten sail handling is physically demanding without electric winch assistance
