Bowman 36
Description
The Bowman 36 is a classic British bluewater cruising sailboat, highly respected for its robust construction, sea-kindly motion, and proven offshore credentials. Designed by the renowned Holman & Pye (Kim Holman specifically credited), it was built by Bowman Yachts (with hulls often moulded by Seaglass) in the UK from around 1970 to the mid-1980s. It's often called a "real" bluewater cruiser—built to Lloyd's +100A1 specification for exceptional strength—and one of the few designs approved for events like the Golden Globe Race. This earlier Bowman 36 comes from the Holman & Pye era, sharing design DNA with some Oyster yachts. It's a timeless, traditional heavy-displacement yacht that's elegant, comfortable for long passages, and handles heavy weather with confidence. Many have crossed oceans, cruised extensively, and held their value well due to loyal owners and solid build.
Construction Details
| Designer | Kim Holman |
|---|---|
| Builder | Bowman Yachts |
| Length | 36.000 ft |
| LOA | 36.000 ft |
| LWL | 26.670 ft |
| Beam | 11.330 ft |
| Displacement | 19500 lb |
| Ballast | 8000 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.670 ft |
| Year Built | 1970 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 38.80 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.20 ft |
| p | 32.60 ft |
| e | 15.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.80 ft | 14.20 ft | 32.60 ft | 15.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Bowman 36 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 32.6 ft - (9936 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.4 ft - (10790 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.02 ° |
| Diagonal | * 35.61 ft - (10854 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 252.34 ft² |
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Bowman 36 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 33.05 ft - (10074 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.28 ft - (5877 mm) |
| Leech | * 28.05 ft - (8550 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.33 ft - (4977 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 269.89 ft² |
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Bowman 36 - GENOA
| Luff | * 39.25 ft - (11963 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.33 ft - (7111 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.57 ft - (11147 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.3 ft - (6492 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 417.98 ft² |
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Bowman 36 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 39.25 ft - (11963 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 25.56 ft - (7791 mm) |
| Foot | * 25.56 ft - (7791 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 852.75 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.