The Rustler 36 commands respect throughout the sailing world. Her legendary seakeeping and robust construction inspire confidence in sailors planning ocean passages — it’s no coincidence that the Rustler 36 is the yacht of choice for many Golden Globe Race entrants.

This particular Rustler 36 was built for her current owner and finished to his personal specification. Notably, she features a lowered saloon sole (the owner is 6'3") and a custom interior layout designed for long-distance cruising, with the electrical system configured for minimal battery draw.

Drifter II carries an extensive specification that includes a bow thruster, comprehensive sail wardrobe, 2023 standing rigging, liferaft, and a long list of equipment — making her ready to embark on her next series of adventures.

For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Peter Keats by phone, email or WhatsApp.

Hand laid GRP to Lloyd's Register specification. Independent survey during construction

Sleipner Sidepower 4hp bow thruster (lower unit/gearbox and propeller replaced in 2023)

Encapsulated long keel

Keel hung rudder

Edson rack and pinion steering incorporating the direct drive autopilot

Hand crafted teak Solent steering wheel

Teak laid decks, cockpit and seating

Last antifouled Spring 2025

Heads inlet sea cock reconditioned with new seals in 2023

Galley and engine sea cocks replaced in 2024

APPROXIMATE DIMENSIONS:

Length Overall: 10.77m (35'4")

Length Waterline: 8.21m (26'11")

Beam: 3.35m (11'11")

Draft: 1.67m (5'6")

Displacement: 7,623kg

Ballast: 3,456kg

Masthead sloop rig

Z Spars keel stepped mast and spars

Whisker pole

Spinnaker pole

Removable bowsprit

Stainless steel standing rigging replaced in 2023

Twin backstays

Detachable inner forestay with highfield lever

Running rigging inspected and replaced as necessary

Rod kicker

Gybe preventer

Single line slab reefing 3 reefs

Lazy jacks

Harken dual track genoa furler

WINCHES:

2 x Harken Barbarossa 44.2 self tailing primary winches

Lewmar 30 Self tailing sheet winch (to port)

Lewmar 30 sheet winch (to starboard)

2 x Lewmar 30 self tailing halyard winches

Meisner 18 reefing winch

Meisner 18 auxilliary/mainsheet winch

SAILS:

Hood fully battened mainsail with 3 reefs

Hood genoa

Crusader high aspect staysail

Hood MPS cruising chute with Selden Code Zero furling system

North Sails storm jib (unused)

Original North Sails sails in usable condition (genoa could be re-cut for twin foresail rig)

Yanmar 3GM-30 27hp diesel engine

954cc three cylinder motor with sea water cooling

Major engine service in 2023

Exhaust manifold and water jacket descaled in 2022

New water pump 2025

Stern gland and cutlass bearing replaced in 2008, repacked in 2024

Shaft drive to custom three blade 16 x 12 in. Brunton high tensile manganese bronze propeller and gearbox change for improved performance over standard

Dual alternators

Maximum speed: 6+ knots approx

Cruising speed: 5.5 knots approx

Single lever throttle/shift

ELECTRICS:

2 × 12 V 110 Ah sealed batteries with isolator switches

Batteries charged by...

Twin engine alternators

Rutland 914i wind turbine (installed ca. 2013, rebuilt ca. 2018 with stainless bearings and sealed)

50W solar panel (ca. 2013) and 12W trickle panel with controller

Rutland HRDi charge controller for wind and solar

240V/350W shore power automatic constant voltage battery charger

Electrical catastrophic-failure protection system (2014)

Schottky low-voltage-drop diodes where advantageous

240V shore power via consumer unit supplying charging system, calorifier and 13A sockets

240V to 12V 350W power supply for constant-voltage battery charging and continuous power in port (for HF/Amateur sets — not supplied)

Insulators in backstays providing top-fed inductively coupled sloper antenna, tunable for Amateur HF and Marine HF

TANKAGE:

151 litre (33 gallon) stainless steel fuel tank with site guage

208 litre (46 gallon) water tank

WATER SYSTEM:

Pressurised hot and cold water system

Water heated by engine calorifier, 240v shore power and 12v immersion heaters

Sleeps 6 in two cabins and the saloon

6'4" headroom

Interior joinery in mahogany, sycamore and cedar, with matched veneers

High quality joinery with dovetail joints

Teak cabin floor

FORWARD CABIN:

Large double V berth with storage below

Built in chest of drawers

High level shelving

Reading lights

Overhead hatch to deck

HEADS/SHOWER COMPARTMENT

Stainless steel handbasin with hot and cold taps

Shower head with hot and cold mixer

Lavac sea toilet (pump renewed with new hoses as required in 2025)

High and low level storage lockers

Towel rail and hooks

Mirror

Hand rails

SALOON:

L shaped settee berth to port converts easily to a large double

Settee berth to starboard with lee board

Storage below both berths

Large drop leaf saloon table with bottle lockers

Radio/reading/writing table with drawer and book case

High level storage lockers and shelves

Overhead hatch to deck

Switchable red/white light

NAVIGATION AREA:

Full size chart table with storage below

Dedicated space for mini PC and monitor (Included)

Book case

Electrical distribution panel

Dedicated storage for binoculars & torch (included)

GALLEY:

Twin stainless steel sinks with hot and cold mixer

Plastimo Neptune 4500 two burner gas cooker with grill

Waeco Coolmatic top loading refrigerator

Drop down work top extension

High and low level storage lockers

Dedicated crockery stowage

Kitchen roll holder

Hand rail

Safety strap

QUARTER CABIN:

