The history of the HC 36 / Union 36 could make a script for a daytime soap opera. It was first born as the Hans Christian 34, designed by Robert Perry after which HC stretched it and relabeled it as the HC36. Through levels of deceit, drama and betrayal, it was later sold as the Union 36, and Polaris 36 among others, and was made by a few different shipyards in Taiwan and perhaps elsewhere too. Regardless it remains an affordable and fairly globally available Family cruiser for serious offshore passages. Bronze oval port lights, and abundance of teak craftmanship and a traditional Robert Perry design make for a comfortable, cozy and livable yacht with plenty of space. Teak decking will have shown significant signs of ageing and is somewhat likely to have developed leaks over time. As a sailer, she reportedly sails well in bad weather and hard wind but is slow to get started in light air. with a weight of 22,000 Lbs., that’s to be expected even with the somewhat favorable Sail area to displacement ratio of 16.08.

Center-Cockpit with aft cabin configuration in a 33 foot sailboat! While it seems it should be crowded and less than visually spacious, the opposite is actually true. Interestingly enough it was also available in a deck salon configuration (pictured right) that really opens up the space and makes you doubt that you’re on board a 33 footer. Interiors vary greatly as many of these were sold as kits. They have been seen with dual heads, ketch or sloop rigged, and with multiple keel options. Definitely not a suitable club racer or for anyone expecting to get where they’re going on time. This boat is designed for comfort and space. Although quite bulbous in the center, the deep “V” bow and rapidly narrowing stern suggests she would cut through waves rather than bob up and down on top of them.

Another example of plentiful availability in the Americas. Although only manufactured for three years in the mid eighties, around 800 of these were delivered through dealers at this time. While marketed in the cruiser segment, she is known to be a quite fast boat,(156 average PHRF) in no small part due to the unusually large rig for the boat size. Two versions were available, Fin keel or shallow draft keel and all models came with a Yanmar 3GM diesel inboard. Hunter has had periods of a less than stellar image in regards to build quality. It does not seem that this model was made at this time as numerous owners have reported it to be a far better built vessel than many early Hunters. Practical Sailor seem to agree with this statement in their exhaustive review of the Hunter 34. One downside reported by many owners is tenderness, which is to be expected with such an oversized rig. Get ready to reef before the wind kicks up!

A Danish Manufacturer of fiberglass furniture, one day decides to release a line of “Motor Sailers”, as they are referred to in their marketing. Considering the design of the LM32 under water, I’d class it a Pilot house Sailboat. The cockpit however feels very “Motor boat” and I don’t say that as a bad thing. There is room to entertain while under sail with the built in table reefed to half size. The galley is ultra compact but very functional and resides up in the Pilot House for easy access from the cockpit. A regular fridge with door is positioned under the pilot seat. This is clearly a boat for cruising in comfort. Big cockpits, fridge doors and un-gimbled stoves are direct clues that owners are expected to avoid heeling altogether. I don’t mention that as a negative either. As an LM 32 owner, I happily give up living my life at 30 degrees, for the space and comfort provided. It can be done though as proven by 8.5 knots in a 20 knot beam reach, before I reefed and settled at a comfortable 6 knots and much closer to horizontal.

Another Nordic, Seaworthy, Double-ender. The Nauticat 33 packs a V berth, queen Aft cabin, spacious salon and galley as well as a secondary salon and helm station in the pilot house. While she doesn’t boast a traditional cockpit, the aft deck is equipped with a wheel helm and engine controls. With it’s raised position this almost gives the feeling of a flybridge. While perhaps not the most budget friendly or the fastest sailor, she might be the right choice if you value such amenities and space in a compact package. The heavy build and high quality reputation should contribute to a lower overall ownership cost. The high altitude of the aft deck may take some getting used too, particularly when heeling or in high seas. With more than a thousand built coupled with the quality reputation, these are readily available all over the world.

While on the Nordic theme, here’s another another Scandinavian, seaworthy cruiser. The Hallberg Rassy Monsun 31 is somewhat light yet surprisingly stable in rough conditions. A reasonable sail area gives her a degree of get-up-and-go while maintaining comfort and safety. While still spacious, the ability to cut through waves rather than bob up and down on top of them clearly took a higher priority than bulbous accommodations when designing the Hallberg Rassy Monsun 31. With a name reputed for durable, high quality and long lasting vessels they do tend to fetch top-dollar, but keep in mind, that also means it will retain it’s value as time goes on. Higher quality may also result in lower maintenance and repair costs over time.

Beneteau’s first Pilot House sailboat and perhaps their first all-out cruiser as well. Not to be confused with a motorsailer, she is all ocean-capable sailboat under the waterline. Notably, an interior helm station, functional galley and comfortable dinette salon are all located “up” in the pilothouse. Ample large windows surround the entire wheelhouse for lots of light. Below, we find another salon that converts to a guest cabin, the v-berth and an impressive heads department. Space and roominess is balanced with a sail area to displ. ratio of 15.48 which provides enough performance for cruising along. A modest beam and full keel help with the favorable Comfort Ratio. A well designed all-around cruiser for a family, couple with guests or for late night dockside entertaining.

