'73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

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oil&water
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'73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by oil&water »

My wife and I have been looking for our next boat / floating condo for the last six months. We are moving up from a 32' Express Cruiser. One of the hulls we have been considering is a F36 Convertible. We have spent a significant amount of time on our friends' F32 and love the layout, but know we need more space. It is great for fishing, being out on anchor, cruising the Chesapeake Bay area, and being our waterside condo

We found an '81 that is in excellent shape with twin Chrysler 460's (Chrysler modified Ford blocks) that would be a strong contender. We have continued looking while we contemplate the '81 and I came across a smoking deal on a '73 hull. We like the bunk stateroom for the kids and would miss the separate shower area. The entire cabin area needs updating; carpet, cleaning, etc.

This particular hull has a rotten teak cockpit deck and the foredeck is also soft in places (anchor area and around the hatches). I see the rear deck being the easiest of the two and would probably follow Danny Bailey's underside epoxy injection repair for the foredeck.

Engines are Chrysler 440's. The port engine supposedly was run very hot on the way to the marina. At any rate, both would have to be gone through as well as the genset. I can rebuild these if needed. Hull and running gear are in good shape. The flybridge has the old shredded curtains and bimini which could be used as a pattern for a new one.

I have more time and skills than I have common sense, which is why I really enjoy finding a bargain boat with good structure and systems then making the boat be what we want. If I picked the boat up for super cheap, am I going to regret putting the few thousand into it to make it our own? Need some other F36 owners to weigh in here.
Last edited by oil&water on Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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prowlersfish
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by prowlersfish »

I will give you some quick pros and cons of both ( one vs the other ) with out much info or photos on the boats

The 73
Pros 440 engine good engines and while old they are easier to get parts for '
Slightly longer V-berth
Cons
its older and is a project boat ( Per your post ) could cost $$$$$$$$
no separate shower
when will you go boating ? Boat work always take longer the expected x10 LOL .
The 81 Pros
Its less of a project and a newer boat.
Separate shower so you don't hose the complete head with water cleaning up ( a big deal to us )
Fiber glass rear deck .
You can go boating Now
Cons
The 460 engines , The marine parts are not all ways easy to find , some maybe a real issue . A boat with 440's or 454's would be a better choice .

May I ask where are these boats ? Any links to any Ads ?
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by WayWeGo »

We have a '75 F36 in the middle of the Bay. Where will you be docking your boat?

The F36 is an awesome boat for the Bay, as long as you realize the advantages and limitations of a shallow V hull. Lots of room that is well thought out. Ours has the dinette, which when set up as a berth, is the largest bed on the boat. Our daughters fight over who gets to sleep there. My wife and I use the V-berth as it gives us a private stateroom with dedicated clothes storage.

I am 6'3" and my wife is 5'9", so we would not like giving up the extra V berth length of the early boats without a separate shower. That said, a separate shower was one of the few things we had on our "must have" list when looking for a new boat. I still miss it, but our shower curtain covers 360 degrees from ceiling to floor and I have to admit, keeps the rest of the head pretty much dry.

We also have some work to do on the foredeck, but I will be working from the top, cutting out the damaged coring, fixing the problems that led to it and then installing new coring and fiberglass. Not a project for the faint of heart, but really not all that difficult or expensive if you do it yourself. A lot of it comes down to how much time you are willing to spend working on the boat to get it for a better price. And from personal experience, there are times that we missed great boating weather to work on the boat.
1975 F-36 Convertible
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by oil&water »

Thanks for the quick reply's. I had been out shoveling snow and cooking dinner or would have responded sooner.

We dock in either Hampton or Colonial Beach, depending on the time of year.

I am an avid boater, been on the water for over 30 years with a multitude of boats from 12' to 50'. I do understand that we wish big but work harder than expected to make repairs to keep our passions running on the water.

We live east of Richmond, VA and boat in the Back River area of Hampton, as well as the Rappahannock. We found Colonial Beach and fell in love last year. That is now our summer marina. We always boat all over the Chesapeake Bay as well as Elizabeth River area over summer. Needless to say, we put miles on our vessels.

Prowler, both boats are owner sold and don't have ads up at the moment. I stumbled upon both while looking at other boats and asking around. I have heard that the 460 can be a nightmare sourcing parts. While the 440 parts are more widely available. I have read that you re powered yours to diesels, which I am certain you have enjoyed more from the efficiency stand point.

WayWeGo, the extra V-berth room is something I like. Our friend's F32 is somewhat tight when we have slept in their V-berth. We don't shower in the boat all that much, but appreciate the opportunity to do so when appropriate. Knowing the 360 shower curtain keeps things dry is very good to know.

As far as construction is concerned, are there any major advantages to the '81 over the '73; not including the rear deck?

I am happy to give more details about specifics if needed, just send me a PM. Thanks!
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by prowlersfish »

Interesting ,My boat is in Hampton and I know Back river very well and have been to Colonial Beach with my boat and have friends . I have a feeling I know at least one of the boats you are looking at . Maybe both ?

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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by captainmaniac »

Do you want a project, or a boat / home / floating condo? Pretty simple to me. Something selling for $1K is likely to be a p.o.s. That's less than 2 tanks of fuel!!!!! Spend a few more $K and get something you can enjoy from day 1, that is reliable, that is safe and usable, unless you insist on being a member of the 'but I got it cheaper' club.... I find being a member of the 'I got what I wanted for a reasonable price' club to be a lot more fulfilling. Mentally, and financially!
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by oil&water »

Captain, I do agree. My boat before last was a splash and enjoy. My last was more of the fix and enjoy variety. Both were sound vessels. At the end of the day, they were both boats and both gave me fits from time to time. My biggest concern is getting into a vessel that will sink me in the long run.

