Cape Dory 36 is a 36′ 1″ / 11 m monohull sailboat designed by Carl Alberg and built by Cape Dory Yachts between 1978 and 1990.
- Designer
- Carl Alberg
- Builder
- Cape Dory Yachts
- Association
- Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association
- # Built
- 166
- Hull
- Monohull
- Keel
- Long
- Rudder
- ?
- Construction
- FG
Dimensions
- Length Overall
- 36′ 1″ / 11 m
- Waterline Length
- 27′ 0″ / 8.2 m
- Beam
- 10′ 7″ / 3.3 m
- Draft
- 4′ 11″ / 1.5 m
- Displacement
- 16,100 lb / 7,303 kg
- Ballast
- 6,050 lb / 2,744 kg
Rig and Sails
- Type
- Cutter
- Reported Sail Area
- 622′² / 57.8 m²
- Total Sail Area
- 622′² / 57.7 m²
Mainsail
- Sail Area
- 296′² / 27.5 m²
- P
- 37′ 0″ / 11.3 m
- E
- 16′ 0″ / 4.9 m
- Air Draft
- 46′ 5″ / 14.2 m
Foresail
- Sail Area
- 326′² / 30.2 m²
- I
- 41′ 11″ / 12.8 m
- J
- 15′ 5″ / 4.7 m
- Forestay Length
- 44′ 9″ / 13.7 m
Auxilary Power
- Make
- ?
- Model
- ?
- HP
- ?
- Fuel Type
- Diesel
- Fuel Capacity
- 43 gal / 163 l
Accomodations
- Water Capacity
- 132 gal / 500 l
- Holding Tank Capacity
- ?
- Headroom
- ?
- Cabins
- ?
Calculations
- Hull Speed
-
6.9 kn
Classic: 6.96 kn
Hull Speed
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Formula
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio.311
Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
- Sail Area/Displacement
-
15.6
<16: under powered
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
Formula
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64)2/3
- SA: Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D: Displacement in pounds.
- Ballast/Displacement
-
37.6
<40: less stiff, less powerful
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Formula
Ballast / Displacement * 100
- Displacement/Length
-
365.1
300-400: heavy
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
Formula
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
- Comfort Ratio
-
35.5
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Formula
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
- Capsize Screening
-
1.7
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
Formula
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
Notes
From BlueWaterBoats.org:
Cape Dory Yachts was founded way back in 1963 in New England by sailor and engineer Andrew Vavolotis starting out with a little 15 footer. Through the years the company has forged a great reputation for building sturdy vessels that are safe at sea, simple in layout and easy to handle. Outside of Cape Dory’s pocket cruiser offerings 30 feet and below, the Cape Dory 36 stands out as being the next most popular. Perhaps this has been due to their versatility as both great offshore boats as well as being well suited for weekend and coastal cruising.
The design comes from Carl Alberg, a legendary name in cruising yacht design of the old age before designers like Perry redefined what a cruising sailboat should look like during the boom years of the 1970s and 1980s. Alberg’s design influences came predominantly from the Scandinavian folkboat which emphasized seakindly and well mannered sailing characteristics at the sacrifice of internal volume and initial boat stiffness. The Cape Dory 36 follows this tradition with a narrow beam, low freeboard, large overhangs, and a full keel with a cutaway on the forefoot.
The boat is built strong and a quick check of the heavy rig reveals a cutter configuration which emphasizes offshore work. Yet for the coastal cruising type, these boats are nimble and easy to sail. They have a usefully shallow five foot draft which makes for great bay hopping. The interior is considered cramped by modern standards but livable for couples on extended voyages; reserve the six berths for those social weekends away.
Under sail they track well to windward exhibiting a tendancy to be initially tender which lengthens their effective waterline before stiffening up. The low freeboard concedes a relatively wet ride. On long downward runs, again they track relatively well, except in quartering seas. In chop, expect some amount of hobby-horsing.
Construction has always been top notch throughout and with excellent interior joiner work. Note significant changes were made to the deck and interior arrangement in 1987. Owners haven’t reported any areas of weakness or bad years, and through the years the boats have earned a loyal following.
Cape Dory Yachts ceased operations in New England in 1991 selling the molds for the 36 to Robinhood Marine who continued production with refinements on a semi-custom basis. In total 165 Cape Dory 36s have been built.
Links, References and Further Reading
» Cape Dory Owners Association, Cape Dory 36 brochures and further information.
» Cape Dory 36, A Survey, Nautical Quarterly No. 18, Summer 1982
» Robinhood 36 article “Legacy”, Latitudes and Attitudes magazine, May/June 1997
