SeaPiper 35

SeaPiper 35 Details

The first SeaPiper is a 36-foot trawler with a design theme of ease of use, comfortable living, and above all, simplicity. It is a fully capable sea boat that has sufficient range for its owners to explore inland waterways, enjoy extended coastal cruising, and make occasional offshore passages. 

Of particular interest to some cruisers, the boat has the additional benefit of being fully trailerable without having to be dismantled, and trucked without special permits on North American roads. There are very few cruising yachts whose owners can spend the summer on the beautiful waters of the Pacific Northwest or Alaska, and then relax during the winter months in the Bahamas or Mexico, all in the same calendar year. 

The SeaPiper 35 can do just that.

With general specs of 36 feet LOA and a beam of 8.5 feet, the boat draws under 3 feet. The ballasted, chined hull with a long keel can sit without stress on the bottom during low tide to dry out. The same shape that makes it trailer friendly also means it can park in a marina lot safely during winter months without special cradles or stands.

With an air draft of just 8’3”, the SeaPiper 35 is great for exploring canal systems, transiting the ICW, and completing the Great Loop and its many variations without difficulty.

Not many boats can do it all, but the SeaPiper 35 may be one of them.

The hull of the 36-footer is solid fiberglass, and the builder uses Nidacore honeycomb coring in the topsides, cockpit, and superstructure. 

The boat comes powered by a single diesel engine, such as the popular Beta 85hp or similar Yanmar engines. Located low in the hull to provide an almost straight run of the propeller shaft level to the water line, the resulting low center of gravity of the engine and tankage adds significantly to the high level of stability.

Even so, the SeaPiper 35 is an ideal candidate for the Seakeeper2 gyro stabilizer system to improve the already comfortable motion at sea and at anchor. Life is good with a low center of gravity and 2,000lbs of ballast.

The layout of the SeaPiper 35 allows one to move from one space to the next without excessive climbing of ladders or stairs, with the forward stateroom and head separated from the pilothouse, saloon, and galley by the large midship cockpit. The trademark element of all SeaPipers is this large and protected cockpit. It is deep and secure with large scuppers to make short work of draining the cockpit in the unlikely event of a boarding sea. Two side cockpit doors provide optimum access to docks and dinghies alongside. They are also perfect for those who cruise with pets.

The master stateroom and head are forward of the cockpit, ensuring privacy in the stateroom separated from the rest of the boat. The foredeck has 14-inch-wide side decks for crew to move forward for anchoring and line handling duty, and 31-inch high handrails add to the security.

Aft of the midship cockpit is a sliding door into the pilothouse, and the helm area shares space with the cozy saloon and galley. The saloon has an L-shaped settee and adjustable table that converts into a double berth as necessary. The complete but compact galley is just aft of this saloon, and has the counter space and equipment to keep crew well fed with meals served in the saloon or cockpit. 

And the cook can safely step out into the aft cockpit at the stern to take a break during meal prep. With the door open to this aft cockpit, the ventilation through the main cabin is fantastic. The aft cockpit contains LPG tank storage and double transom doors that open out to the swim platform. This secure aft cockpit is ideal for stern line handling.

Careful inspection reveals there are four watertight bulkheads in the boat, creating five watertight compartments for the ultimate in safety at sea.

Sitting on the starboard-side, adjustable helm seat in the pilothouse, one can navigate the boat with complete confidence, as lines of sight are outstanding in almost all directions. The location of the helm keeps both ends of the boat in sight. With a large chartplotter front and center in the helm console to keep track of one’s progress, it is a simple matter to slowly approach a lock or narrow channel, thruster controls within reach, adjusting the single engine throttle to make just enough way on to gently place a fender against the lock wall. One step out the door into the midship cockpit has lines in hand in a matter of seconds. It is all simple and easy.

One lifts the main hatch into the engine room from the midship cockpit to check all fluid levels and look for any leaks, drips, or loose connections on wires or hoses. Everything is within reach, and there is no guesswork involved of gear that is hidden or out of sight. It is an uncluttered engine space that will make every owner happy.

It is easy to imagine running the SeaPiper 35 in the above scenarios. It is a good choice for a couple or a single person who wants a capable trawler that is easy to handle, with a long keel for directional stability, and with the space and equipment for extended cruising and living aboard. It is not the right boat for cruising with multiple couples or large families, and it is not intended to serve the role as a dockside condo for those who like waterfront living but not necessarily leaving the dock.

In many ways, the SeaPiper 35 is proof that less is more. It has all the essentials, yet is hardly large enough for washer/dryer, wine cooler, espresso machine, and all the appliances that seem to come aboard larger trawlers. And whose owners often must remain in port waiting for parts and repairs.

It is an ideal choice for the Great Loop, and it certainly has the range to cruise SE Alaska and most tropical island chains. But why stop there, when we consider the trailer potential of taking this cruising boat all over North America?

The SeaPiper 35. Don’t be surprised if you happen upon one of these beauties quietly tied up on the bank along the Canal du Midi in France. A bicycle kept in the cockpit makes light work of riding into town for fresh baguettes to enjoy with coffee or tea in the early morning light.

Taking life slow is not such a bad thing.