CS 36
A yacht that delivers full value in terms of comfort, luxury and performance.
By Carol Nickle and Bryan Gooderham
If we were asked to choose one word to describe the CS 36, it would have to be classy. The boat combines elegance of design with meticulous construction and creditable sailing performance. The CS 36 honestly achieves a compromise between cruiser and racer that so many others don’t quite pull off. At a base price of $81,900 (remember that its length overall is 36 feet, six inches) the CS 36 represents a substantial investment, but one that delivers full value in terms of comfort, luxury and performance. This is a boat to be proud of.
The CS 36 was designed for CS Yachts Limited by Raymond Wall in 1978. Wall is currently an independent yacht designer in Vancouver, but he was formerly chief sailing designer for the prestigious British firm of Camper and Nicholson, following which he was chief designer for CS Yachts from 1977 to 1983. The 36 is well proportioned, with an 11-foot, six-inch beam and 6,500 pounds of lead ballast on a 15,500-pound displacement. It has a tall masthead rig with a fairly high aspect-ratio mainsail and plenty of sail area.
Since the 36’s introduction in 1978, CS Yachts Ltd., a division of Canadian Sailcraft Co., has produced 235. It attests to the high quality of production and the enduring popularity of the CS 36 that the CS plant in Brampton continues to manufacture the design at the rate of one per week. Jim Flannery, sales manager of CS Yachts, confirms that there are very few in the resale market and that they maintain their value exceptionally well.
CS Yachts has a well-deserved reputation for the construction of quality yachts and the CS 36 is no exception. It’s a real pleasure to inspect the careful workmanship and attention to detail embodied in this boat. Throughout the entire yacht we found one example after another of thoughtful features designed to make living and sailing aboard the CS 36 a more gracious, comfortable and safe experience, whether on a rough offshore passage or at anchor in a sheltered harbor. CS Yachts is to be commended for its unswerving dedication to quality.
We arranged to go for a sail in Warren Homer’s CS 36 Tongadale on the first Saturday in November, 1983. On Friday the Toronto area had experienced its first blizzard of the season, with swirling snow and high winds. Nevertheless, Warren had assured us he’d be at the dock regardless of the weather. Saturday dawned with temperatures barely above freezing, but at least the snow stopped and the wind dropped to a reasonable 10 to 15 knots. Off Port Credit, Lake Ontario was lumpy with big rollers left from Friday’s storm. It was definitely a day for a good-sized, comfortable yacht-if one were foolish enough to insist on going sailing.
With the number one genoa unfurled and a full mainsail, we found the boat almost overpowered going upwind, as the wind kicked above 15 knots in the puffs. It heeled over a little and the deck was getting wet working into the relatively steep waves. In spite of the conditions, the helm was comfortable and the CS 36 handled well; it didn’t hobby horse or crash into the waves and stall. We also noted that visibility for the helmsman is excellent since the coach roof is low enough that the skipper can see ahead clearly even while seated. Downwind, the CS 36 was fast and comfortable and didn’t roll unduly in spite of the seas. We hardened up to a sizzling power reach and had a tremendous time accelerating down the faces of the waves.
The cockpit of the CS 36 is roomy and comfortable, with excellent finish and nicely rounded corners. Drainage in the cockpit and under the toe rail is carefully designed to remove water from the deck and cockpit seating areas. All deck hardware is of high quality and more than up to industry standards. Our test yacht was rigged with the optional cabintop traveler and mainsheet system. We found the traveler adjustment a little heavy and the cabintop array of mainsheet and halyard winches and traveler adjustment a bit cluttered.
The standard cockpit traveler arrangement would certainly avoid these problems, although the cabintop traveler does make it easier to move around the cockpit.
In the modem fashion all halyards and reefing lines are led aft so that two people can handle all sail trim from the cockpit. Winches supplied with the CS 36 are all appropriately sized, and there is a foot block aft to provide a clean lead for sheets over the cockpit coaming. Bow and stem pulpits and stanchion bases are sturdy and the stem pulpit has a built-in boarding ladder as a standard feature.
The spar is a tall two spreader rig with 1 x 19 stainless steel wire rigging. Six stainless steel chainplates are bolted to fiberglass buttresses set inboard from the deck edge. The mast step rests across three reinforced stringers in the floor of the boat. For serious racers, CS offers spinnaker gear, a choice of folding propellers and rod rigging with hydraulic backstay adjustment as optional extras.
The interior of the CS 36 is a clever blend of practical and luxurious. It has all the standard features one would expect teak and ash cabin sole, several opening hatches and ports, hot and cold pressure water and shower fittings. There is rich but not overpowering use of teak for bulkheads and joinery. But the CS 36 goes far beyond these everyday virtues into the realm of unexpected extra touches. To name only a few: a cedar-lined hanging locker in the forward cabin as well as one opposite the head; a drawer unit with a mirrored vanity in the forward cabin; and an excellent three-burner propane stove and oven, safety equipped with a solenoid switch and a stainless bar in front.
