BoatsCape Dory 36

Cape Dory 36

Cutter · Long Keel · 1978–1990

Produced from 1978 to 1990, this long-keeled cutter was later marketed as the Robinhood 36

Designed by Carl Alberg.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Cape Dory 36, on the water

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

Footage from Atom Voyager

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 36 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 36
CoastalBluewater

At 1.69 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.69
LightHeavy

365 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 365
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.7
TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 5 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Cape Dory 36 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
37.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.7
Displacement / length
365.2
Comfort ratio
35.7
Capsize screening
1.69
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1029
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1978–1990
Units built
166
Designer
Carl Alberg
Builder
Cape Dory Yachts

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.

Seafarer Yachts 38C11.51 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA versatile cruiser available in multiple rig configurations and often sold in kit form for owner completion
Rustler Yachts 3610.77 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Holman and Pye designed masthead sloop featuring a heavy-displacement long keel hull built for offshore stability
Morgan Yachts Out Island 3610.92 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1970s production cruiser featuring a 1.14-metre draft and a heavy ballast ratio for stability in shallow waters
Alberg 3711.33 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA long-keeled masthead sloop produced for two decades with a transition from wood-heavy interiors to moulded fiberglass
Chris-Craft Sail Yacht 3510.67 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA long-keeled masthead sloop from the boards of Sparkman & Stephens, featuring a hull shared with the Caribbean 35
Mariah 3111.28 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA heavy-displacement cutter designed by Henry Mohrschladt with a long keel and a signature extended bowsprit

The family

Boats like this

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

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The fleet has more to say

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