Courtesy Monk 36 Owners Association
One of the pleasures of this job is hearing from readers who know their boats cold. They write in with hands-on knowledge of the vessels they’ve owned, sharing production histories, engine specs, hull numbers and the kind of institutional memory that comes from years on the water.
Case in point: Our story “Nine Cruising Classics” (April) included the Monk 36 among its honorees. The Monk community read it and letters came in. Among them was a note from Neil Skogland, secretary of the Monk 36 Owners’ Association, who shared fleet intel only a true “Monkster,” as he calls himself, would have at his fingertips.
The Monk 36’s production history, he said, is kind of its own adventure story, spanning two-plus decades and two countries. The first boats were built in Taiwan from 1980 through the early 1990s, when production shifted to Nova
Scotia. There, the last hull— No. 258—rolled out as a 2008 model. But Skogland notes that hull numbers were sometimes repeated during production changes, and his group has currently identified up to 267 boats made.
Power options were more varied than some would have guessed. The 135-hp Perkins and 150-hp Cummins were the workhorses of the Taiwan era, but early boats also came with Perkins engines ranging from 165 to 240 hp, along with a few Ford-Lehmans, Caterpillars, Isuzus, Volvos and Yanmars. “More than a dozen twin-engine boats were among the Taiwan production,” writes Skogland, with one powered by two 210-hp engines. “That’s the boat with the highest power in the fleet.”
Skogland also shared details about the Monk 36 Owners’ Association, which seems to be the kind of community that makes you want to buy one of these trawlers just to join it. Founded in 1999, it was originally a customer group organized by North Sea Yachts of New Jersey, the primary builder of the brand during the Taiwan years. But in 2001, the owners took it over and opened membership to anyone who’d ever called a Monk home or had plans to. Today, membership consists of roughly 175 people who own the 36, 70 former owners, and another dozen or so who are hoping to have one at their dock one day. Home ports for these members range from British Columbia to Newfoundland, the Gulf Coast and the Great Lakes, with a few people in Europe.
On the association’s message board, members trade information on everything from teak maintenance tips to electrical troubleshooting, along with photos, manuals and sea stories. That exchange, says Skogland, is a key mission of the organization. They gather each year at rendezvous events too, as shown above.
“The organization has worked hard to remain relevant and continue to share experiences among an ever-changing group of caretakers of our fabulous boats, most of which remain out on the water and in good condition,” he writes.
To my ear, that doesn’t sound like just a club. That’s a good crew. Thanks, Mr. Skogland, and keep the letters coming, Monksters.
Jeanne Craig jeanne.craig@firecrown.com
This article was originally published in the June 2026 issue.
