36 Trawler

A handsome small sedan designed by noted sailboat builder Charlie Morgan, the West Indian 36 is a salty trawler-style family cruiser whose practical floorplan and economical operation will appeal to many cruising couples. She is certainly a good-looking boat with her upright profile and stepped sheer, and her shoal draft makes it easy to explore shallow water lagoons and anchorages that are simply off-limits to many other trawlers her size. Built on a solid fiberglass, modified-V hull with a long keel, a deep forefoot, and a very large rudder, the West Indian is designed for coastal cruising rather than extended offshore passages. Her two-stateroom floorplan is arranged with the U-shaped galley in the salon, opposite the (optional) lower helm. The flybridge is very spacious for a boat of this type, and an extended bridge overhang shades the small cockpit. Keep in mind that the modified-V hull of the West Indian differs from the more traditional semi-displacement bottom common to most trawler-style designs. A single 130hp Perkins diesel (or twin 85hp Perkins) will cruise efficiently at 7–8 knots. About 75 were built during the late 1970s.