Custom Boat Manual

Models › Marine Trader

Marine Trader 36 Double Cabin

Built 1975–1993

Own one? Keep her maintenance, manuals and checklists here — free for a week Shopping? Find the right used boat Looking at one? Sea-trial scorecard

About the Marine Trader 36 Double Cabin

Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.

Illustration of a Marine Trader 36 Double Cabin
Illustration, not a photo of this model. AI-generated illustration of a typical single-engine sedan trawler.
Built
1975–1993
Length
36 ft
Waterline
32 ft
Beam
12.17 ft
Draft
3.5 ft
Displacement
21,000 lb
Hull
fiberglass
Hull / keel
semi-displacement
Propulsion
inboard
Water
150 gal
Holding
40 gal
Bow thruster
often added later
Tank capacities — where the figures come from
  • Fuel unknown
    “Fuel Tank: 350 Gallons (1324.89 Liters)” — broker listing (1984), curtisstokes.net · “Two fuel tanks port/starboard totaling 300 gallons” — search excerpt (1980), thehulltruth.com
    Our earlier figure was 400, from a powerboat guide. Two listings give 350 and 300, and no builder figure was found to settle it.
  • