Prout Snowgoose 37 Elite Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Elite shares the Snowgoose 37's reputation for rugged construction and seakindliness, built more traditionally with bulkheads and furniture facings securely tabbed to the hull. Early hulls carried molded stub keels and were solid fiberglass, while newer models are solid below the waterline and cored from the waterline up; the deck on older boats is balsa cored, with some newer boats cored in other materials. The solid bridgedeck forward is not a trampoline but a rigid structure that allows two large forward lockers and lends the boat stiffness. The Elite's hull shape differs slightly from the standard 37, and its rudders are smaller and tucked below the waterline, replacing the original's two transom-hung outboard rudders. Double-ended hulls with canoe sterns dissipate wave energy from astern, though they omit stern scoops and easy swim-step access. With flat keels and a narrow beam the boat is easy to haul, beach, or dry out between tides, and small skegs protect the rudder when she takes the ground.

Rig and Handling

The Elite carries the same relatively low-aspect cutter rig as the standard boat: a deck-stepped anodized aluminum single-spreader mast with under-50-foot air draft and a working sail area of 570 square feet. Most are cutter rigged with both genoa and staysail roller furled, and the fully battened main generally carries a decent roach. All sail controls lead to the cockpit, where a clever stainless fairlead and vertically mounted winch ease hoisting, and the aft mainsheet traveler leaves a useful aft deck behind it. With the mast set well aft and three smaller sails handled from the cockpit, the boat is well set up for short-handed or single-handed passage making; owners report she balances easily and tracks well under autopilot. The flexible cutter rig means the big genoa sucks her along in light air, and the staysail helps on a close reach, though beating upwind in chop is no pleasure. Typical passages run 6 to 7 knots, with 150 miles per day achievable across an ocean.

Accommodations

Both the Snowgoose 37 and the Elite came with two interior plans. The family layout places a full queen berth forward, open to the saloon with its wraparound settees and large table, plus two spacious double cabins aft. Forward in the starboard hull sits a changing station, locker storage, a full-length bookshelf, and two hanging lockers for the queen cabin; the galley occupies the center of that hull with a unique three-sink basin and three-burner stove and oven, while the refrigerator and freezer sit under the aft bunk. Each aft cabin holds a double berth, hanging locker, seat, vanity, and deep shelves. The port hull houses a roomy navigation station with a fold-down seat and chart drawer, and the single head lies all the way forward, quite large for the boat. The open plan continues the saloon settees forward, eliminating the third cabin. Teak and quality joinerwork lend an elegance rare on a cat, though saloon headroom is around 5 feet 8 inches. The cockpit is comfortable but small beside modern cruisers, with a bulkhead-mounted wheel to starboard and a thick bi-fold Plexiglas companionway door that closes quickly in ugly weather.

Known Issues

The covered foredeck and low bridgedeck — lower than modern cats such as the Nautitech 40 Open, with a center nacelle like a Privilege — produce some slamming in rougher weather. Period reviews note that heavy-weather bridge slam peaks on a close reach, with owners also reporting considerable water action below the bridgedeck. The narrow side decks demand care forward, though a stout stainless grabrail at the right height and tall, well-supported double lifelines with a bow lifeline mitigate the exposure.

Refits and Ownership

Most Snowgoose 37s, including the Elite, were manufactured with a single engine — commonly a Volvo MD or three-cylinder Yanmar diesel of 30 to 40 horsepower — centered on the bridgedeck with excellent access through cockpit and aft-deck hatches. The defining feature is the steerable, retractable Sonic Drive by Sillette stern drive, which turns with the wheel for maneuvering and lets the boat be beached; a 35-gallon fuel tank sits under the cockpit. Some later Elite models were fitted with twin engines, and a few owners have retrofitted them, though the single-engine concept remains popular for its simplicity and central weight.

The Verdict

The Snowgoose 37 Elite is a solid, capable world cruiser with a proven track record, descended from one of the most successful production catamarans and refined for a bit more room below. She is not a performance cat, but she sails well for her length, is easy to handle short-handed, and shrugs off ocean miles with consistent 6 to 7 knot passages. The trade-offs are a low bridgedeck prone to slamming, modest headroom, and small cockpit and side decks by today's standards.

Pros