Seaforth 36 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Seaforth 36 means looking at a 36-foot ketch built by Trident Marine from 1980, designed by C. S. J. Roy with solid fiberglass hull and bilge keels drawing under four feet loaded. She is a shoal-draft cruiser, not a performance boat, and the right example rewards a buyer who values harbour access over sprint speed.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts appear more often than other arrangements among used Seaforth 36s, though both owner and charter plans turn up and ex-charter hulls are common. The bilge-keel hull and 11.16-foot beam give a broad, stable platform, and the shoal keels leave cabin floor space open; each boat still needs walking through to confirm cabin count, galley position, and head placement before purchase.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used Seaforth 36s commonly carry radar, autopilot, chartplotter, and a life raft, giving instrument-led navigation and short-handed passage making without immediate further spend, though the age of any fitted electronics should be confirmed at viewing. Canvas, sail-handling, or comfort additions vary by hull and should be assessed individually rather than expected as standard kit.
What to Inspect
The iron ballast housed in the bilge keels is the one material caveat: lift floor panels and check keel bolts and internal faces for rust bloom or a damp bilge that has stood anchor. A dry, paint-intact bilge is the target; active corrosion is a hull-specific repair, not a class fault, so a careful look here protects against a costly surprise.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Seaforth 36 is typically found on the United Kingdom market. For a buyer:
- Walk both owner and ex-charter layouts before choosing
- Confirm age and function of radar, autopilot, chartplotter, life raft
- Lift floor panels and inspect bilge-keel iron ballast for rust
- Keep a dry bilge and treat any keel-bolt corrosion promptly
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Seaforth 36. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 1 | $17,168 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowman 36 | 36' | $ 37,776 | 15 | 2 |
| Cape George 36 | 36' | $ 112,250 | 12 | 5 |