Overview
The Islander 36 is an Alan Gurney design built by Islander Yachts in California, one of the most popular 36-footers of its era, built from 1971 to 1986, with 770 built according to sailboatdata.com. Its place in this catalog rests on its ocean racing record: 3 different boats of the design have finished the Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Hawaii or the Newport Bermuda Race in the official results.
Design and Construction
sailboatdata.com lists the underbody as fin with rudder on skeg, 36.08 ft overall on a 28.25 ft waterline, with 11.17 ft of beam and 6 ft of draft. Displacement is about 13,450 lb with 5,450 lb of ballast, and the masthead sloop carries about 576 sq ft. Good Old Boat’s review says the hulls are solid fiberglass, while the deck is laid up over a plywood core that tapers to solid glass where it meets the hull flange. That joint was prone to leaks if the bedding compound had not been applied consistently, and the bulkheads are tabbed to the hull but not the deck. Some boats were fitted with cast-iron keels instead of lead, and the iron keels can corrode when a boat is hauled for a long time. The original engine was the gasoline Universal Atomic 4. Practical Sailor’s reviewer found the boat well balanced under sail but needing a variety of headsails because of its small mainsail, with genoa overlaps as large as 180 percent on the original sail plan. Good Old Boat’s reviewer found her quick, responsive and easy to steer, and says she pointed well under a partly reefed headsail.
Ocean Racing Record
Cassiopeia (Kit Wiegnan) finished the Pacific Cup (2006, 2012). Cannibal (Joseph Weathers) finished the Pacific Cup (1980). Juggernaut (Bill Parks) finished the Pacific Cup (1996).