The general layout of the CS 36 is traditional. The forward cabin has a double V berth; the head is immediately aft of the forward cabin to starboard with the main hanging locker to port. The main saloon has a single settee berth to port and an L-shaped settee that converts to a double berth on the opposite side. The double-leaf cabin table can be ordered as a floor-mounted model or one that folds down from the bulkbead. The floor mounted model has fiddles in the middle, with bottle stowage under the lift-out top.
The forward cabin and main saloon are spacious and provide plenty of stowage space, as one would expect on a 36-footer. Upholstery is attractive, and five inches of foam cushion make for comfortable seating. Both the head and the forward cabin have doors to provide complete privacy.
The head compartment has many more examples of excellence in design and execution. The entire compartment, including sink and countertop, is unimolded in fiberglass, thereby minimizing sharp edges and awkward, hard to clean comers. Even the soap dish ( with drain!) and counter fiddles are molded in. There is a wall-to-wall mirror, plenty of stowage, and two stout grab rails are located on each side of the toilet so useful in a heavy seaway! A teak grate rests over the separate shower sump, rather than the usual drainage into the bilge, and it has its own electric pump. Hoses and valves are easily accessible under the sink.
Attention to detail is equally evident in the U-shaped galley located to port of the companionway. The huge, nine cubic foot icebox has a double hinged three part lid and is fitted with wire trays and bottle stowage, as well as an electric pump for drainage. There is a nice dry locker with a cutting board built onto the underside of its lid. Mugs are fitted into a tray that stows at the back of the counter; the tray is removable and can be set elsewhere for pouring and serving drinks to the crew. (Anyone who has ever tried to prepare and serve four cups of coffee in rough weather will appreciate this feature.) Galley lockers are roomy and sensibly located. A set of crockery and glasses is included with the boat and, yes, there is a garbage bin.
Opposite the galley is the navigation area, which features a very functional chart table and a bookshelf/divider between the chart table and the main saloon. Both the chart table and the bookshelf are divided into convenient and practical compartments, and there are three drawers below the chart table. Aft of the navigator’s station is a roomy pilot berth.
The technical aspects of the CS 36 maintain the same high standard as the rest of the boat. The engine has good insulation, a water/fuel separator and a strainer. The engine and steering system are both readily accessible. The electrical system has a first rate panel with circuit breakers and battery voltage check, and the batteries are well-secured under the pilot berth. A 110- volt shore power hookup is also standard equipment. There are three 110- volt outlets and two 12-volt outlets for appliances, and a 15-amp battery charger compatible with the 110-volt shore supply.
All in all, the CS 36 is a first-rate yacht. Even though it has been designed and outfitted to be comfortable to the point of luxury, it is still ready to go to sea. Every locker and drawer throughout the yacht has a positive latching mechanism. Beneath the companionway is a wet locker that can be reached from the cockpit or the cabin. Throughout the boat, and particularly in the galley, there are serviceable fiddles and healthy grab rails. This boat is a real winner.
Photo Captions: Thoughtful deck details include the chain forward and rotating rod bales to prevent snags on the mooring cleats. The interior of the CS36 is a cleaver blend of practical and luxurious. It has all the standard features one would expect-a teak- and- ash cabin sole, several opening hatches and ports, and hot- and- cold pressure water.
Cs yachts has a well deserved reputation for the construction of quality yachts.
Though comfortable to the point of luxury, the CS 36 is still ready to go to sea.
Carole Nickle is an independent financial consultant, And Bryan Gooderham is the owner Yacht Services and a member of the Crew of the Sorc and Admiral’s Cup Racer, Amazing Grace.
Originally published in Canadian Yachting’s May 1984 Isssue.
Specifications:
Sail
LOA………………..36ft 6in
Waterline………….29ft 3in
Beam………………11ft 6in
Displacement…….15,500lbs
Ballast……………..6,500lbs
Draft
Deep Keel………….6ft 3in
Shoal Keel…………4ft 11in
Headroom………….6ft 4in
Berths………………6
Tanks
Water………………..83gal
Fuel………………….35gal
Holding………………32gal
Engine………….Westerbeke 4-cylinder
33-hp Diesel
Critical Sail Mesurements
I………………………49.0 ft
J……………………..15.0 ft
P………………………42.7ft
E……………………..12.7ft
Sail Area
(Main+100%)………640ft2
Ratings
IOR………………….26.0
PHRF……………….123
(Deep Keel)
(Shoal Keel)………132
Base Price………..$81,900(1984)
