Anyone Sail a Fisher 37 ?

[PatrickS]

You may also find Home- Sail Vicarious interesting.

[reed1v]

probably too late in posting this but have sailed quite a bit on the f37. its actually quite tender in a seaway. if you dont mind rollypolly sailing its nice. in high winds its got a lot of windage that requires the motor to make any headway. off the wind its good, except the heel. once your about 30-40 degrees heel, it stiffens up quite a bit. backing down is a real challenge. if you sail primarily in sheltered waters and moderate winds, its a real comfy boat. noise, you got to love noise. its a motorsailer so your engine will be on a lot of the time, especially to windward. dont care how much noiseproofing you do, your not going to get rid of the old diesel thumping. its not a sailboat, not a motorboat, but something in between. as a motorboat replacement its sails will steady to boat, acting like stabilizers. as a sailboat, it will keep you warm and dry most of the time(hot summers you got to keep windows, door open or you will roast. not the best layup of glass in the world. critical to get a survey.

[IslandMariner]

reed1v : Thanks for your most entertaining and informative account. Gives me much to think about.

[Wyoming pirate]

there arn't many Fisher 37's out there! I wandered when Randy & Ellen's would appear on this thread!

[reed1v]

one other thought on the f37, actually 2 thoughts: 1. without an outside steering station, really need two folks at a minimum to sail the boat. docking requires it. no way you can get from the inside steering station to the outside bulwarks in time to tie up unless your lucky with the winds and currentp. having only one door limits how quick you can respond to things like reducing or reefing sails, docking, etc. for older folks, this can get serious.
2. some folks like myself get sea sick staying down below in a sailboat. helps to be in the cockpit. unfortunately if your inside piloting the f37 even with the windows cracked, your going to get queesy, especially if the diesel oils' aromas are wafting up from underfoot.

[Arcady]

InlandMariner: just a thought (and I have no hidden interests here) but have you considered a Cabo Rico NorthEast 400? I had a Fisher 25 for years (still got it in fact) and came very close to buying a Fisher 34 (considered by many to be best sailing Fisher) but ultimately bought a used CR NorthEast 400. 37' LOD, bit less displacement than the F37, well-protected prop and rudder, superb wheelhouse, but with the advantage of outside helm, deep secure cockpit, very stiff and sails very well.

I often see Fishers and wonder whether I should have bought the 34, but each time I think about it I conclude once again that the NE400 wins on virtually every count. After 10 years we remain very pleased with her.

Happy hunting!

[IslandMariner]

Arcady: Thanks for info on Cabo Rico NE 400. Nice. Spendy. I still cling to the hope that I can get sailborne for five figures.

[reed1v]

cabo ricos are excellent boats. i know jack cogswell personally and he made first quality sailboats. however they hold their value too well. expensive. otoh, they are sailboats first and foremost so you can get to where your going without towing a service station behind you. thanks for the reference to the cabos. his earlier boats, the mariners, are worthy of attention.

[Arcady]

Originally Posted by IslandMariner

Arcady: Thanks for info on Cabo Rico NE 400. Nice. Spendy. I still cling to the hope that I can get sailborne for five figures.

Point taken, but five figures in USD? that would be an extremely attractively priced F37 judged by prices in the UK. I wish you well in finding one :-)

[reed1v]

yachtworld has several f37 listed under 100k. suspect prices will come down as baby boomers die off, interest rates rise, and fuel goes north of 5 bucks a gallon. f37s in europe cost so much more due to their insufferable layers of taxes.

[Captain Bligh]

I decided to revive this thread as the f37 that really interests me. I did spend a summer in teh 80's aboard a cabo rico 38. they are fine boats, but like reed1v, a CR NE400 is way out of my price range. If anyone has any direct experience with teh f37 please reply. I am curious as what to look for in a survey.
thanks
Scott

[bamboo]

Very late reply, sorry. not sure if you found your fisher. My wife and I sail a 1976 F37 and could not be more in love with it. Its true they are a bit rolly if your just motoring in a sea way. They sail like any other full keel vessel, not to windward. The only problems you may encounter in a fisher would be scupper stress cracks that do leak, but can be owner repaired easily. The rudders do have some water in them, but most cored rudders do. thats about it. Not sure where the previous posts got thier info, but extremely heavily built and utilitarian. Ive never heard of lay up issues.

[Scott Berg]

I delivered one years ago… tender but very well fitted out. Motorsailed better than sailed but I think that's the point?? <grin> Now a 46 is a boat I'd love to sail!

[Captain Bligh]

THanks for the replies, gentleman. I am still in search of a f37. I have one located at the moment, but I just have to fully convince them to sell to me. I have personally inspected two of them- both of which I passed on due to condition, but third time is a charm, i hope, knock on wood. Certainly the older F37's seem like they could benefit from more sail area, but man they sure look solid and seaworthy, especially if the weather turns inclement.