Tayana 37 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Hull and Deck Design

Perry conceived the hull to cash in on the double-ended revival sparked by boats like the Westsail 32 — but without the Westsail's inability to go to windward. He cut away the forefoot of the long keel and fitted a Constellation-type semi-balanced rudder rather than a barn-door hanging rudder, keeping the lateral plane efficient while retaining the tracking of a full-keel boat. The stern borrows its lines from the Aage Nielsen–designed Holger Danske, winner of the 1980 Bermuda Race, giving the Tayana one of the more handsome Baltic sterns on any production sailboat.

The hull is solid hand-laid GRP throughout, and the weight of that layup contributes to a displacement of 22,500 lbs on a 36-foot-eight hull — pushing the D/L ratio well into heavy-cruiser territory. The capsize screening figure sits comfortably at 1.63, well below the 2.0 threshold considered acceptable for offshore passages. Ted Brewer's comfort ratio lands at 41, placing the Tayana squarely among heavy bluewater boats with a predictable, easy motion in heavy seas. The deck was traditionally built with teak overlay over a balsa or plywood core, a maintenance point every prospective owner should examine carefully.

Rig and Handling Under Sail

The standard cutter is the rig to choose. Perry drew an unusually high-aspect plan for a cruising boat, and the working sail area of 861 square feet is generous for the displacement. The ketch option exists, but Perry himself saw no reason to select it: both performance and balance with the cutter are better, and any couple healthy enough to go ocean cruising can manage the 342-square-foot mainsail.

Wooden spars supplied as standard equipment are a known weakness. One reviewed mast had a large knot at spreader level and a boom section so slight it bends under mid-boom sheeting loads — the clew outhaul slide "frequently distorts or explodes" under load. The fix is clear: aluminum rig components from France, New Zealand, or the US are well proportioned and suited to the task, and Perry strongly recommended them from the outset.

With a ballast-to-displacement ratio of roughly 36 percent, the Tayana is not a stiff boat. The tall, heavy rig and substantial joinery above the waterline raise the vertical center of gravity and reduce initial stability, producing a gentle, rolling motion that Perry regards as an asset at sea. Owners do report significant weather helm, traceable in part to the builder's decision to step the mast roughly a foot further aft than Perry's drawings specified. Tightening the headstay and forestay while easing the backstay — in effect raking the mast more toward vertical — addresses much of the problem, as does shortening the foot of the main by sixteen to eighteen inches, which owners report cures the weather helm without measurable loss of speed.

In light air the boat struggles. The SA/D ratio of around 17 is on the low side of moderate, and most owners depend on a large genoa or cruising chute to keep the boat moving when winds drop below ten knots. Find its breeze and the picture changes: with an aluminum rig, quality sails, and a properly tensioned headstay, the Tayana is surprisingly fast.

On Deck and in the Cockpit

High bulwarks, double lifelines, and sturdy bow and stern pulpits give crew a protected walkway forward in rough weather. A teak grating platform atop the bowsprit houses double anchor rollers, rescuing that appendage from its widowmaker reputation, though the lead from roller to anchor bits remains awkward — chafe on the bobstay is a classic problem of the bowsprit boat, typically solved with a bridle led to the hawseholes.

The staysail boom, a feature of most cutters in this era, complicates moving between sides of the foredeck and can bind on its traveler during tacks. Standard travelers were a simple stainless rod; boats fitted with optional Nicro Fico roller-bearing cars are worth seeking out. The cockpit is deliberately small — fitting for a deep-ocean boat — with scuppers at all four corners and seacocks on the through-hulls. Pedestal steering reduces the usable space further. The seats are long enough for sleeping on deck, though the absent stern coaming leaves the helmsperson exposed to following seas.

Accommodations

Every Tayana 37 was custom-built, so no two interiors are identical. The interior joinery on well-built examples is among the finest from any Taiwanese yard of the era: joints nearly flawless, paneled doors beautifully joined, drawers dovetailed from solid teak stock, no filler hiding poor fits. The all-teak environment reads as either oppressively dark or exquisitely ship-like depending on personal taste, and it demands regular oiling or varnishing to stay presentable.

The standard arrangement works forward-to-aft: V-berth, head and lockers, main cabin with U-shaped port settee and pilot berth to starboard, then a U-shaped galley near the companionway for safe cooking at sea, navigation station, and quarter berth. Tankage is generous — 100 gallons of water and 90 gallons of fuel — though the original black iron fuel tank located under the V-berth forward is a well-documented problem: full, it loads nearly 650 lbs into the bow, creating noticeable trim issues. The builder eventually offered optional amidships tankage, which is correct from an engineering standpoint and worth verifying on any candidate boat.

Known Issues and Owner Concerns

Several recurring problems are part of the Tayana ownership conversation. The forward black iron fuel tank is notorious for rusting from the outside in; if it has not been replaced with stainless or polyethylene, budget for the job — and note that in many layouts the tank was installed before the deck was joined to the hull, meaning cabinetry or cabin sole must be removed to extract it.

Teak decks fastened with screws are a second major concern: those fasteners can allow water into the core, and replacing a failed teak deck is a substantial financial undertaking. Chainplates deserve close inspection at deck level, where crevice corrosion is a known hazard. Wooden spars on earlier boats require constant varnish maintenance and inspection for rot. The standard Lam Sails supplied with early boats were stretchy with very poor shape control, causing the draft to migrate aft as wind builds and compounding weather helm — a good aftermarket suit of sails is effectively a required upgrade on any boat that still carries the originals.

The staysail boom traveler configuration is a separate nuisance: the standard rod-and-shackle arrangement binds under load, sometimes requiring a crew member to go forward and kick the block over after every tack. Oil dipstick access through the engine box is another ergonomic oversight that encourages neglect of a vital maintenance task.

Refits and Upgrades

The owners association has been an effective force in documenting fixes over the life of the boat, and the long production run means parts of the evolving specification — aluminum spars, amidships tankage, roller-bearing travelers, self-tailing winches — can often be found on boats that received progressive upgrades. Perry and successive owners converge on the same priority list: aluminum rig first, fuel tank relocation or replacement second, and a quality set of sails third. Addressing the weather helm through mast rake adjustment is low-cost and high-reward. Upgraded anchor-rode leads from the bowsprit and a proper windlass mount to port or starboard of the sprit improve daily anchoring considerably. Boats equipped with optional Nicro Fico traveler systems throughout are worth a meaningful premium over otherwise comparable examples.

The Verdict

The Tayana 37 is a purpose-built ocean passage-maker with a coherent philosophy: prioritize seakeeping, range, and interior comfort over light-air racing performance. Its comfort ratio of 41, capsize screening of 1.63, and superb directional stability make it a genuinely capable offshore boat. The teak joinery, when well maintained, is among the best found in production cruising boats of its era. What it asks in return is an owner willing to be diligent — about the tanks, the deck core, the rig, and the sails — and patient with a boat that needs a breeze to show its best qualities.

Pros