Endurance 37 -Any good?

robmcg

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I was asked what I thought about the Endurance 37, but I have no experience of them. I know that many are ferrocement but what are they like for longer distance work, sailability, living with on a day to day basis etc. Anyone got one? Pants or worth a look?

Rob
 
37s would be GRP versions of the 35. Similar characteristics - behave like they look. Heavy, steady, lots of string as most are ketch. Perfect if you like long slow passages while wearing carpet slippers. Inevitably variable layouts and fitouts because most were at least part home completed.
 
I have sailed on a Ferro Cement Endurance although I cant remember the LOA accurately. They were big and roomy, needed a blow to get them going.

It operated as a skippered charter and she had 3 cabins down from the saloon. The storage space below the saloon was cevernous.

The deck area was excellent for lounging on and made a good platform for guests to relax on too.

I would not buy one as there are other boats that are similar and better. However, it was a useful yacht that was pleasant to sail on and nice and roomy. The only awkward bit was the stern where you could steer outside in a rather small cockpit.
 
The windboats endurance 37's are excellent boats, put together very well, I dont know of any that were home completed, not from windboats anyway.
 
The windboats endurance 37's are excellent boats, put together very well, I dont know of any that were home completed, not from windboats anyway.

I thought that Windboats mostly built hulls for others to fit out. I certainly know of 3 that were home completed. The quality of fit out depends on the skill of the owner, the ones I know of were excellent quality, but did take about 10 years to finish.
I helped bring an Endurance 37 back from the Baltic a few years ago. Very comfortable and it felt like we could have kept going indefinitely. We did one leg from Borkum to Fambridge with no problems and no fatigue.
Agree with a previous post that they need a good breeze to get them going, but they can get a waddle on when pressed.
Perhaps not for a thrill seeking dinghy sailor but a good choice for long distance cruising.
 
I thought most of the Endurance yachts built in the UK were home or at least boatyard completed, were there any factory completed examples? I know DeKleer yachts in Canada built some and a yard in France or Spain built some too and a few seem to have come out of South Africa. Incidentally, my grandfather plastered several ferro endurances during the 70's, one of which went on to sail to Australia. Just wondering if the design was generally bulletproof or any glaring weaknesses have come to light in the intervening years (apart from poor light wind performance).
 
Windboats supplied hulls and any stage up to completion. 35s and 40s were offered and also many were home built from scratch. The 37s were GRP moulded by Colvic and completed by various yards and priivate owners. Also built in Spain as Bellures to slightly different Ibold designs in IIRC 45 and 50 foot versions as well and various rigs..
 
very pretty boats, colvic made a 35 that I looked at in 1999. The trouble is the endurance design does not work well under 45ft, sitting in the cockpit there was no view ahead so the helmsman/lookout would have to stand. Below the accommodation was a bit cramped, as there is "nothing" under the cockpit, so IMHO a longer hull would be better.
 
Endurance 37

We have owned one for 26 years and sailed some 31000nm, which includes crossing the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and the Tasman Sea - very comfortable, large volume cruising boat that can withstand a good blow. Ours is GRP with a cutter rig, and in our experience is not that much slower than many so-called fast cruising boats, and we have the warm and fuzzy feeling that she is safe in all weather!
 
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