The 36 Open is Austin Parker’s dayboat answer to a simple question: how much classic character can you fold into ten metres without losing the point of an open boat? The answer is a lot. Her lobster-boat ancestry shows in the near-plumb bow, the long foredeck and the low, uncluttered sheer, but the cockpit is pure Mediterranean, built around sun, shade and easy movement from helm to swim platform.
Twin Volvo Penta D4 260 diesels on shaft drives push her to around 35 knots, quick enough to make a lunch run feel like no effort while staying economical at a relaxed cruise. The deep-V forward sections keep her composed when the afternoon sea gets up, a trait owners of the earlier Austin Parkers came to trust.
Below, a compact cabin with a double berth and a separate heads turns the 36 Open from a daytripper into a genuine weekender for two, with a second sleeping area for guests or children. Stowage is sensible rather than showy.
What sets her apart in a crowded day-boat market is restraint. There is no wall of screens, no fashion-led styling that will look tired in a season. She carries ten guests in the cockpit and still looks right at anchor years later. For buyers who want timeless lines over passing trends, she is an easy case to make.
Length
9.94M
Beam
3.72M
Draft
Day Guests
10
Sleeping
2
Cabin
1
Cruise Speed
26KT
Max Speed
35KT
Fuel
Engine
2 x Volvo Penta D4 260 HP
New Starting From
€300,000
High Price Brokerage
€200,000
Low Price Brokerage
€120,000
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Thirty-five knots from a ten-metre open boat is a proper turn of speed. The 36 Open reaches it on twin Volvo Penta D4 260 diesels driving conventional shafts, a pairing chosen for reliability and easy service as much as outright pace. Shaft drives suit her classic character and keep maintenance straightforward. The hull carries a deep-V forward that softens a head sea and lets her hold speed when lighter boats back off, then flattens aft for efficient planing and a stable ride. Cruising economically in the mid-twenties, she has useful range for a day boat, enough to reach an island lunch and return without a fuel stop. Handling is direct and predictable, the sort that rewards an owner-driver and forgives a guest at the wheel. She is quick without being nervous, a boat that feels planted rather than skittish when pushed.
Her profile is the selling point. The 36 Open keeps the low, continuous sheer and purposeful bow that mark every Austin Parker, lines that read as classic rather than retro. The long foredeck and modest superstructure give her an uncluttered deck that looks right in a traditional harbour and still turns heads on a modern marina. The cockpit is the heart of the boat, laid out for a full day aboard with seating that converts for sunbathing, shade from a bimini, and a clear path aft to a broad swim platform. Teak detailing and metalwork are specified to age gracefully. Movement around the side decks is easy thanks to sensible bulwark heights. Nothing about the exterior is styled for a brochure shot at the expense of use; every line has a reason, which is why she still looks current years after launch.
Below decks the 36 Open is honest about what she is: a weekender, not a flybridge cruiser. A single cabin forward carries a comfortable double berth, with natural light from hull and deck glazing keeping it brighter than its size suggests. A separate heads compartment adds the privacy that turns an overnight from camping into real cruising, and a second sleeping area extends capacity for children or an occasional guest. Joinery is warm and well fitted rather than elaborate, in keeping with the boat’s unfussy character. Headroom and stowage are judged for genuine short-stay use. This is accommodation that supports the cockpit life rather than competing with it, a quiet, well-made space to escape the midday sun or stay out one more night.
The 36 Open lives outdoors, and her social plan reflects that. The cockpit flows without steps or bottlenecks from the helm to the aft seating and on to the swim platform, so a group of ten moves easily through the day. A wet bar keeps food and drink within reach of the seating, and the convertible sunpads mean the same space serves lunch, then becomes a sun lounge an hour later. The broad bathing platform is the real gathering point at anchor, close to the water for swimming and watersports. Sightlines from the helm stay open, so the driver stays part of the group rather than shut away. It is a layout built around a single idea, a long, easy day on the water shared with friends, and it does that one job very well.
Built in Italy in GRP, the 36 Open is engineered for owner operation and long seasons rather than show. Systems are kept simple and accessible, which keeps running costs sensible and makes her realistic to maintain without full-time crew. The Volvo Penta diesels are a known, widely supported package, an advantage when buying used. As an early, discontinued model she rarely appears on the market, so condition and service history matter more than year; a well-kept example is worth seeking out. Her appeal on resale is the same as new: a classic Austin Parker look that does not date, a manageable size, and real sea manners. For a buyer who wants a timeless Italian day boat to keep for years rather than a disposable season toy, the 36 Open makes a quietly compelling case.
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