BoatsCS 36 Merlin

CS 36 Merlin

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · 1986–1990

A highly customizable Tony Castro design featuring vacuum-bagged Kevlar construction and a unique build for every owner

Designed by Tony Castro, built by Canadian Sailcraft.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 25 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 25
CoastalBluewater

1.96 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.96
LightHeavy

234 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 234
EasygoingPowered-up

17.6 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.6
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
43.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.6
Displacement / length
233.8
Comfort ratio
24.9
Capsize screening
1.96
Hull speed
7.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1199
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1986–1990
Units built
100
Designer
Tony Castro
Builder
Canadian Sailcraft, CS Yachts (Canadian Sailcraft)

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Contessa 3510.82 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Doug Peterson-designed IOR One Ton racer that claimed the 1974 International One Ton Cup with her prototype Gumboots
Hunter Marine 3610.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, designed for stable coastal cruising during a short early-eighties production run
Catalina Yachts 3611.07 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile coastal cruiser offering optional tall rig and wing keel configurations to suit varying water depths
Hallberg-Rassy 3511.13 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA shallow-draft fin-keeler with a 1.3-metre draft, built for coastal cruising and ease of access to shoal anchorages
Beneteau First 36.710.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Farr-designed racer-cruiser with a 2.2-metre draft and a balanced sail-area-to-displacement ratio for club competition
Beneteau First 34511.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 36-foot masthead sloop from the mid-eighties, designed for offshore speed with a stiff 36% ballast ratio

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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