1983 Roberts Spray 36

MAKE/MODEL: A Bruce Roberts designed Spray 36 sailing cruiser, built by Island Star Marine, Gulfport, Mississippi

CONSTRUCTION: Steel

YEAR: 1983 – 1992

DIMENSIONS: LOA 39′ 7″, BEAM 12′, DRAFT 4′ 2″

KEEL TYPE: Long keel

COLOUR: Deep green with white superstructure and teak trim

INTERIOR: 4 berths in 2 cabins plus fitted galley and heads

ENGINE: BMW D35/1 30 hp diesel (fresh water cooled) driving a 3 blade feathering prop

RIG TYPE: Cutter

MAST/SPARS: Aluminium

SAILS: Fully battened main with 2 reefs and dutchman, Yankee with deckbag, Staysail with deckbag, Storm jib and Trysail with deckbag. All sails by Johnson Sail.

EQUIPMENT: Internal: The vessel has a good-sized centre cockpit, with a raised aft deck and wheelhouse making her light and airy and giving excellent headroom throughout. Going forward, the navigation station – with secondary steering position – is to starboard. This provides the chart table, a folding helm-seat, storage, navigation equipment and electrical control box. Opposite this is the galley area with a Tasco Kenyon cooker, (3 burner and oven), double sink units (one fresh water, the other salt), Seafrost cold plate freezer/refrigerator (with 6″ insulation and engine driven compressor), worktops and cupboards. Going forward again is the main cabin with a settee berth to either side, lockers, reading lights, a fitted table and a stove. Forward again to the heads, which is spacious and extremely well fitted with a Baby Blake 111 MSD sea toilet, cupboards, hand basin, etc. Going aft from the cockpit, there is a large owners stateroom, with a full sized double berth, with lockers under and two deep hanging lockers and a fitted bookshelf, with integral storage spaces. Interior décor is predominately white, with teak trim, a teak and holly sole and blue woven upholstery. Great care has been taken with the standard of fit-out which is not only of superb quality but also very artistically executed, featuring a recurring Dolphin motif which has been used to great effect in forming the ventilation holes in the vessel’s numerous cupboard doors, etc. Navigation equipment includes: KVH fluxgate compass, Raytheon 570 Loran, Raytheon Ray 80 VHF, Ritchie compass at cockpit pedestal (where there is a 32″ teak wheel), Teleflex hydraulic steering and much more. Other equipment includes a 190 amp alternator, a Hart inverter, shore power, a Sayes Wind Vane, electric bilge pump, stainless boarding ladder, Ship’s bell, Boston clock and barometer, etc. External: The vessel is very substantially built and has stainless pulpit, stanchions and handrails (including round the foot of the mast). There is a teak handrail round the raised aft deck and she has a Bimini which fits over the cockpit. She is a striking looking craft with her green hull and white superstructure, dark-green sail covers and teak trim. Ground gear includes 3 anchors (a 65lb Plough, a 35lb CQR and a 30 lb Danforth) plus 200′ chain and 200′ 5/8 nylon.

REMARKS: This vessel appears to have been very substantially built, with a well thought-out, high quality fit-out. She was surveyed in 1993, valued at USD 180,000 and has an excellent report. She is US Coast Guard registered and is recommended for “all oceans navigation” by her surveyor. It is understood that although she was built in 1982, she was stored ashore during the next ten years whilst her fitting out was completed. Further details are available on page 132 of “Spray: The Ultimate Cruising Boat” by Bruce Roberts. She is for sail due to a change of plans.

OUR OPINION: Though not personally inspected, other than to have seen her on video, it is clear that this vessel has been built and fitted out to a very high standard. We have handled another Spray of this size and standard (albeit that that one was not rigged – no spars or sails were included in the sale) and she sold for a similar price, her ultimate buyer having travelled from Brazil specifically to see her such was her overall quality. Interest in that vessel was considerable – as we would expect also to be the case with this one. For a boat of this obvious quality – and recently repainted – we feel this to be a bargain price.