FairKeel → Buyer's guides → Allied Princess 36

Allied Princess 36

1972–1981 · designed by Arthur Edmunds · built by Allied Boat Company

The Allied Princess 36 was designed by Arthur Edmunds as a shoal-draft full-keel cruising ketch (and cutter) intended for coastal and bluewater passage-making, with particular suitability to shallow cruising grounds such as the Chesapeake, Florida Keys, and Bahamas. Edmunds prioritized heavy displacement, seakindly motion, and conservative construction over performance. The boat earned a solid reputation as a capable blue-water cruiser among budget-conscious offshore sailors and became Allied's most numerically successful model during the company's production run (1962-1981) in Catskill, New York.

Check this first — 141 hulls were built and most are ketches, but not all: Good Old Boat records some sloops and cutters, and a later bowsprit/cutter option sold as the Princess II. Rig drives the standing-rigging inventory, the sail wardrobe and much of the running cost, so confirm which rig this hull actually carries rather than assuming the ketch this guide otherwise describes.

This is a general read on the Allied Princess 36 class — informed background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history, and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.

At a glance

Hull form: Full Keel
Ballast type: Encapsulated Lead
Rudder: Keel Hung
Mast step: Deck Stepped
Hull construction: Fiberglass
Production: 1972–1981
Built in: USA

What the Allied Princess 36 is known for

Thick, hand-laid fiberglass hull (24 oz woven roving and mat) is genuinely stout — structural failure is rarely a survey finding on this class.
Encapsulated lead ballast eliminates the keel-bolt corrosion pathway that plagues bolt-on iron and lead installations of the same era.
Shoal 4.5 ft draft opens cruising grounds — Chesapeake, Bahamas, Gulf coast — that deeper fin-keel contemporaries cannot access.
Ketch rig splits sail area into manageable panels, reducing loads on individual sails and making the boat genuinely short-hand friendly once the crew is proficient.
Steady, easy motion under sail and at anchor; the heavy displacement dampens hobby-horsing and makes passagemaking comfortable for less experienced crew.

Known trade-offs

The original 25hp Westerbeke is underpowered for 14,400lb. Owners report to Good Old Boat that it is inadequate powering into any kind of head sea, and boats not repowered to around 40hp struggle in headwinds and adverse current.
Original worm-gear steering is robust but non-reversing, so the helm gives very little feedback. Not a fault and not expensive, but it changes how the boat feels to steer and is worth knowing before a test sail rather than after.
Full keel and heavy displacement produce mediocre windward performance; the boat points poorly and makes significant leeway compared to fin-keel contemporaries.
Balsa deck core at hardware penetrations is a near-universal soft-spot risk on 45-54-year-old hulls; expect to find at least some delamination on any unrestored example.
Factory fuel tanks have a documented leak history across the class — an unresolved tank is both a fire risk and a contamination source for the engine.
Small cockpit drains on early hulls are a safety concern: a large, low-freeboard cockpit that drains slowly is a liability in a knockdown or boarding sea.

Age-related quirks to expect

The original 25hp Westerbeke is genuinely undersized for 14,400lb, and this is owner-reported rather than inferred from the numbers: Good Old Boat records that most owners found it inadequate powering into any kind of head sea. Many boats have been repowered, one documented example to a 40hp Yanmar 3JH4E. A boat still on the original engine is not defective, but plan around it. severity: Medium affects: 1972-1981 (all, pre-repower)

Hull-to-deck joint projects outboard, which Good Old Boat notes leaves it vulnerable to impacts — a dock or a piling finds it before the hull does. Later boats got a teak cap and brass strake instead of the aluminium extrusion, so check which one this hull has and inspect the joint along its whole length for impact damage and weeping. severity: Medium affects: 1972-1981 (early aluminium-extrusion hulls worst)

Balsa deck core delamination at hardware penetrations severity: Medium affects: 1972-1981 (all years)