Separated from the saloon by way of a curtain

Large single berth with lee board and storage below

Drop down shelf

Reading light

NAVIGATION AIDS:

Sestral Major compass with switchable red/white light

Mini PC with integrated Collins commercial GPS running with Meridian Chartware software loaded with Admiralty digital charts

Dell 14" PC monitor (12v)

NASA AIS engine (displays on the PC)

Garmin GPS60 mounted into the cockpit and linked to the PC

Stowe Dataline Depth

Stowe Dataline Wind

Stowe Dataline Speed

Stowe Dataline Central multifunction display at the chart table

Cetrek 737 autopilot

Cetrek fluxgate compass display

Icom IC-M120 VHF radio

Sextant

Clock and Barometer

Masthead LED tricolour and anchor light, deck spreader light and Windex replaced in 2023

GROUND TACKLE:

10kg Delta anchor with 45 metres of 3/8" calibrated chain

Simpson Lawrence Powerman 700 windlass (Rebuilt with stainless steel bearings in 2011)

Fortress kedge/second anchor

SAFETY EQUIPMENT:

XM 4 man ORC liferaft (Next service due in 2026)

2 x lifebuoy lights

Danbuoy

Radar reflector

Deployable radar reflector

4 x Automatic lifejackets with integral harness. Surveyed and tested 2015

2 x Automatic lifejackets, unused

2 x 2kg fire extinguishers with pressure gauges, safe level

1 x 1kg fire extinguishers with pressure gauge, safe level

Fire blanket

Pilot gas alarm

Signalling mirror

Emergency tiller

Bosun's chair

Spotlight with power socket in the cockpit

4 x Emergency insulating blankets

4 x Seasure cockpit mounted folding harness points

Man overboard throwing line

Fog horn

Large bolt croppers

Henderson Mk5 manual bilge pump

Automatic bilge pump

Gaslow gas pressure gauge

First Aid kit

GENERAL EQUIPMENT

Avon Rover dinghy with removable floorboards, oars and pump

Folding cockpit table

Sprayhood

8 x Fenders

Large ball fender

Mooring lines

Approx 60 metres 16mm warp as additional anchor line or towing in bad weather

Cockpit sun awning

Mainsail cover

Companionway rain cover

Forehatch wind scoop

Cockpit tonneau cover

Stainless steel boarding ladder with rope ladder extension

9 fenders

Large ball fender

Mooring lines

60 metres 16mm warp for towing or as additional anchor line

Roll up hose pipe

Anchor ball

Motoring triangle

Brass oil lamp

7 x 50 binoculars

Wind up/rechargable lamp

Spares and maintenance stores including spare toggles, shackles and blocks

Extensive instruction manuals

Yanmar workshop manual

Sony stereo radio/cassette player

The Journey to the Rustler 36, Drifter II

As a physicist, my career involved doing research at a number of Universities across Northern Europe (UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland). During this time, I owned several boats, including a Halcyon 27, Halmatic 30, and a Nicholson 32.

The logistical challenges and the experience gained in sailing these boats in the Baltic, the North Sea, the Channel and into the Western Approaches led me to think seriously about building a long-distance blue water cruising vessel suitable for a potential short- handed round-the-world voyage. This search coincided with my career shift to Technical Director of Cetrek, a marine electronics company in Poole which provided me with a lot of useful contacts in the marine industry.

Discovery and Performance

In 1998, I attended the Southampton Boat Show . There, I discovered the Rustler 36, displayed by Orion Marine, who had acquired the original Holman & Pye moulds.

The design was immediately striking: "It looked like a swan among ugly ducklings."

Holman & Pye designs are known for their exceptional beauty and good performance.

A trial sail in Falmouth confirmed its capabilities. Though my previous boats were all long-keel designs, which, while excellent in heavy weather, were generally not as fast as fin keel boats, the Rustler 36 maintained seaworthiness while achieving surprising speed due to its cut-back forefoot (reducing wetted surface). I find Drifter is surprisingly fast, often pulling away from boats considered quicker.

Purchase

I purchased the Rustler 36 in 1990. However, the standard Orion Marine finish and layout were not ideal for my intended single/short-handed, blue water cruising.

Therefore, I bought the Sailaway version (hull, engine, tanks, and teak deck), leaving the interior and rigging for custom completion. I brought the hull closer to home and assembled a team of shipwrights to build the bespoke, long-distance cruiser I envisioned.

ConstructionRigging and Deck Arrangement

Running Rigging and Steering: Mechanical Advantage

Energy Management: Efficiency Over Capacity

Unlike the common approach of relying on large battery banks and engine charging, my system is optimised for sailing long passages with minimal engine use.

Catastrophic Failure Protection System

The electrical system was comprehensively upgraded around 2014 to a modern, failsafe standard, driven by the availability of compact MIDI and MEGA high-current fuses.This was done at the same time that the wind and solar generators were added.

Accommodation and Joinery: A Wooden Boat Feel

My original desire was for a wooden boat. Since that was impractical for extended cruising, the goal for Drifter’s interior was to create the aesthetic and quality of a classic wooden vessel within the GRP hull. The shipwrights achieved this vision: inside, there is no visible fibreglass, plastic, or Formica—just wood, finished to the highest standard.

Ergonomic Layout and Details

The accommodation layout is bespoke, maintaining the general flow but implementing significant ergonomic changes learned from years of cruising.

Conclusion

I believe what I had in mind when I started this project was, as one of my friends once said jokingly, to build a Stradivarius boat that I could sail around the world. I believe that through the careful combination of proven design, custom engineering, and exceptional joinery, we achieved precisely that with Drifter II.

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.