This design follows on the heels of the Kingfisher 32 design and just expands the capability and range that her smaller sister would have. There is something magical about 36 feet for cruising on the Northwest Coast — they get the job done, have the range, provide comfort in a seaway, and have enough space for a really great cruising platform. If you look at history, most of the small Salmon Trollers that were used on the Inland Passage were all in this size range and my own beloved Josephine is just about the same length.  Where the Salmon boats favor depth and narrow beam for their seaworthiness requirements, this design has a shallower draft and enough beam to increase the initial stability and trade off a bit of the final stability of its narrower sisters for the comfort and room of another couple feet in width.

I think this design is rather unique in the way that she carries off the second stateroom and head, both them being accessed from aft the pilothouse. This arrangement keeps the housetop of this second stateroom on the aft deck just about perfect counter height and makes for a really usable aft deck. My own converted Salmon Troller Josephine has the same arrangement and we love it for using the house top for sitting on, or as a counter or buffet. With the walk up in deep bulwarks on the starboard side, you don’t feel unsafe at any time while on the stern deck. A rigid roof over the aft deck allows the maximum of use in our occasional inclement weather and with some simple canvas curtains rolled up on the sides, you can create another room when the weather is really uncooperative.

Going forward into the pilothouse, the head is to port with a small ‘L’ shaped dinette at the front edge of it. The galley is to starboard and the helm area in front of that. If you take my advice, you will mount a diesel heating/cooking range in the galley for keeping a pot always warm on the edge and with plenty of room to fit a skillet of scrambled eggs on for breakfast.

I love getting up early in the morning and while the coffee is heating, I take a turn thru the engine room and then with a mug of steaming coffee, I’ll take a few minutes on the aft deck under cover to enjoy all the smells and moist cleanness of the early morning hours.  I typically start the engine before my second cup, pull up the anchor, and get underway before the dew is completely dried on the pilothouse windows.  Soitza, my wife, will be up just about the time I get a hankering for my second cup of coffee and we typically share the last of the pot together with the boat gathering way and getting up to speed.  After an hour or two of running with another pot of coffee boiling on the stove and some eggs being forked into my mouth, there is little wonder why I like cruising so very much! – Sam Devlin

The Kingfisher 36 is available as study plans and as a complete custom build from Devlin.