Faux-wood Formica interior finish — dated and difficult to refresh severity: Low affects: 1972-1978

Factory fuel tanks prone to leaks requiring replacement with smaller aftermarket tanks severity: Medium affects: 1972-1981 (all years)

Small cockpit drains on earlier hulls — slow drainage in a swamping event severity: Medium affects: 1972-1976 approx

Standing rigging and chainplates — all hulls now 45-54 years old; replacement likely overdue if not already done severity: High affects: 1972-1981 (all years)

Systems to check before you buy

Deck core (balsa) — hardware penetrations and low-lying areas priority: offshore, liveaboard, coastal

Balsa-cored deck is vulnerable to moisture intrusion at chainplate, stanchion base, and cleat fastenings. Soft spots underfoot and high moisture meter readings around hardware are the tell. Full re-core of a 36-footer is expensive and labor-intensive.

Engine — original Westerbeke or repower condition priority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard, motor

The original engine is a 25hp Westerbeke, on this boat a 4-91 through a 2:1 reduction gear, and Good Old Boat reports most owners found it inadequate powering into any kind of head sea. Treat that as the settled view of the class rather than a specification quibble: it is the single most common reason these boats get repowered, and 40hp is the figure owners have moved to. A documented professional repower is worth real money here and an original engine should be priced accordingly. Whatever is fitted, inspect for oil leaks, smoky exhaust, worn belts and hours.

Standing rigging and chainplates priority: offshore, coastal

Ketch rig means two masts — double the standing rigging inventory. All hulls are 45-54 years old. Inspect stainless chainplates for crevice corrosion under deck fittings, swage terminals for cracking, and sheaves for wear. Budget a full replacement if provenance is unknown.

Fuel tanks — original aluminum or steel priority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard, motor

Factory tanks have a documented history of leaks on this class. Inspect for rust staining, fuel odor in the bilge, and tank condition. Many owners have already replaced with smaller custom tanks; confirm capacity is adequate for intended passages.

Hull-deck joint and rubrail extrusion priority: offshore, coastal

The outward-turned hull-deck flange is protected by an aluminum extrusion rubrail. Impact damage to the rubrail can compromise the joint, and sourcing a matching replacement section is increasingly difficult on a 1970s boat. Inspect the full perimeter for separation, weeping, or corrosion at the joint.

How it fits your plans

Offshore: A capable offshore passage-maker for a patient crew. Heavy displacement and encapsulated ballast give genuine seakeeping credibility, but the shoal-draft full keel limits windward performance and makes long ocean passages slow. Verify standing rigging, engine, and cockpit drain size before committing bluewater.
Coastal: Well-suited to coastal cruising, especially shallow-water grounds (Chesapeake, Bahamas, Gulf). The 4.5 ft draft and stable motion are real assets. Performance to windward in a chop is modest.
Liveaboard: Functional liveaboard with 6+ ft headroom and multiple accommodation plans supporting up to five berths. Pre-1979 Formica interiors are dated but liveable; post-1979 natural wood is more pleasant. Engine reliability and tankage condition are the liveaboard gating items.
Weekending: Comfortable weekender with ample sleeping and storage for a couple or family. The ketch rig is manageable short-handed once crew is familiar with it.
Racing: Not a racing boat. Heavy displacement, full keel, and moderate sail area mean this class is uncompetitive in any rating fleet.

This guide is the class. A report is that hull. Paste the listing you're looking at and FairKeel grades every claim in it against what's known about the Allied Princess 36 — where the evidence is thin, the red flags worth a second look, the costs likely to land in your first season, and whether the boat suits the plans you describe in a few short questions.

It won't read the photos or put a number on the boat — that's the $249 Deep-Dive, and for the real answer, a surveyor. It will tell you when a Deep-Dive isn't worth buying. Free, no account, usually a minute or two.

Run a free report on your listing →

See something that doesn't look right? We'd love to know — email us about the Allied Princess 36 →

Browse all used-boat buyer's guides →