Prout Snowgoose 37 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Two interior arrangements came from the factory, and both turn up regularly. The more common configuration places a full queen berth forward in the bridgedeck nacelle, open to the saloon, with two double aft cabins — one per hull — giving a practical three-cabin layout suited to couples or small families cruising long distances. The alternative open plan eliminates the forward cabin and extends the horseshoe settee all the way forward, creating a generous social saloon that converts to a berth. Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available.

Beyond layout, buyers should understand the split between the standard Snowgoose 37 and the later Elite. The Elite, which entered production in the mid-1980s, is approximately a foot wider across the beam and gains a touch more interior volume as a result, though it also carries slightly more displacement and a couple of inches of additional draft. The rudder configuration differs as well: the standard model uses transom-hung outboard rudders, while the Elite moves to smaller below-waterline rudders. Both variants appear on the brokerage market, and the choice between them comes down to whether the modest extra beam and interior space of the Elite is worth the marginal weight and draft increase.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The typical Snowgoose 37 arriving on the market has already been prepared for serious offshore sailing by a previous owner, often several previous owners, and this works both for and against the buyer. On the positive side, solar panels are commonly fitted, as is an autopilot and dinghy davits — almost a baseline expectation on any offshore-capable example. A chartplotter, wind generator, bimini, hot water system, and asymmetric spinnaker or cruising chute are often present as well, and lithium battery banks have become an increasingly common upgrade as owners have sought to modernise the electrical system.

Watermakers, inverters, radar, AIS transponders, and life rafts appear on a meaningful portion of the fleet as owner upgrades, reflecting the bluewater intentions of the typical Snowgoose buyer. Heating systems appear occasionally, particularly on boats that have spent time in northern European waters.

The caveat here is that the quality and condition of all this added equipment varies enormously. A boat fitted with every conceivable offshore system by a meticulous, budget-conscious owner is a different proposition from one that has been layered with gear over decades without disciplined maintenance. The discount offered by a boat with a more modest inventory can actually represent a cleaner starting point.

What to Inspect

The Snowgoose 37's construction is robust by design, but age and accumulated miles demand careful attention in several areas.

The Sonic Drive stern drive unit is the single most important mechanical item to evaluate. This retractable, steerable unit is efficient and clever, but it is not inexpensive to repair and requires a mechanic who genuinely understands it. Have it inspected thoroughly and budget for the possibility of work. The majority of boats carry a single engine, so there is no redundancy — the drive's condition is critical.

Wiring deserves close scrutiny. The factory electrical installation was not the boat's strongest point, and decades of owner-added electronics — chartplotters, watermakers, inverters, battery systems — have often produced layered, idiosyncratic wiring that can be difficult to trace and potentially problematic. A qualified marine electrician should assess the panel and any owner modifications.

Standing and running rigging and the condition of the steering systems are particular items to check. On a boat that has crossed oceans, rigging fatigue is a real concern. Inspect chainplates, shroud terminals, and forestay attachment points carefully.

The deck coring on older hulls is balsa, and any signs of soft spots, particularly around hardware penetrations and the mast step, should be probed systematically. Some newer boats used alternative coring materials, so it is worth establishing which construction era a given hull represents. Solid fiberglass below the waterline is a structural strength; the balsa-cored topsides warrant the usual delamination checks.

Bridgedeck clearance is lower than modern cats, and boats that have been sailed hard offshore will have experienced significant wave impact on the bridgedeck. Check the underside of the bridgedeck and the hull-to-bridgedeck joins for any stress cracking or water ingress.

Finally, pin down whether a given example is the standard Snowgoose or the Elite, as the hull geometry, rudder placement, and dimensions differ meaningfully. Documentation and hull numbers can be difficult to trace precisely, so a surveyor familiar with the model is worth the investment.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Snowgoose 37 fleet is widely distributed, with examples appearing regularly in the United States — particularly on the East Coast and in Florida — the United Kingdom, the Mediterranean including Spain and Greece, and the Caribbean. The model's popularity as an offshore cruiser means hulls have dispersed across cruising grounds globally, and patient buyers are rarely waiting long for the right example to surface.

The boat rewards buyers who understand what they are getting: a narrower, slower, more purposeful cat than the modern charter-style alternatives, with a depth of offshore credibility that those alternatives cannot match. It is not a comfortable marina cat for weekend entertaining. It is a serious bluewater cruiser that has carried owners across every ocean on the planet, and the used-market fleet reflects that heritage in its gear fit and its accumulated miles.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Commission a survey from a surveyor with specific multihull and ideally Prout experience
• Identify whether the hull is a standard Snowgoose or an Elite before comparing examples
• Have the Sonic Drive stern drive inspected by a mechanic who knows the unit specifically
• Audit the entire electrical system, including all owner additions, with a marine electrician
• Check standing and running rigging, chainplates, and steering components for wear and fatigue
• Probe all deck areas — particularly around hardware, the mast step, and the bridgedeck join — for soft spots or delamination
• Inspect the underside of the bridgedeck for impact damage or stress cracking
• Assess all owner-installed equipment critically; a cleaner, simpler boat may be preferable to one over-fitted with aging gear
• Test the engine under load and confirm fuel system and cooling system condition