Whether Setting Records or Cruising, the Islander Is Solid

Zac Sunderland set a record this year by sailing a 1972 Islander 36 named Intrepid around the world solo. He was the youngest person to circle the globe, setting sail from Marina Del Ray, California on June 14, 2008 and finishing 397 days and 28,000 nautical miles later, just before his 18th birthday. Although he was bested only a month later by another, younger sailor, his accomplishment stands for others – not just teenagers – to behold.

Why did he do it? "I think society puts young people in a box – people 15, 16, 17 – and does not expect them to do much but go to high school and play football and stuff like that," Sunderland told the Los Angeles Times. Why did he do it on an Islander 36? Quite possibly because he felt he had found a boat that was durable, fast, easy to sail and affordable. The Islander 36 design has endured, and its great performance has kept hundreds of hulls sailing, even more than 30 years after it debuted. Sunderland's Interpid wasn't the first Islander to circumnavigate—and it probably will not be the last.

The Islander 36 is a true classic, and depending on whose numbers you believe, there were somewhere between 700 and 800 hulls built between 1972 and 1986, making it an extremely successful design. The company history before the development of the Islander 36 is somewhat sketchy, but the story goes that the firm started life as the McGlasson Corporation, which then sold to or turned into Wayfarer Marine in the 1960s. Smaller boats like the 27-footer came out first, and at some point a 37-foot kit boat was offered, which then morphed into the 36-foot production boat that became the shapely and popular classic.

By the 1970s, Islander production was located in Southern California, along with other classic builders like Columbia and Jensen Marine, which built Cals. In fact, it is rumored that for a while, Ericsons, Pearsons and Islanders were built in the same locale. Hundreds of hulls were produced and shipped all over the United States and Canada, with about 25 percent of them selling into the Northern California Bay Area. From 1984 to 1985, production was moved to Costa Rica, where the company foundered and finally closed in 1986. It wasn't the move that did Islander in so much as skyrocketing resin prices and eventually the introduction of the 10-percent luxury tax, which deeply impacted many marine companies.

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE

Alan Gurney's objective in the design of the Islander 36 was to create a "36-foot yacht that would be a competitive machine but also could cruise a family comfortably." Since Gurney was also responsible for go-fast classics like Windward Passage, Guinevere and Great Britain II, the Islander 36 racing pedigree was guaranteed.

The keys to the success of boats like Interpid are that they are easy to handle and can manage heavy air and big swells with ease. These are fast and stiff boats with a 40-percent ballast-to-displacement ratio, and even all these years later, they still hold their own on the race course. The Islander 36 will do 8 knots and practically steer itself in 20- to 30-knot winds without being overpowered, though it can feel a little sluggish in light air.

The Islander 36 has a sail area of 600 square feet on a double-spreader, high-aspect-ratio rig. Those who have raced an Islander 36 describe it as "going fast on a stiff boat with small sails," since the design really pushes the maximum power from its rig. Most of the 1970s Islanders have had mast step corrosion problems and probably require the Kenyon spar to be pulled and trimmed by ¾ inch. Of course, any rig will need attention about every 15 years and should be checked, whether the boat will be racing or cruising.

The Islander 36 was built in four pieces, including two hull halves, the deck and the liner—a process similar to the port and starboard construction of a Swan. It took about 700 hours to manufacture one of these modified-fin-keel, full-skeg-rudder boats. The hulls are solid fiberglass with a through-bolted, plywood-cored deck topped with an alloy toerail. Most of the models had lead ballast, but some of the early boats are said to have iron in the keel. Also, a few of the mid-1970s models reported blistering problems, but some of that had to do with whether the boat was kept in cold or warm waters and if it was a year-round vessel or if it was decommissioned for the winter, as in the Great Lakes area.

Since the hulls stayed mostly the same, the models differed throughout the years by the options and conveniences that were offered. For example, folding props and shoal-draft keels were optional, as were interior details such as refrigeration and battery chargers.

The original engine specified for Islander 36s was the Westerbeke L-25, although you can find some with the old workhorse, the Perkins 4-108, which will push the boat at 6.5 knots at 1800 rpm with a two-bladed fixed prop. The Islander 36 carries 50 gallons of water in fiberglass tanks under the settees and about 30 gallons of fuel in an aluminum tank. That amount of fuel is good for coastal cruising, but it means that jerry jugs will be necessary for extended voyaging.

Regardless of the type of cruising undertaken, the Islander 36 was also available with both wheel and tiller options. As for that cockpit, it's large and comfortable for six to eight people, and features lockers under the seats. A swim ladder on the reverse transom was an added feature on the later-1970s models. The decks are wide and clear, and there is good access to the anchor locker, which also appeared on the late-1970s versions.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND LAYOUT

The area below decks is just as wisely laid out. The saloon provides 6 feet, 2 inches of headroom and has settees to each side, separated by a table that folds up to the bulkhead to starboard, to create a feeling of spaciousness. An L-shaped galley to starboard has a double sink and a stove and oven, which may be alcohol or propane, depending on what previous owners preferred. There are good drawers and plenty of louvered and caned lockers throughout. The Islander 36 came standard with an icebox, although some owners chose the optional Adler Barbour refrigeration or upgraded on their own later.

To port, immediately next to the companionway steps, a nav station faces into the room, and the quarter berth aft of it forms the seat. Speaking of the companionway steps, they are hands-down the best feature of the interior. They are truly steps, as opposed to a ladder, and are easy to maneuver. They also make a great seat when extra bodies are down below for cocktails.

For nights on the hook, besides the quarter berth, there's a sizeable V-berth forward, containing an opening hatch and hanging lockers. A head-shower combination is to port, opposite more lockers and drawers, which provide quite a bit of storage room.

There are lots of Islanders listed on the used market and they're great boats that will go the distance or race quite impressively. They also hold their value: In 1975, a standard Islander sold for $29,900 and by 1978, the price for a new boat rose to $47,400. Although Sunderland bought his boat for only $6,000, a well-found Islander 36 can be priced in the mid five figures—not a bad investment, as boats go.

But who buys a boat as an investment? It's an emotional purchase and rarely has anything to do with reason. Sometimes boats are bought to escape, and other times they're used to set a record and prove a point. As we've seen, the Islander 36 can do all of the above.

Zuzana Prochazka is a freelance writer who additionally serves as Technical Editor for Seafaring Magazine and co-hosts Latitudes & Attitudes TV.

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