Review of Elan 36
Basic specs.
If you have a photo you would like to share: Upload Image
Looking for a new boat? Find an Elan 36 or similar boat for sale
The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The interior is like many other boats made of mahogany. Mahogany belongs to the hardwood species, known for being water-repellent and resistant to decay. It has an attractive wood grain and holds wood polish and varnish well.
The boat is equipped with 3 cabins, a galley, 256.0 liter fresh water capacity and toilet facility.
The boat has more than one rig.
One option is a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
Another option is a masthead rig. The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.
The Elan 36 has been built with different keel alternatives.
Fin keel
The Elan 36 is equipped with a fin keel. A boat with a fin keel is more manoeuvrable but has less directional stability than a similar boat with a full keel.
Elan 36 can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 1.95 - 2.05 meter (6.40 - 6.70 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Fin keel
The Elan 36 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.
The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.40 - 1.50 meter (4.59 - 4.89 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
The Elan 36 has been equipped with different engine alternatives.
Alternative 1:
The boat may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar 3GM30 diesel engine at 27 hp (20 kW). Calculated max speed is about 6.6 knots
Alternative 2:
Elan 36 may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar 3GM diesel engine at 30 hp (22 kW). Calculated max speed is about 7.0 knots
The fuel tank has a capacity of 90.0 liters (23 US gallons, 19 imperial gallons).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for Elan 36 is 2.05, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.
What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.0 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for Elan 36 is about 263 kg/cm, alternatively 1473 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 263 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 1473 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?
The Motion Comfort Ratio for Elan 36 is 19.5.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for Elan 36 is 2.98.
The ballast ratio for Elan 36 is 45%.
What is Displacement Length Ratio?
The DL-ratio for Elan 36 is 117 which categorizes this boat among 'ultra light racers'.
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 45m2 (484 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Masthead rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Jib sheet | 10.7 m | (35.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 10.7 m | (35.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 26.7 m | (87.7 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 23.5 m | (77.2 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 32.8 m | (107.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 32.8 m | (107.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 32.8 m | (107.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 10.7 m | (35.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 10.7 m | (35.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 26.7 m | (87.7 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 23.5 m | (77.2 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Cunningham | 4.4 m | (14.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 8.9 m | (29.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 8.9 m | (29.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.
Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.
We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Elan 36 it would be a great help.
If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.