1985 Morris 36

Designed as a serious offshore cruiser with shoal-draft capability, the Morris 36's lines and weight distribution were computer optimized to provide excellent performance on all points of sail. The boat has a delicate balance of crisp, clean traditional lines and a modern, fast, responsive underbody. To maximize performance, the design offers a transom stern with the added sailing length of a counter stern. There are two keel configurations offered, the standard fin or optional Scheel keel. The bulwarks are a minimum of 5 inches high, providing sure footing when on the foredeck. The cockpit is thoughtfully proportioned combining comfort and protection for the crew. Available with either sloop or cutter rig, the standard 36 has a high aspect ratio masthead rig with shrouds moved well inboard for clean side decks and narrow sheeting angles. Below deck there are a number of interior layouts available. Even if the traditional pilot berth layout is selected, most things in the interior can still be altered. To enhance the stiffness designed into the hull and deck, the designer specifies a matrix of double-bonded preconstructed cabinets and bulkheads fiber-glass bonded directly to the hull and deck with triaxial DBM. The care that goes into every Morris 36 is obviously time consuming, but the result is a yacht built for longevity and to hold her value through the years.

Morris 36 Specifications - Standard Equipment Hull - Deck - Built to the highest specifications using Reichold Hydrex Vinylester resin and quadaxial E-glass laminate. Our gelcoat is the highest marine grade of ISO NPG. Decks are balsa cored. All areas for thru-deck fastenings are solid laminate. Layout - Standard pilot berth, optional dinette or tri-cabin interior. Colors - AwIgrip hull, boot stripe and whale stripe to owner's choice of color, bright white gelcoat deck with light tan non-skid, and Pettit ACP60 bottom paint. Finish - White Formica bulkheads, oiled teak trim and 3-4 " solid teak cabin sole. Engine - Yanmar 3GM marine diesel, fresh water cooling, full instrument panel, electric fuel gauge, Racor secondary fuel - water separator, 37 gallon aluminum fuel tank, Edson dual-lever controls and fixed two-blade propeller. Spars - While awlgrip aluminum with stainless steel hardware. Rigging - Two Lewmar 46ST chrome two-speed primary winches, two Lewmar 16 chrome two-speed halyard winches, one Lewmar 30ST chrome two-speed main sheet winch, one Lewmar 16ST chrome reefing winch, 1 x 19 5-16" stainless wire, double braid sheets, New England Rope Staset-X halyards, internal outhaul and topping lift. Electrical - Three 90 amp 12V deep cycle marine batteries, 18 circuit breaker panel with voltmeter - ammeter - master switch - main breaker, tin-coated copper wiring, copper grounding system for standing rigging and engine, 10 x 12V dome cabin lights, one chart light, engine room light, companionway courtesy light, rail-mounted bow - stern navigation lights and mast steaming - deck light. Mechanical - Edson wheel steering, three-burner propane stove - oven - broiler with propane monitor, top-load ice chest, hot - cold pressure water, stainless steel sinks in galley and head with manual back-up pumps, Raritan PHII marine approved head with aluminum holding tank, 100 gallons fresh water in two stainless tanks, six gallon hot water heater, and Marelon thru-hulls and seacocks. Equipment - Ritchie pedestal compass, stainless steel deck hardware, nine stainless opening portlights with screens and exterior trim rings, two Bomar double opening cabintop hatches, teak cap rail, teak eyebrow trim, teak companionway hatch with white Lexan cover, teak overhead interior handrails, two teak dorades with stainless cowl vents, fiberglass seahood stainless stanchions, double lifelines with gates port and starboard, V-berth filler and 5" interior cushion foam. Sail - We offer sails by North and Doyle and work closely with our customer and the loft to assure proper selection of sails for their intended use. Morris 36 Optional Equipment - Varnishing of standard exterior teak - Teak cockpit coaming caps - Teak companionway screen - Stainless steel boarding ladder with PVC treads - Stainless steel swim ladder with removable extension. - Deck prism - Draft control for dorade - Dodger - teak dams - traveler control lines led aft - Raytheon radar - Questus mount - Autohelm 7000 Autopilot Type I drive unit - Autohelm instruments - Raytheon GPS - ICOM VHF - 110V system - panel - 3 GFI outlets -20 amp charger - Tricolor anchor light - Tricolor anchor light with strobe - Optional hull color - Teak rub rail with stainless steel half oval - 4'6" shoal draft Scheel keel - Seafrost refrigeration - Espar D3L cabin heater - Three-blade max propeller with hull zinc - Removable inner forestay and storm jib hardware - Furlex 61C roller furfing - Sta-lok terminals for standing rigging - Continuous reefing - main halyard led aft - Hall B12 quick vang led aft - Lazyjacks - Flag halyard to mast head - Spreader halyard - Windex wind indicator - Tri-cabin interior - Dinette interior - L-shaped dinette interior - Varnishing of standard interior trim (satin) - Insulate hull - Velcro screens for Bomar hatches

Cruising Beyond the Bay

"You can do it!!!  There is a whole world out there to explore.  Whether you intend to take your boat  south down the ICW to North Carolina or Charleston or on to Miami and maybe the Bahamas or north up to  Long Island Sound,  Maine or Buzzards  Bay, you can do it.  Figure out where you can go and carve out a plan."