Prowler, PM sent back to you. Watch out folks... Prowler reads minds!
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by prowlersfish »

LOL Not a mind Reader at all But we know a lot of the same people and been to the same places . Its a small world . Check your PM
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by prowlersfish »

This used to be a friends boat has 454s
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1986/Tr ... HJgVmfmo5s
Boating is good for the soul
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Life is to short for a ugly boat :D
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by oil&water »

prowlersfish wrote:This used to be a friends boat has 454s
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1986/Tr ... HJgVmfmo5s
Nice boat.
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by oil&water »

Do any of you wish you had gone with a different hull?

I don't fish offshore all that much, but I do like the option of doing so. I typically run between 40 and 120 miles each trip when I do fish. A rare 200+ mile trip does occur, but it is rare. Comfort, performance, and fuel burn are all items I am contemplating. Those three items point directly to diesels in most instances. Being a hands on owner, diesels scare me as I don't have a ton of experience with them. I know I can keep a gasser running. I also know from experience the F series don't do very well when the seas get snotty. They roll in a beam sea, tail walks the dog on a following sea, and aren't exactly the most comforting hull in the bay's 3-6 footers. I've never been offshore in one so I can't comment there, but would appreciate feedback from anyone who has.

Cruising on the rivers or the Bay on a good day, the boat would be great. Twice to three times a year I run south from the Potomac to Hampton Roads. This is a 145 mile trip each way for me. Once in June, again the end of August, and late fall to early winter if the stripers or tuna are running good. On the June trip, I spend three to four days turning circles in the Elizabeth River at almost idle. I usually put on somewhere between 28 to 40 hours at idle engine speeds. The few diesel boats that run this event with me look like nasty mosquito foggers when we power up on plane to head out. Last June, there were three micro-cells that caught the fleet on the return trip. Some of these boaters are very serious mariners who have been in the tough stuff. They said it was some of the worst storms they have seen in their lives, short of a hurricane and a few said they hadn't seen a hurricane that bad. Most were in offshore boats or good deep v's - 28' Regulator, 36' Luhrs, 24' Sea Pro WA, etc. One guy was in a 34' single screw trawler. He lost two windows and a multitude of deck placed items. I am not so sure I would want to be caught in something like that in the F series. Could it handle it? Probably. Would I be white knuckling it? Most likely. That said, I could at least be in the Salon at the lower helm, which some of the boats I am looking at don't have. The thought of being caught in a nasty summer squall up on a flybridge surrounded by metal rigging is a little scary.

When I am not making trips for me, the boat would be in Colonial Beach at the marina or out on a weekend getaway somewhere like Shark's Tooth or visiting a waterside restaurant. All things that make the shear size of the F36 something that is making it a strong contender in our search.

So with this additional information, I need the F32 and F36 owners out there to weigh in on whether you would purchase yours again for this usage.
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by prowlersfish »

Would I pick it again ? YES . Not the best boat off shore but it will do lt . I know of one that did a lot of offshore fishing . A Bertram would do it better , but burn more fuel doing same goes for a 11 or 12 meter . A Bertram will also roll a lot more. Bottom line pick your days . While not great in a following sea the F36 will do better then a F32.
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by WayWeGo »

We have only owned our boat for a year and a half, so don't have all that much experience in poor weather. Bringing her down the bay from Rock Hall we encountered 3-4 footers (peak to valley, not REAL 4 footers) and quickly tired of running at hull speed and getting thrown around on the fly bridge by the quartering seas. On plane, we were much more comfortable, though some spray did get in through the open windows of the flybridge enclosure. Overall, we were quite happy with the handling in those conditions.

Our previous boat was a 25 footer with a deep V hull that was better than average at dealing with rough seas, even though it was a bowrider and I drew the line at 4 footers since we did not have a self draining cockpit and I was dubious that the bow cover could deal with stuffing the bow into a wave. It did a good job running through 3 footers on plane, which we did more often than my wife would have liked. I still remember my sister in law trying to get into the cramped head with the boat rolling about 30 degrees to each side! :roll:

With 9 degree deadrise of the F36, you can tell the difference, but as Paul alluded to, it is a tradeoff. You get better roll resistance when taking seas on the beam with less ability to take them on the bow at speed. The F36 is not a heavy boat for its size, so you should also take that into account. A Bertram 35 from the same era weighs about a 1/3 more, which combined with a deeper V hull is better for running offshore.

We have the lower helm in our boat, which I consider a big plus. When we got the boat, there was a radio but no electronics at the lower helm. As I upgrade the electronics, I am working towards making the lower helm better suited for night/rough weather use and the upper helm for use on nice days. We went with Simrad (Navico) electronics and will have them networked over both NMEA 2000 and Ethernet to take full advantage of their capabilities.

We are starting to look into retirement locations between Richmond and Hampton, so may be neighbors in a few years. Maybe we can all get together this summer for a rendezvous? I am sure my wife and I would enjoy hearing about where you guys live.
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by oil&water »

Thank you Prowler and WayWeGo. The info is very valuable as we contemplate our options.

WayWeGo, would love to do a rendezvous this summer.
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Re: '73 F36 Convertible - What to do?

Post by oil&water »

After crawling over the '73 F36 several additional times, I came to the conclusion that I was going to pass on it. It just needed too much work to be of any decent return value once complete. The delta was just too far from cash in and cash out.

That said, if anyone needs any parts for their early 70's model F36, please let me know as I will be working with the marina to remove parts before she is scrapped. It is a complete boat with full systems in place. If someone wanted one heck of a project (repair balsa core in 75% of front deck, 25% of each side deck, update fuel lines and systems, replace plywood floor on back deck, etc., it could be yours for one heck of a deal.)

I will be moving on to investigate other hulls that make more financial sense, like the '81 F36 that my wife still wants me to buy.
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