Kirby 36

[sabre66]

I'm considering buying a 1984 Kirby 36 and racing it in our local PHRF fleet.. I have been racing in larger boats 41' plus for the past few years and dont know much about the Kirby other than it seems like alot of boat for the money. Does anyone have any personal knowledge of them? Their were only 5 built so it's hard to get information.

[D'ARTOIS]

The Kirby 36 you want to buy is probably called "WAR HOG" and is presenly in Michigan. She has a handicap rating of 94 as I have been reading and I have seen that she is pretty fast, seeing her record.
So you know already that the designer is Bruce Kirby. I believe to have seen a Kirby in Holland, a few years ago and I found it an attractive boat.

[Kirby36]

If you are still interested...I just stumbled on to this site now.
I own Hull #5.....since 1988. There were 6 built but #6 has a cruising deck.
Builder...Hayden Gozzard (Scorpio Yachts) in Exetor Ontario CAN. He has a web site and builds such cruising legends as the Gozzard 35.
Bruce Kirby designed the 36 right after CANADA 1, for the 1983 Americas Cup.
As a follow-up to his own new boat at the time, Kirby 40 called Runaway which he designed and he and his boat partner had built for the Canadian Admiral's Cup team that year.
The K36 is very similar to the K40.

PHRF rating on Lake Ontario & Lake Huron is now 99.....the same as an F3.
Performance is faster than an F3 in under 8 knots...slower in over 15 knots....marginally in both cases.
Has lots of horsepower with 50+ % ballast to displacement ratio.

If you want further info....just ask.

[Jim in CC]

I am also interested in War Hog, which is still for sale. I am in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the typical conditions in the bay are 3-5 foot choppy seas with 15-22 knots across the deck. J 29s did well here, as do J 35s. I am hoping for a little more boat than a 29, but not as expensive as a J35. How stiff is the Kirby? I am hoping the fractional rig would help suit the bay here...We are often compared to San Francisco Bay- albeit much warmer and less current- if that helps answer the question.

[Kirby36]

Hi Jim,
I love the Kirby 36; I've owned mine for 19 years now.
She handles very well in all weather conditions.
Note the greater than 50% ballast to displacement ratio!!!

In light air however she has tonnes of horsepower.

We switch down from the heavy #1 at about 17-18 knots true wind speed....to a #3 - blade....and then crank on the main to power up again.

We race with 8 to 9 (7 will work in light to medium air but 6 is not enough)

We sail against J35's on Lake Ontario....they are a bit quicker...but the PHRF rating reflects the difference and we can beat them if we pay attention.
Like the 35 she's a good big boat with lots of momentum and a long-chord keel to fetch marks and such.....where the J29 would probably be stalling out trying to pinch around a mark in current.
Here's a tip I've learned in current conditions....approach the windward mark from the opposite tack.....port tack if it's a starboard tack rounding...much harder to screw up this way.

I met the owners (was a partnership but one guy passed away) of the boat you are considering.....they came to my place to check out my boat and copied alot of the modifications I have made over the years. They did do a lot of work....mostly exterior from what I see in the pictures. The mast step looks rough though and should/could have been done better than what I am seeing.

My wife and I daysail and cruise the boat easily....flaking the main can be a chore in windy conditions for just 2 though.

Let me know if you make a deal for the boat and I will be glad to share anything I've learned.

Best regards, Dave

[Jim in CC]

Thanks, Dave. I'm waiting for a reply form the owners, then will look at logistics of getting her down here. That will likely make a big difference on the descision...we shall see!

[sabre66]

I'm also interested in this boat, but several people who've raced on her have told me that you need more like 8 or 9 + to race her in anything over 15 knots. Is she really that tender?Crew is always a problem.

[warhog1]

Dave from Belleville, ONT is correct, the Kirby 36 does handle well in all weather conditions. On War Hog, we do exactly as he suggests, which is take the headsail down to the #3 blade over about 16kts. With over 500 ft2 on the main, you still have plenty of horsepower to get through any chop.

As for crew, I don't really consider the Kirby a "tender" boat. I've been on quite a few that are significantly more "tender". War Hog has a deep enough keel and enough displacement. We won a National Hospice qualifier (3 W-L races) in 10-12 kts true wind with 5 on board. Normally for races round the buoys we liked 6 or 7. We did quite well with War Hog on Lake Michigan and rarely had 8 on board, never more. If the mainsail trimmer is good, you can keep the Kirby 36 with a #3 "on her feet" (vs. on her ears) in heavier winds. Bruce designed boats with lots of sail area, so reefing the large main with winds over say 22kts helps a lot also.

[francistibbetts]

I currently sail/own a Kirby 30, and am very familiar with Bruce Kirby's work. I
have only ever met him once, many years ago. The Kirby 36 has a narrower stern than most of his other work, no doubt a sacrifice to hold the rating within reason under the IOR. She'd almost certainly have a wider stern otherwise, with a bit higher top speed in a blow. As to crew numbers, I've sailed/raced a custom 40 of my son's design (but 11,000 # displacement, fractional rig) for
17 seasons. We found that perhaps 8 people could cover the various functions most of the time. The trouble was that coming out of a leeward mark, everyone was busy down in the boat, and noboby on the rail. If there is any wind at all it is better to have perhaps two extra "rail quails" who can get right up there right away. Remember each 10 lbs on the rail is as good as 35-40 in the keel at small angles of heel. Also it is weight you can leave ashore on a light day. I have watched WarHog's time on the market with interest. It is about the best value/$$ that's crossed my attention in the last couple years, IOR compromises not withstanding. She might be particularly attractive in a light wind venue. F.T.

[francistibbetts]

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[K-36-canvasback]

so what has become of Warhog?has she found a loving home yet?

[piglet]

the boat was sold and is now in Port Dover Ontario.

[bshambrook]

We are considering purchasing a Kirby 36 in Port Dover. i believe it is War Hog. There are no pictures of the interior. Does she have a VBerth, cabin berths and quarter berths? is her head enclosed? Are there certain things we should look for-moisture, delamination, electrical, mechanical, rigging etc problems? Are there any sources where we could go to get a sense for the interior layout or are all six copies different? Thanks

[piglet]

the boat in dover is the old War Hog. It does not have a v-berth. It has two fixed bunks in the main cabin and two large quarterberths. I believe all core issues and delamination have been repaired. I raced the boat for over 12 years so l know the boat as well as most people.

Louis

[francistibbetts]

Here is a link to a Kirby 36 that was sold up at the head of lake Michigan.
The listing is still up with interior pictures.(war hog when she sold last time)
http://www.sailingtexas.com/skirby36a.html
Good luck