The boat measures just over 36 feet, with a waterline length of 30.18 feet and a beam of nearly 11 feet. It displaces 14,330 pounds and carries 6,173 pounds of lead ballast. That 43 percent ballast ratio, combined with a length-to-beam ratio of 3.28, marks it as a moderately proportioned coastal and offshore hull rather than a beamy condo-cruiser.
Design and Construction
Both the hull and deck are solid fiberglass. The lead ballast is housed in a fin keel, and the boat has a skeg-hung rudder.
With its 14,330-pound displacement and 43 percent ballast ratio, the South Coast 36 sits firmly in the moderate-displacement cruiser class. Its displacement-length ratio of 233 categorizes it as a moderate racer, rather than a heavy voyager or ultralight planing hull.
Wetted surface is about 355 square feet. An immersion rate of 1,156 pounds per inch means the boat settles meaningfully as weight comes aboard, a factor reflected in the published draft range of 4.66 to 4.96 feet depending on burden. A capsize screening value of 1.81 and motion comfort ratio of 28.3 describe predictable stability characteristics for a boat of this length.
Rig and Handling
The South Coast 36 carries a cutter rig with 678 square feet of sail area. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 18.39—enough canvas to keep the boat moving in modest breeze without requiring a large crew. The cutter configuration also suits a short-handed watch schedule and provides the option of depowering with a staysail in stronger air.
The standing and running rigging specifications call for 36.1-foot jib and genoa sheets at 0.55-inch diameter, a 90.2-foot mainsheet of the same diameter, and 79.4-foot spinnaker sheets.
Calculated maximum speed is about 6.9 knots, compared with a theoretical displacement-hull speed of 7.4 knots. It should not embarrass itself while reaching in a fresh breeze, but it remains a displacement hull at heart.
Auxiliary Power and Ownership
The named auxiliary is a single 41-horsepower Perkins 4108 diesel, consistent with the builder’s specification.
No interior-layout details are included in the available specification.
Verdict
The South Coast 36 is a coherent early-1990s design from Waalkens and Bofeidt: a solid-fiberglass cutter with a moderate-racer displacement profile, a sensible ballast ratio, and documented rig and sheet specifications. Those qualities make it approachable for a cruising couple or small family.
It’s neither a lightweight racer nor a heavy-displacement voyager. Instead, the numbers describe a balanced hull suited to coastal cruising and passage-making.
Pros
- Solid-fiberglass hull and deck
- Lead-ballasted fin keel and skeg-hung rudder
- Cutter rig with a 678-square-foot sail plan
- Documented sheet dimensions simplify rigging replacement
- Moderate-racer displacement-length ratio of 233
- 43 percent ballast ratio supports stable handling
Cons
- An immersion rate of 1,156 pounds per inch means loaded draft increases from 4.66 to 4.96 feet
- No interior-layout details in the available specification
