Cheoy Lee Clipper Ketch 36
Description
The Choy Lee Clipper 36 (often spelled "Cheoy Lee" in some references) is a classic fiberglass cruising sailboat designed by renowned naval architect A.E. (Bill) Luders Jr. and built by the historic Cheoy Lee Shipyard in Hong Kong from 1969 to 1988. Part of the popular Clipper series (which included 33-, 42-, and 48-foot models), it embodies traditional "clipper" aesthetics with a salty, retro look—featuring a bowsprit, dolphin striker, graceful sheer lines, and moderate overhangs—that appealed to the emerging wave of American cruising sailors in the late 1960s and 1970s. Approximately 60 hulls were produced, making it a relatively limited-run vessel compared to mass-produced contemporaries. Cheoy Lee, founded in 1870 in Shanghai as a commercial builder and a pioneer in Asian fiberglass construction since the early 1960s, crafted the Clipper 36 with hefty, hand-laid fiberglass hulls and teak accents, emphasizing durability and seaworthiness over speed or low maintenance. Today, it's prized by vintage boat enthusiasts for its beauty and blue water potential, though it requires ongoing upkeep due to its age and wood elements. Used prices typically range from $20,000–$60,000, depending on condition and refits, with well-maintained examples holding value in markets like the U.S. East Coast, Caribbean, and Pacific. It's not a high-performance racer but excels as a stable, traditional cruiser for coastal or moderate offshore passages, comparable to a L. Francis Herreshoff-inspired design like the Ticonderoga but in fiberglass.
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 39 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 18.50 ft |
| p | 34.50 ft |
| e | 14 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 ft | 18.50 ft | 34.50 ft | 14 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 34.5 ft - (10516 mm) |
| Foot | * 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.5 ft - (11125 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 36.78 ft - (11211 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 248.94 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 40 ft - (12192 mm) |
| Foot | 23.42 ft - (7138 mm) |
| Leech | 35.25 ft - (10744 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.81 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.5 ft - (6248 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.54 ° |
| Area | * 410 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 41.01 ft - (12500 mm) |
| Foot | * 31.85 ft - (9708 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.6 ft - (11460 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 27.75 ft - (8458 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 568.97 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 41.01 ft - (12500 mm) |
| Foot | * 31.85 ft - (9708 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.6 ft - (11460 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 27.75 ft - (8458 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 568.97 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 41.01 ft - (12500 mm) |
| Foot | * 30.52 ft - (9302 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.73 ft - (11500 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 939 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMTRYSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 14.22 ft - (4334 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.08 ft - (3987 mm) |
| Leech | * 11.85 ft - (3612 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 11.85 ft - (3612 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * -25 ° |
| Area | * 73 ft² |
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.