Trojan Boat Forum

Well,

I looked at a 1978 F-36 yesterday and am thinking of making an offer, maybe, as my wife is kind of upset. she was floored when I told her what I was thinking about doing, she just said, after all of that work, you are just going to sell it and start over!!!!!

Anyways, I found a 1978 F-36 that has been owned by this same guy (he has got to be 80) for the past 15 years or so, I can buy it for less than 15,00, it has Chrysler 440's which he claims have been rebuilt and have less than 100 hours on them but didnt produce any paper work to prove it, however, the engines are very clean and have the paint that looks to have been applied before all of the bolt ons were attached , all the exhaust components looked new, not the rattle can detail job.
The owner lives in a "cays" and the boat is at a dock right out of his back door, so it looks like they have stored everything boat on the boat

the rest of the boat, well, it needs a LOT of cleaning, there is quite a lot of stuff on it.
The interior joinery is much nicer than on my F-32, but there is wall coverings in the forward cabin and dinette that would have to be stripped and replaced, or if there is teak under, that brought back.
The dinette upohlstery would need to be replaced as with the v berth cushions
the salon has a big home sofa / love seat and two big wicker chairs, there would be a dumpster in their very near future should I buy the boat.
The decks are solid, I walked the boat bow to stern side to side and didnt find any soft spots.

The bridge was solid, but the the gel coat needs a really good buffing, the hull shined.

So , you guys with an F-36, can you give some pros and cons on this model?

My take is that for 4 additional feet, it is a lot bigger boat than the 32, it is not tippy when you step aboard, the depth of the cockpit is nice and deep and quite a bit bigger than the 32, the interior layout is a bit strange with a lot of what seems to be wasted space, but that is a first impression. There is not a lot of storage, only one hanging locker and limited drawer space. but, there is a stall shower, a bigger forward cabin that I think I could put in a double berth at an angle and a seat on the other side.


The boat has a generator, auto pilot, radar, gps, fish depth, icemaker, bait tank that I would git rid of, it has a very nice bow pulpit with a big Ideal windlass / gypsy. A dingy davit and cradle on the bow.
and as you can see, full canvas, which is currently dirty, but in surprisingly good shape

Anyways, an engine and boat survey is a given, so, beyond that..

I like them both a lot. The 32 makes better use of the available space IMO.

Scott, my first thought is you should keep the 32. You have done so much work on her and I think it is better to have a tricked out 32 that you know runs well than a so-so 36. I go through this all the time and after I look at what the new boat would need (money wise) I look at where my 32 would be with the same cash injection and the 32 wins every time. Now, that being said, I might be putting my 32 up for sale to make way for a 36 tri-cabin so I think I am a Hypocrite. Good luck

CP & Doug,

thanks for the input, I am really on the fence here, as you pointed out Doug, our F-32 is become a pretty darn nice F-32 for its vintage and I have put very little money in her, but a lot of work.

I am not sure I really want to do that all over again, but I would really like a more substantial boat for the pacific.

gettaway wrote:but I would really like a more substantial boat for the pacific.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1989/Tr ... ted-States

Get the F36. Find some diesels and start the rebuild. We can hardly wait for the pictures...

We love our F36. When I bought it, it was pretty much a heap. The hulls are so solid though, there is nothing else like it you can find anywhere. As for storage, we seem to have plenty. Our 73 does not have a shower, but 2nd locker in the forward berth. We also have bunks in the 2nd starboard side berth (the one you are looking at my have the dinnette). In this berth, we have a 3rd locker. Under the bottom bunk, is more storage. Also, back in the main salon, we have sliding cupboards behind the full length of the couch and on the startboard side, 25% is the electrical pannel and the other 75% is storage. Under the aft deck, there is tons of storage for more stuff. I actually find myself mid-season haulling a few wheelbarrow loads of stuff back up the dock just to bring the weight back down. Its crazy how much stuff you can pack on board.

We have twin GM 454s at 330 hp each. Plenty of power and you can run her up to about 32 mph at WOT and cruises nice around 20mph and can take some pretty decent rollers. That said, we are on the Mississippi and spend about 90% of our cruise hours at 9-10 mph and burn fuel at about 5 gph.

The only think I don't like about the old gal is it is not diesel powered.

[quote="LandVF36"]Get the F36. Find some diesels and start the rebuild. We can hardly wait for the pictures...


LOL,not sure if you are taking a shot at me!

Thanks for the input, I guess by storage a mean, dishware, food and clothing, I know there is a lot of storage on the 32, but its behind chairs and sofas, under the v berth and dinette seats

Sounds like you have the itch. Your wife is right about selling and starting over. Thing is, there is nothing wrong with that, but its a man thing. I am on boat #9. At boat #4 my wife figured it out. I like bringing them back to pristine, than move on every 3-5 years.

Go for it ,Its more boat , Storage should be about the same as the F32 , that shower stall is a big plus . 440s are good engines . And cummins B will fit

Negative ? 36 vs the 32 ? only at the fuel dock

Let me know if you have questions

Buy her right and do a repower.

Take safety and reliability to 99.999999999%

You'll get the difference back on resale

The fuel economy is an added bonus

It will be the last boat you will ever own.

RWS

I would go for it just for the sea handling capabilities and extra room. Check very closely where anything has been mounted on the bow for signs of softness. Not just by walking but with a rubber hammer. I am repairing some issues now because of improper mounting. Mainly the anchor chock area on mine. Wasn't sealed properly, now soft deck. Also check rudder ports for leakage and all thru hulls. I am glad I got the F36 instead of the F32 because of the size of my family. It also takes rough water very well.

Undoubtably, the sea keeping abilities of the F36 over the F32 are significant. Particularly in a following sea. If you can get a hold of moisture meter, that will tell the story on core damage. There are many cautions when using this tool so you should have a pro (surveyor) perform the readings and anayilize the results. There WILL be moisture somewhere. At stanchion bases, deck fittings, etc. Just to what extent is the question.

thanks for the input guys much appreciated, We'll see where this goes

And if you get one with a aft cabin, I bet she who must be Obed wouldn't second guess you.....

alexander38 wrote:And if you get one with a aft cabin, I bet she who must be Obed wouldn't second guess you.....

Tony you know its a long haul to get that 1982 F36 Tri-cabin to San Diego! At least the hull is waxed and the bottom paint is fresh! OH, its full of gas to! But they won't transport it overland full of gas! It's considered a hazmat load full of gas.