It’s been called a cruiser’s cruiser. The durable Monk 36, with its classic profile, helped to popularize the recreational trawler during the 1980s. It turned what was at first a niche market into one of America’s most popular boat types.
At just under 40 feet length overall with a 13-foot beam, the Monk 36 was designed with a semi-displacement hull, a full keel, and a protected prop and rudder. The bow was tall and flared, and the hull had a high freeboard all around with molded-in spray rails.
The cabin had a master stateroom aft and a V-berth forward, each with its own head compartment. The salon was laid out with teak furniture, and there was a sliding door at the lower helm. (There was also a helm station on the flybridge.) Teak trim and teak-and-holly soles were used throughout. The L-shaped galley had a home-style refrigerator/freezer, a three-burner stove and an oven. There was a bathtub in some early models, too.
A single 120- to 135-hp diesel provided an average speed around 7 knots, where fuel use was a stingy 5 gph. Later models were equipped with a 220-hp Cummins diesel engine, increasing the cruise speed to 9 or 10 knots.
The Monk 36 was first built in Taiwan in 1982, and then in Nova Scotia beginning in 1992. The model was in production until 2007, with more than 250 hulls delivered to owners.
The designer, Ed Monk Jr., was the son of Ed Monk Sr., himself a naval architect and shipwright of note. Father and son worked together for many years on recreational and commercial craft. Monk Jr. established a reputation for designing rugged, dependable boats.
As a veteran Pacific Northwest delivery captain put it: “Ed Monk Jr. designs boats that seem to flow easily through the water. When it comes to performance and seakeeping, his designs are my gold standard.”
This article originally appeared in the April 2020 issue.
