The design was initially commissioned and intended to be built by Clipper Marine in the United States, as the Clipper Marine 37, but the company went out of business before production commenced.[1]
The boat has a draft of 5.50ft (1.68m) with the standard keel and 4.92ft (1.50m) with the optional shoal draft keel.[1][7]
The boat is fitted with a Volvo32hp (24kW) or, on later models, a Yanmar 4JH2E 51hp (38kW)diesel engine for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 40 U.S. gallons (150L; 33impgal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 95 U.S. gallons (360L; 79impgal).[1]
The design has sleeping accommodation for up to seven people. There is an angled "V" berth in the bow, a double and single settee berth in the main salon and a double berth in the stern, along with a quarter berth. The galley is located at the foot of the companionway steps, on the starboard side. It includes a double sink, a three-burner stove and oven and a top-loading refrigerator. The head is located forward, just aft of the bow cabin, on the starboard side and includes a shower. A navigation station is provided aft, on the port side. The design has below deck headroom of 75in (191cm). Ventilation is provided by two cabin hatches.[4][8]
The jib is sheeted to short jib tracks. The mainsheet traveler is mounted on the coach house roof, as are three winches. There are also two primary jib winches mounted on the cockpit coamings.[4]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 174.[4]
Operational history
The design was named to the American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 2002. The citation says, in part, "The Pacific Seacraft 37 is a classic American sailboat with an honesty of design that, combined with the highest standards of boatbuilding as attested to by ABS certification for hull and deck construction and CE certification for unlimited offshore use, has shown the sailing industry that there is a place in the hearts and budgets of sailors for a boat created expressly to go to sea and bring the crew back safely."[5]
In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote that the "underwater lines show a very normal fin keel, but the canoe stern is unusual. The cutter rig shown does not indicate stay sails, Maximum beam is aft."
John Kretschmer wrote in a 2008 review for Sailing Magazine, "downwind, the cutter is not particularly efficient, and some type of drifter or cruising spinnaker is necessary to maintain speed in light air. When the wind pipes ups, the 37 finds its stride, even when a large sea is running. Several owners have reported touching double digits while surfing down trade wind seas. Long passages that average better than 150 miles per day are common. However, the most underrated performance factor is seakindliness, as nothing wears out the crew or the gear faster than a quick, pounding motion. The Pacific Seacraft 37 is a "swisher" not a "pounder."".[8]
In a 2011 review in Cruising World, Jeremy McGeary wrote, "it was built as a cutter and as a yawl. I fear the yawl might be a bit busy around the cockpit. I like the cutter rig for its versatility upwind and reaching. I’d dispense with a big genoa and use a modern asymmetric for extra downwind sail area."[9]
12345Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 298-299. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN0-395-65239-1
123Kretschmer, John (10 November 2008). "Pacific Seacraft 37". Sailing Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
↑McGeary, Jeremy (26 April 2011). "Crealock 37". Cruising World. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2020.