The owner of "Fiscal Stray has written several BLOGS on his web site which are a great resource for someone thinking of cruising beyond the local waters.

"CRUISING BEYOND THE BAY" 

"HOW TO PREPARE AND WHERE TO GO FISCAL STRAY IN THE BAHAMAS" 

"2012 MAINE 2012 – FISCAL STRAY GOES TO MAINE"

and More....Check out his Web Page "http://www.todsails.com/"

"Mention the Morris 36 these days and most sailors conjure images of the spectacular new Sparkman & Stephens designed daysailer/weekender being built by the highly respected Maine builder. However, the original Morris 36, which is better known as the Morris Justine, is no slouch and just happens to be the company's best-selling model to date. A graceful Chuck Paine design, the Justine 36 is superbly engineered and well proportioned. It is just large enough to be a genuine cruising boat with a nice turn of speed but it is small enough to be nimble and easily handled. Whether your sailing schedule allows for an afternoon gliding along Penobscot Bay or a month making your way to Nova Scotia, the Justine 36 will be right at home."

Read the full article: https://sailingmagazine.net/article-576-morris-36.html

We have owned Fiscal Stray since 1999.  We are the third owner.  Tom Morris, the builder, and Chuck Paine, the designer, set out to provide sailors with a safe boat which can also be competitive – especially on long courses.  They were, in our opinion, successful.  Sailing Magazine’s John Kretschmer reviewed the Morris 36 as a used boat a few years ago.  The review can be found here:  https://sailingmagazine.net/article-576-morris-36.html

We have sailed Fiscal Stray out of Saint Michaels, Maryland around the Chesapeake and North to Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.  When we went out of the Bay we tended to anchor and enjoy the least popular places.  You can find a description of one of our trips south and one north at www.todsails.com.  Just click where the home page tells you to and select the part you want to read.  We made many trips both north and south but only documented one each so far. 

What follows is an abbreviated description of our 2019 trip to Nova Scotia.  We left St. Michaels on July 2 and headed north.  We made the Coast Guard station at Cape May on 7/4/19.  Going north from Cape May we prefer the outside route but Chris Parker, our SSB radio router told us we needed to be in shelter sooner rather than later.  We sailed to Atlantic Highlands.  The next morning we left when the tides were favorable for the East River..  Heading up Long Island sound we hit Jamestown, RI, went over to Newport,  did some shopping, and left for Marion on 7/11.  We stayed put at Marion YC due to weather.

We left for Ptown and rented a mooring.  We left the mooring at 11:30 and headed for Tenants Harbor where we picked up a mooring and ran into Chuck Paine.  On to Rockland where we provisioned.  We left the mooring at 10:00 and joined our OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) friends for the sail to NS.  We stopped at Lunenburg to check in to Canada. Next stop Halifax and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron.  The  OCC cruisers and some boats from the RNSYS then cruised in company.  We had a wonderful time and met many new friends.  We left at 0800 08/06/19  from Shelbourn NS for NE Harbor Maine.  We enjoyed NE Harbor and then Camden.  We then did an OCC cruise stopping at some wonderful anchorages including Maple Juice Cove and the Basin.

We had turned around and headed south.  We had some weather – expected and predicted but anchored with a bit of chain out.  We had some  nice stops: New Bedford, Great Salt Pond, and Essex for example.  We stayed put when weather indicated it was a good idea.  There was a storm on the Atlantic so we stayed on the Sound.  FS then moved from Port Washington to Still Pond – 232 nm in 35 hrs averaging 6.6 knots.  We made it home to St. Michaels on 9/11/19,  Our trip covered 2248 nm and took 71 days.  We spent 2 nights at a dock.  We had done 5 overnights.    

We made numerous trips north and many south to the Bahamas.

A prospective purchaser might be interested in how the boat does racing.  Gust Stringos on Bluebird has done 13 Bermuda races doing single handed races and races where he goes over single handed and sails back double handed. Tom Vander Saln on Yankee Girl (the former Next Boat) has done 8 Bermuda races.  In 2023 Gust did first in class and first in fleet in the single handed class. He has also taken silver in 2017 and 2016.  I don’t have complete records beyond that.  Bluebird has won the Around the Island race on Penobscot Bay with Chuck Paine as crew.  Bluebird has the same keel configuration and stick as Fiscal Stray

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.