There were 1800 of these built starting in the mid 1980s. Most came with a Universal diesel inboard. Multiple variations were available including fin, shoal draft and wing keel. Standard or tall rig were other options. The tall rig model has an average PHRF rating of 144. Quite impressive considering that she is a cruiser. Models after 1991 have a walk-out transom and models after 1996 came with numerous alterations, all above the waterline allowing all generations of Catalina 34 to be raced in the same One Design class. Catalina rarely misses the mark when it comes to making spacious and open feeling interiors and this is no exception. The design layout resembles the venerable Catalina 30, but with an enclosed separate aft cabin.

At least in the Americas, there always seems to be plenty of readily available Ranger 33s at prices known to cause involuntary compulsions towards unplanned purchases. With a total of less than 500 one might wonder about the reason there are always many for sale. The Ranger 33 was available with standard or short rig and a fin keel. Earlier models had tiller steering while later models offered a wheel on binnacle option. Universal’s long standing Atomic 4 gas inboard was later replaced with a Universal diesel. Visually it’s a pleasant vessel to look at from all angles with classic lines and and a simple, almost elegant design. The wide midsection rapidly tapers off to the stern suggesting some degree of speed is obtainable while keeping onboard motion under control.

At just under 31 feet, the Allmand 31 is a BIG 31 foot sailboat with a separate aft cabin and a wide salon that takes full advantage of the 11′ plus beam midships. A later version dubbed the Allmand 312 had the same hull and deck but a slightly modified interior layout. All models came with a fin keel, Universal diesel engine, Wheel on binnacle helm and either a standard or tall rig. Many Allmand Sail 31s can be found mostly in the USA but also in other parts of the world, often at lower than expected asking prices for the size and equipment level. The entire interior looks functional and very “liveable” which is further confirmed by it’s popularity as an all year liveaboard vessel. Practical Sailor published an excellent review of the Allmand 31 Sail.

Originally designed by Ted Irwin as the Irwin Classic 32. The molds were passed on to Endeavour Yacht Corporation, which started production of the Endeavour 32 in 1976 and manufactured close to 600 units until 1982. During the six year tenure, no less than four different diesel inboard engines appeared inside the uninsulated (noisy) engine compartment. The first 3 years a single cylinder Yanmar was standard, likely a frustrating experience to attempt going against a firm current with. Although a narrower, more “ocean worthy” shape than most cruisers of the same era, the Endeavour has a roomy and spacious feeling interior. The 6 foot 4 headroom likely a strong contributing factor alongside the absence of a door anywhere between the salon and the V-berth. Gelcoat appears to be one of the most common issues complained about by owners. If that’s the worst, then it’s a bit easier to see why they are so commonly available to this day, at prices that certainly qualify as Budget Family Gems.

Veiled in mystery, this William Garden designed double ender would be a unicorn if it weren’t for the reputedly very high build quality. There is no official number of how many were built except that Truant completed 30-odd boats before passing the molds on. A solid estimate would probably hover closer to 50 than 70, yet they pop up a few times a year on the used market. The Saturna 33 has a lot to offer the cruising sailor. Particularly the pilot house windows not only being large, but also at eye height when seated. Also a Companion Way “door”, rather than a hatch and a very favorable Comfort ratio, while maintaining a degree of sailing ability thanks to the 14.25 Sail Area to Displacement ratio. Available in Settee or dinette (pictured) Layouts.

The standard 90’s interior layout, ten years before it’s time. With guest and sleeping accommodations for 7 adults, A short sugar scoop transom and an aft enclosed queen cabin. The most common fin keel option has a draft of 5.58 with the added advantage of a lower CoG. Meanwhile, the hull shape, deep fin keel and deep rudder suggest a degree of performance which is confirmed by a PHRF rating of 159. Interestingly the Sail are to displacement ratio is just 16.13 indicating that hull shape and wetted area are big contributors to the favorable PHRF. 644 Beneteau First 305s were built between 1984 and 1989. Quite a few are still around and pop up for sale mostly around Europe and North America.

A “standard”… A model many cruising interested sailors are more or less familiar with. As well as a solid DIY platform or affordable ocean crosser that sleeps up to seven. With a 25 year production run, there are some differences between the roughly 400 vessels completed. Most notable in interior appointments and slight alterations in layout. A displacement of 16,000 Lb.’s along with the full keel certainly aids in reaching such an impressive Comfort ratio at 32 feet. On the other hand a sail are to displacement ratio of 14.65 isn’t going to get her racing out of the gate in light winds. Other than the expected leaks around the large pilot house windows and leaks leading to core damage around the mast base, owners report solid build quality of their vessels. A flush deck is easier to navigate when it gets bumpy and necessitates hull port lights which integrate nicely on the Gulf 32.