Nonsuch 36 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a Nonsuch 36 on the brokerage market means taking on one of roughly 70 cat-rigged cruisers built from 1983 to 1990, with the first two completed as Nighthawks by Express Yachts before Hinterhoeller Yachts finished the rest in Canada. These are boats designed for long-range coastal cruising and live-aboard use, and the used fleet reflects that heritage in both layout and equipment.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common configuration seen in private resale, though two-cabin versions are also available, and ex-charter boats turn up frequently. Either way the interior is dominated by a huge saloon reached by a companionway ladder that drops almost to the cabin sole, with a large engine room beneath the cockpit, a U-shaped aft galley, a head with separate shower, and a forward stateroom. The cockpit itself is small—fine for four, tight for six—so buyers should judge social space below rather than on deck.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power and energy systems on these boats commonly include electric winches and often a heater and hot water, with air conditioning and solar appearing as less frequent owner additions. Navigation typically pairs a chartplotter and radar as standard brokerage fit, while autopilot and AIS are often seen and an EPIRB is a rarer upgrade. For canvas and sail handling, a dodger is often present and a bimini less commonly so; the defining original gear remains the unstayed wishbone rig with its 100-foot mainsheet to a cockpit winch, a system whose specialist riggers are rare and valuable if service is ever needed.
What to Inspect
The rig is very sturdy, but unusual enough that riggers who understand and can maintain it are rare and valuable, so a buyer should confirm local expertise. The deck and hull are built of fiberglass over balsa core with localized stiffening in the deck as required, and the keel is an external lead casting, making a careful core survey worthwhile on any example. The unstayed keel-stepped mast drops through a large deck hole with an aluminum collar and mast boot, a point where water intrusion around the mast warrants close inspection.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. For a shopper, the practical checklist is short: confirm the rig can be serviced locally, inspect the balsa core and mast-deck junction, and choose layout by live-aboard needs rather than cockpit size.
- Verify a rigger familiar with unstayed wishbone cat rigs is available
- Survey deck and hull balsa core
- Check mast boot and aluminum collar at the deck penetration
- Prefer later hulls with stainless handrails for lower maintenance
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nonsuch 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25 | 2 | $95,500 | — |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $79,900 | -16.3% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $61,500 | -23.0% |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $105,000 | +70.7% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $105,000 | 0.0% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $69,500 | -33.8% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $69,500 | 0.0% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $88,998 | +28.1% |
Where they're listed
Nonsuch 36 listings appear across 3 countries. United States has the most listings with 5 (55.6%), followed by Mexico and Canada.
Country view
9 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $105,000 | 5 | 0 | 55.6% |
| Mexico | $69,500 | 3 | 0 | 33.3% |
| Canada | $88,998 | 1 | 1 | 11.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina Yachts 36 | 36.33' | $ 35,900 | 182 | 35 |
| Dufour Classic 36 | 36.33' | $ 78,819 | 77 | 14 |
| Cape Dory 36 | 36.12' | $ 54,900 | 35 | 11 |
| Rustler Yachts 36 | 35.33' | $ 101,910 | 30 | 8 |
| Sabre 36 | 36' | $ 45,200 | 20 | 6 |
| Creswell Marine 36 | 36' | $ 39,405 | 19 | 1 |
| Nonsuch Nonsuch 30 Classic | 30.33' | $ 33,000 | 16 | 7 |
| Nicholson 36 | 36.25' | $ 29,000 | 16 | 1 |
| Nonsuch 36You are here | — | $ 69,500 | 9 | 1 |
| Nonsuch 33 | 33.42' | $ 62,628 | 9 | 4 |