Westerly Corsair 36 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The Corsair 36 is a centre-cockpit boat with eight berths and two heads, but the aft cabin evolved sharply during the short production run. Early hulls used lengthways berths with a square cut-out and starboard-only hanging locker, and hull three even squeezed a toilet and basin into the lockers to jeers from owners. The bulkhead was later relocated about six inches aft somewhere between hulls six and twelve, and the 1986 Corsair II brought a U-shaped saloon berth to port, a curved navigator's seat, and a reworked aft berth. A buyer should treat any pre-bulkhead-move hull as a compromise layout unless refitted, and favour a Corsair II for the matured accommodation.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

On the used market, Corsairs commonly carry electric winches, autopilot, chartplotter, watermaker, solar, inverter, wind generator, freezer, radar, and short-handed setups, so a well-equipped example arrives ready for extended cruising without heavy owner investment. Often-seen additions include heating, asymmetric spinnaker, furling main, and bow thruster, which together signal a boat set up for cold-weather or single-handed use. The standard Volvo Penta MD2003 of 28 horsepower appears on most hulls, with a few turbo versions at 42 hp and some Bukh 356 installations praised for reliability; later Volvo 2030 repowers to 29 hp exist as saildrive options. A buyer should verify the engine variant, since the standard 28 hp is widely noted as light for strong-headwind motoring.

What to Inspect

The early aft-cabin layout is the first inspection flag: confirm whether the half bulkhead was moved aft and whether the original single-head configuration was corrected. One owner's forward-head hatch cracked after a heavy wave broke over the deck, so examine that hatch and its seal for stress. The same owner logged engine problems in the Isles of Scilly, warranting a full drivetrain survey on the Volvo or Bukh installation. Period assessments note the standard engine cannot exceed four knots into a strong headwind under power, a handling limitation to weigh if you motor in foul tideways.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

Corsair 36s typically appear in New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. For the buyer, the checklist is short: confirm Corsair II status or post-hull-12 bulkhead revision; test the forward-head hatch and engine under load; verify the Volvo 2003, turbo, or Bukh 356 variant; and expect commonly fitted offshore gear so you pay for cruising readiness rather than upgrades.