36' Luhrs 2000

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The one-piece moulded deck, with padded coamings tracing the safe cockpit, is a real highlight.

 

There are hawser pipes and belowdeck cleats to create a snag-free fishing area, flush-mounted rod holders listed as standard, a fresh and saltwater wash down, and a walk-through marlin door with a heavy-duty hinge.

 

The self-draining floor incorporates a backing plate for mounting a fighting chair, though this is more your stand-and-fight fish boat. The boarding platform on the boat is a must-have option for family days.

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There is an impressive port-side bait-prep centre, incorporating a sink and cutting board, livewell, and tackle locker. With its lid down, it’s a handy place to hang out in the shade.

 

There’s also an in-transom fish/bait/drinks well – you could plumb it with a pump as a second livewell – plus an insulated icebox under the moulded bridge steps.

 

As ever, the lazarette grants access to the bilge and steering gear, while molded steps lead to the side decks. Alloy rails follow the lovely window line forward to the matching bowrail, whereupon toe rails trace the broad foredeck. The wide working area of diamond-pattern non-skid is big enough to hang out or cast a line

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In calm water, the molded-in stairs makes topside access a hands-free saunter and that detail alone is responsible for this being a great family boat.  Seating comes by way of custom helm and co-pilot chairs and a forward-facing lounge before the big dash.

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The aft rocket launcher, which stows six rods.

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INDOOR LIVING

On-water luxury can be found in the saloon, which featured an interior soft-furnishing upgrade, with ultraleather in nubuck brown on the optional port-side lounge/sofa bed.  With the sofa bed extended, the 36 Convertible can sleep up to six aboard.

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U-shaped lounge around the movable high/ low timber table forms a convenient dinette. The television and sound system are forward, in clear view, while the longitudinal starboard galley is across the way, on the same saloon level, where it also ties in with the cockpit for easier entertaining.

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There is a microwave oven with convection function, but there’s a two-burner electric stove and reasonable counter-height fridge with small freezer.

 

There’s above pot, appliance, pantry, crockery and cutlery storage. The two-cabin layout is accommodating, with a starboard guest’s room with an upper Pullman bunk that converts to a sofa and, therefore, creates a walk-in dressing room when in single-couple cruising mode.

 

There are cedar-lined hanging locker for swinging the weekend clobber, concealed rod storage under the lower bunk, trick reading lights, and a hatch for fresh air.

 

But the boat reveals its inner glory in the forward stateroom where you can’t miss the inviting island berth with mattress raised on a frame to a point where you attain volume in the flared-bow hull.

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There are his and hers cedar lined hanging lockers, drawers and cupboards, a television connection, and speakers for the stereo and reading lights. Soft-touch liners add to the luxury, as does the nearby head.

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A bathroom by domestic standards, the head is bound to woo the women. There is an electric head, hatch only for ventilation, moulded vanity with counter and very generous storage space. However, it’s the generous floor space and king-size separate shower that appealed.

 

A big head and island double bed, a good hull and fishy cockpit are ingredients that sell convertible boats.

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The 36 Convertible rides “Smooth and Dry”.- you could sit your beer down while travelling without it vibrating off the tabletop.

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The Luhrs 36 Convertable has a graceful sheerline, blanked-out forward windscreen and flared bow, the boat was designed to please the aesthete.

 

Add molded stairs to the flybridge and this "fishy" 36 is suddenly welcoming the whole family aboard.

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When you head inside there are much greater comforts to embrace: a big saloon, twin cabins with an island double berth in the bow, and large bathroom with Americansized shower.

 

At this point, it is obvious the Luhrs 36 Convertible is really starting to covet attention from those looking to buy in the fishing/family flybridge market, which has been the domain of Australia’s biggest boat builder, Riviera, for some time.

 

A Riviera 37 with the same motors and similar  yet I suspect the sharper 19 degrees of deadrise on the Luhrs and its finer entry up will create a smoother and drier ride into a head sea.

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The 36 Convertible has been among the Luhrs Group’s best selling boats.

 

The company’s mantra is very much ‘more boat for your buck’, as the 36 is based on an especially wide hull that, despite being one metre shorter than the Riviera 37, is just one centimetre narrower than it.

 

There’s a lot of headroom and shoulder room – I guess the boat was tailor-made for girth-challenged Americans – and by any measure the 36 Convertible is a big 36-footer.

 

It mightn’t be immediately obvious, but the boat boasts good engineering for offshore work and moulded decks that are mindful of anglers and crew. Indoors is all that space with the mod-cons for cruising away for a week at a time.

 

This is a pretty boat.

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Add the molded-in stairs to the bridge, which takes the monkey work out of heading up top, and the Luhrs 36 Convertible is a convertible in the true sense of the word.

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Engine access on the 36 is pretty simple – you lift up a large hatch in the saloon and jump down  to the non-skid floor between the motors. There are the usual highwater alarm and fire suppression systems, plus the 8kW Kohler generator.

 

All the through hulls are bronze below the waterline, with gate valves, and the Volvos have Racor fuel/water separators.

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Hull construction is a mix of low-tech tough GRP and weight-saving Baltec-cored hull sides. The twin air-con units, battery charger and plumbing items live in a large separate utility room under the companionway steps and forward of the engine room.

 

There’s oodles of room left over for storing long-term victuals, chairs, fishing rods, and so on. On the electrical side of things, there’s colour-coded wiring linked to a really nice AC/DC control panel, with generator-start panel.

 

The boat’s tankage was designed to meet mid-term live-aboard boaters.