Nonsuch 36 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The interior arrangement is largely consistent across the fleet, reflecting Ellis's intention to build a long-range coastal cruiser with liveaboard capacity. The standard layout runs aft-to-forward with a quarter berth to starboard, a port-side navigation station, a head with a separate shower compartment, a U-shaped galley, a saloon with U-shaped seating to port and a long settee to starboard, and a forward double stateroom. Variation in the used fleet is modest. The more commonly encountered boats carry this three-zone arrangement; alternatives are available but less frequently seen. What does vary boat to boat is the state of the teak: earlier hulls used teak for handrails, and some owners have replaced it with Plasteak or similar composite products to reduce maintenance. Later-production boats came with stainless steel handrails from the factory. Both configurations appear on the used market, and buyers with an eye toward low-maintenance ownership will want to know which they are getting.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

By the time a Nonsuch 36 reaches the brokerage market, it has usually accumulated a meaningful electronics and comfort suite. Electric winches are commonly fitted — the 742-square-foot single sail makes them close to essential for comfortable solo or shorthanded sailing, and most current owners have either retained factory electric Harken winches or fitted modern equivalents. Radar and a chartplotter are standard finds on nearly all boats you will inspect.

Comfort systems follow close behind. Heating and hot water systems are widely present across the fleet, as is a dodger, which is a practical near-necessity given the relatively compact cockpit. AIS and autopilot are common enough that their absence should prompt a question about why they were removed rather than surprise at finding them.

Among owner upgrades, solar panels, inverters, biminis, and EPIRBs appear regularly but are not universal. Air conditioning installations turn up on boats that have spent time in warmer climates. The factory tankage — substantial from the outset at 112 gallons of water and 45 gallons of waste — has been a common upgrade target; the International Nonsuch Association has arranged group rates on replacement roto-molded tanks, and a significant proportion of the fleet now carries these. Watermakers appear on a meaningful share of boats, particularly those with a bluewater or extended-coastal history.

The sail itself deserves attention. Full-batten mains with more slippery bronze slides, or Tides Marine low-friction track systems retrofitted in place of the original sail track, are a frequent owner upgrade and worth confirming during inspection.

What to Inspect

The Nonsuch 36's most distinctive structural feature — its unstayed, keel-stepped mast set in the bow — is also its most consequential inspection point. The mast passes through a large deck aperture surrounded by an aluminum collar, wedged with chocks and sealed by a mast boot. Below, it lands on a heavily reinforced aluminum base attached to the keel. Water intrusion around the mast collar and signs of stress or cracking at the mast base are the highest-priority items a surveyor should examine. Factory notices address mast attachment and reinforcement specifically, and the owners' association has digitized these — worth reading before your survey.

Drilling holes in the mast for wire runs can initiate cracking and is a known risk factor on any hull where previous owners have made wiring modifications through the spar. Inspect the mast carefully for any drilled penetrations and the condition of any existing holes.

The deck is fiberglass over balsa core with stainless steel cap rails and vinyl inserts. The chocks incorporated in the deck bulwarks running all the way around are bolted through this assembly, and this junction is a documented source of deck leaks on some boats. Probe the deck in way of the chock bolts and along the cap rail for any softness that would indicate balsa saturation.

The original engines were 52-horsepower Westerbeke diesels. These units are mechanically capable but OEM replacement parts carry a significant price premium, and a reported drop-in replacement from Westerbeke proved to require substantial adaptation rather than a true swap. Know the service history and confirm the engine hours; a repower is not a disqualifying condition but changes the value calculation. Many boats in the fleet have already been repowered, which can be a positive outcome if it was done cleanly.

The wishbone rig, while simple in concept, is unfamiliar to most riggers. Locating a rigger who understands and can service the unstayed mast system is a real operational consideration. Ask sellers about their relationship with a qualified rigger and, if possible, get that contact for your own reference.

Water and waste tanks that have not been replaced are aging plastic or original material and should be pressure-tested or at minimum carefully inspected. Again, the owners' association replacement tank program is the established solution.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

Nonsuch 36s trade most actively in the United States, with a secondary presence in Canada and Mexico. The Great Lakes region, the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the California coastline all have established pockets of ownership, and the fleet is not difficult to locate through association channels. Europe is a thinner market for this model.

Because production ended decades ago and the total fleet is small, patience is part of the search. Boats do not turn over frequently — owners tend to hold on — but the active owners' association makes it feasible to hear about a sale before it reaches the open brokerage market.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Commission a survey from someone familiar with catboats and unstayed rigs, or brief a competent marine surveyor on the Nonsuch-specific factory notices
• Inspect the mast collar, mast boot, and base casting for water intrusion and fatigue cracking
• Probe the deck at all chock bolt locations and along the cap rail for balsa core softness
• Examine the mast for any drilled holes and assess the condition of those penetrations
• Review full engine service records; confirm whether the original Westerbeke or a replacement is fitted
• Test all electric winches and confirm the halyard and mainsheet winch circuits
• Confirm water and waste tank material and condition; ask whether the association replacement tanks have been installed
• Verify AIS, autopilot, and EPIRB are present and current (EPIRB registration and hydrostatic release date)
• Ask for any correspondence with the International Nonsuch Association and access to the factory documentation archive
• Identify a rigger willing to service the unstayed wishbone system before, not after, purchase