BoatsAbbott 36

Abbott 36

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1985

A narrow-beamed fractional sloop with a 1.83-metre draft, designed for competitive performance and speed

Designed by Bill Abbott Sr.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Abbott 36, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Hashtag Sal

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 narrow beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.86
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 183
EasygoingPowered-up

19.3 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 19.3
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Narrower than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2959 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Abbott 36, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Abbott 36 is a fractional sloop designed by Bill Abbott Sr. and built by Abbott Boats Ltd. and Abbott Boats Inc. since 1985. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder, measures 11.05 meters LOA with a 3.05-meter beam, and has a draft of 1.83 meters. The displacement is 4536 kg, and some models have a deep keel draft of 1.98 meters. Aboard Hashtag Sal, a BB36 was upgraded with a hydraulic steering system to replace cables and an expanded 700-liter water capacity, which includes a rainwater collection system integrated into the solar panel array.5:51

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
19.3
Displacement / length
183.1
Comfort ratio
23.1
Capsize screening
1.86
Hull speed
7.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1036
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1985
Designer
Bill Abbott Sr
Builder
Abbott Boats Ltd

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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.

Beneteau First 36s710.90 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA performance-oriented fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, featuring a bulb keel and an optional taller IMS rig
Sailing for Beginners | Top 10 Questions Everyone Asks9:21from Practical Sailor
Tartan Marine 36511.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthLaunched in 2020, this 11-meter cruiser pairs a high 20.56 sail-area-to-displacement ratio with a deep 1.98-meter draft
The Tartan 365: A Modern Cruiser with Performance Pedigreefrom Practical Sailor
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
Deadpool & Wolverine Buy a SailGP Team?!15:49from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Beneteau First 36.710.90 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Farr-designed racer-cruiser with a 2.2-metre draft and a balanced sail-area-to-displacement ratio for club competition
The Most Overlooked Sailboat on the Market | Beneteau First 36 7from Lady K Sailing
Hallberg-Rassy 34010.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern German Frers-designed fractional sloop featuring dual rudders and an optional shallow draft for versatile cruising
⚓ Annapolis Sailboat Show 2025 Full Tour, Boats, Gear & Sailing Inspiration! ⚓ Ep 343 Lady K Sailing6:14from Lady K Sailing
J Boats J/11111.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 36-foot one-design racer with an aggressive 23.79 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for rapid downwind performance
Peter Gustafsson on the Færder Race 20250:41from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Abbott 22An Ian Proctor-designed masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio, built for stability and performance in a compact hullAbbott 27A masthead sloop designed by Bill Abbott Sr. for the MORC handicap rule, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudderAbbott Boats 33A slender, high-performance fractional sloop with a 54% ballast ratio, evolved from the Danish-built Scan-Kap 99Abbott Boats Inc. SolingA high-performance Olympic class keelboat designed by Jan Herman Linge for tactical three-person racingArchambault Boats 40A high-performance Joubert-Nivelt fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for competitive racing

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Abbott 36, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Abbott 36

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue