Thoughts - 1983 Banner 37 built by Cooper

[Carogan]

Hello everyone,

I've been looking for awhile now at making my first boat purchase. I've come across a 1983 Banner 37 built by Cooper Yachts out of Vancouver that's caught my eye, however I can't seem to find much (if any) information on this boat online other than a sailboat data specification which is slightly different than the spec shared by the owner.

Can any of you share your experience and knowledge of this boat with respect to build quality and sailing characteristics?

The boat is apparently powered by a Volvo MD17C 3cyl 35HP deisel with 2,700 hours on it as well.

Thank you in advance!

Rob

[robert sailor]

Is this a pilot house?

[Carogan]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Is this a pilot house?

No sir, it is not.

[Uricanejack]

Hi I've never sailed a Banner 37. I have sailed a Banner 32. and Maple Leaf 42.

Good solid well built boat. Fin Keel, Relatively heavy sails well. Easy to handle,
Not light like Catelina or C&C . Not a racing boat.
A good comfortable go anywhere in anything cruiser. Better performer than long keel heavy displacement.
The ones I have sailed had very simple cruising rigs. No boom vang, No Spiniker, Roller furling, fixed points for sheet blocks and main sheet.
Even so we could keep up with Catelina 30s and Even C&C 30s except in very light winds.
Stronger wind 20kn plus. Sailed away from them.

Personaly at the right price, I'd by a Banner. Better Built than most better known production boats.

Maple Leaf 42 did have a Spiniker.

[Carogan]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

Hi I've never sailed a Banner 37. I have sailed a Banner 32. and Maple Leaf 42.

Good solid well built boat. Fin Keel, Relatively heavy sails well. Easy to handle,
Not light like Catelina or C&C . Not a racing boat.
A good comfortable go anywhere in anything cruiser. Better performer than long keel heavy displacement.
The ones I have sailed had very simple cruising rigs. No boom vang, No Spiniker, Roller furling, fixed points for sheet blocks and main sheet.
Even so we could keep up with Catelina 30s and Even C&C 30s except in very light winds.
Stronger wind 20kn plus. Sailed away from them.

Personaly at the right price, I'd by a Banner. Better Built than most better known production boats.

Maple Leaf 42 did have a Spiniker.

That's really interesting regarding the 32. The sailboat data spec suggests the boat should be a bit of a dog

BANNER 32 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Sail Area = 477sf

but the pics from what I've seen of a Banner 32 that is for sale does clearly show the build quality is much nicer than the comparables you've mentioned, and for a much newer one that can be found at a much more reasonable price than the C&C/Cats. Its interesting and good to know that you've found that it performed quite well considering.

Does anyone else know anything about these boats?

[seamountie]

I am little bit late to the party, but here goes.

My wife & I have lived on a Cooper Banner 37 since 2003. We have found that this vessel is a very well put together vessel. Solid FG hull, balsa cored topsides. As with all Huntingford designs, the Banner has a slight tumblehome. We feel that this is what give the Banner (and indeed the Cooper pilot houses) their very broad angle of attack to waves.

If you bought the vessel you mentioned, you are fortunate to have the the MD17 in it. We have the MD11C - a whopping 23 hp - and find it is somewhat under powered for the vessel.

For cruising, we have found the 110% jib ideal. The 140 often over powered the vessel, though if you feel you will be doing a lot of ghosting along, that is a viable choice. When the airs get that light, we go on the iron genny!

For our early adventures, see our site at seamountie.com .

Richard
aboard S/V Gandalf III
Quait Bay, near Tofino BC

Gandalf is a 1983 Cooper Banner 37

[NeilRocksWell]

Hi.
I found your post and have a question:
I'm looking at a cooper 37 fin keel pilothouse.
I don't know if your boat has the same under body, but in case it does, can you describe the boats sailing characteristics?
-Pointing?
-Runnning?
-Reaching?



Thank you very much!
Neil

[seamountie]

Neil, I am guessing that you are looking at a Cooper 353, which is their 35' (probably 37 LOA) pilot house version. It was their most popular version. The hull shape is identical to the Banner, and some even came with saildrive, like ours.

We sail with a 110 jib. We find the vessel points nicely, and the 110 does not overpower the boat when you get a good gust. We really like how the boat goes when you start to fall off the wind - it foots well, and steams along on a reach.

On the run, with our 110 and no chute, it is definately ho-hum. We do not particularly care, though, as we are cruisers.

We are impressed with the hull. It has a very broad angle of attack to the waves, just shouldering through them nicely. I avoid going dead into them unless unavoidable as with even a 10 degree angle the ride is much nicer. The bow tends to pop up if you hit the waves dead on.

The hull itself is solid glass (at least below the water line - haven't checked above) with the deck and cabin top balsa cored. Lots of plywood in place for mounting winches etc.

The 353 weighs in a bit heavier (dry) than the Banner 37, the effect of the pilot house, I am guessing. You are looking at a very nice, all weather cruiser, that is comfortable. If you are racing, better try for the biggest handicap you can, they are not super fast - but not dogs - particularly when you start to get off the wind. We had a cruiser/racer try and pass us coming into the Comptons, and he was surprised at how long we held him off. It was a close reach and one of our best points of sail.

I should note that we are live aboards, so our waterline is a good 2" lower than design specs Might have held him off indefinitely if we were in 'normal' cruising trim.

Any other Questions, gladly answered.

Richard
aka Seamountie