Buchan 37
Description
The Buchan 37 is a classic American fiberglass cruising/racing sloop designed by Bill Buchan Sr. (a legendary Northwest U.S. sailor and boatbuilder) and his son John Buchan in the early 1960s. Built by Buchan Boat Co. in Seattle, Washington, starting around 1963–1965 (with the first fiberglass hull in 1963 for Phil and Sam Peoples, named Salute), production continued into the late 1960s/early 1970s. Estimates suggest a limited run of around 20–30 hulls, making it a relatively rare and cult-favorite boat in the Pacific Northwest sailing scene. It evolved from earlier wooden prototypes (like the wooden Buchan 37 Thunder) and was influenced by the family's competitive racing background (Bill Buchan Sr. was a Star class sailor and innovator). The design prioritizes performance, stability, and seaworthiness over light displacement—it's heavier than many modern equivalents but known for being stiff, forgiving in big seas, and surprisingly quick in light air when well-trimmed.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Buchan Sr. |
|---|---|
| Builder | Buchan Boat Co. in Seattle, Washington |
| Length | 37.000 ft |
| LOA | 37.000 ft |
| LWL | 27.180 ft |
| Beam | 9.750 ft |
| Displacement | 12800 lb |
| Ballast | 6500 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.330 ft |
| Year Built | 1963 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 45 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 15.25 ft |
| p | 38 ft |
| e | 14.90 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 ft | 15.25 ft | 38 ft | 14.90 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Buchan 37 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 38 ft - (11582 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.9 ft - (4542 mm) |
| Leech | * 40.05 ft - (12207 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 40.33 ft - (12293 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 291.25 ft² |
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Buchan 37 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 38.01 ft - (11585 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.4 ft - (6218 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.7 ft - (9967 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.54 ft - (5346 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.97 ° |
| Area | * 333.38 ft² |
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Buchan 37 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 44 ft - (13411 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
| Leech | 39 ft - (11887 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.36 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.83 ft - (5130 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.93 ° |
| Area | * 370.25 ft² |
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Buchan 37 - GENOA
| Luff | * 45.14 ft - (13759 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.8 ft - (7559 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.29 ft - (12890 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.88 ft - (6974 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 516.36 ft² |
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Buchan 37 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 45.14 ft - (13759 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 25.16 ft - (7669 mm) |
| Leech | * 41.53 ft - (12658 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 852 ft² |
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Buchan 37 - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 26.13 ft - (7964 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.57 ft - (3527 mm) |
| Leech | * 21.13 ft - (6440 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 9.15 ft - (2789 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.03 ° |
| Area | * 119.52 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.