PDQ 36 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The PDQ 36 is a catamaran with symmetrical hulls and a beam of 18 feet 3 inches against a waterline length of 34 feet 4 inches, yielding a beam-to-length ratio just over 0.5. At 8,000 pounds displacement with a D/L ratio near 90, it is a light, beamy cruiser. The U-shaped hulls carry stub keels and the overall draft is a shoal 2 feet 10 inches, an attribute that gives it a major shallow-water advantage over deeper multihulls. The keels themselves are NACA foils applied as secondary bondings, and they are built to bear the boat's weight when hauled or careened without compromising hull watertightness.

Structurally, the hulls are solid fiberglass below the waterline and cored with Klegacell or Corecell foam above, while the decks are foam cored except where high-load fittings land on solid glass. Vacuum bagging ensures uniform resin flow, and the laminate uses triaxial knitted fabric with epoxy or vinylester resin exclusively. Hull and deck meet on an outward flange with 3M 5200 and stainless fasteners. The nonskid is excellent, and the work throughout reflects a practical, well-executed glass shop.

Rig and Handling

Most PDQ 36s on the used market are masthead sloops carrying 490 square feet of sail, though a sporty fractional rig was offered and drew few if any buyers. The deck-stepped Isomat spar is paired with a full-batten main, roller-furling genoa, and cruising chute, and bluewater-set boats often add a storm jib. Sail controls lead aft to the cockpit, including single-line reefing, with the mainsheet traveler spanning the cockpit on an aft bridgedeck and primary winches within reach on the cabintrunk. Halyards typically run aft to the forward cockpit end, and most boats show Spinlock rope clutches, Harken roller furling, and Lewmar winches.

Under way the boat sails great off the wind and adequately upwind, and it does not heel. It will run 25 to 50 percent faster than cruising monohulls off the wind and is an all-around 7- to 8-knot boat. Long, low-aspect fins set well forward assist windward work, while the small foil-shaped rudders are mounted on skegs in long-range cruiser models. The cockpit is deep and secure, and the wheel is bulkhead-mounted to starboard; older boats used a push-pull steering linkage while newer ones adopted the better pull-pull system.

Accommodations

The interior is arranged with two double sleeping cabins forward, side by side on the bridgedeck, each with queen berths, overhead hatches, and large hanging lockers. The saloon has a large table, wraparound settees, and unobstructed visibility, with the highest cabintrunk layer giving dinette headroom. The starboard hull holds a full chart table amidships and a molded head with separate aft shower; a settee forward of the head is not convertible to a berth. The port hull contains the galley with two-burner stove, oven, double sinks, and ample counter, plus an optional aft cabin that owners have finished as a double with over-and-under bunks, workshop, office, or dive space.

The cockpit is huge but the seat level sits low, leaving a clear sightline directly aft only. Forward, two trampolines and a partial bridgedeck provide supported lounging and optimum sunning space. Side decks are narrow to the point that crew step atop the trunk going forward. The interior finish is practical and workmanlike, prioritizing access to systems over elegant joinerwork, and the layout serves two couples comfortably.

Known Issues

The companionway door is smoked acrylic and has proven difficult to secure in a blow. Beyond that single documented quirk, the known-issue record is thin; the construction and systems are otherwise described as solid and serviceable.

Refits and Ownership

The Mark II LRC (Long Range Cruiser) swapped outboards for inboard 18- or 27-horsepower diesel saildrives and added tankage, beefier standing rigging, and mast safety bars. The Mark III, introduced in 1998, offered a popular hard-top bimini, and later examples moved the mainsheet traveler to its top. Classic models use 9.9-horsepower four-stroke Yamaha or Honda outboards in lockers below the cockpit seats, tiltable to remove drag; LRC diesels are typically 18-horsepower Yanmars or 27-horsepower Volvos with the latter's 55-amp alternator. Port engine access is via the aft cabin, starboard via a cockpit hatch. The boat holds its value on the used market.

The Verdict

The PDQ 36 is a thoughtfully engineered coastal and offshore cruising cat that trades charter-style cabin count for liveaboard sensibility and seakeeping. Its light displacement, shoal draft, and windward fins make it a versatile platform, while the practical laminate and systems access speak to a builder focused on the cruising owner rather than the bareboat fleet.

Pros

Shallow 2-foot-10-inch draft with NACA-foil stub keels for windward work
Solid glass below waterline, vacuum-bagged foam-core construction above
Offwind speed 25–50% better than monohulls, 7–8 knot all-around pace
Practical, accessible interior with two forward doubles and flexible aft port cabin

Cons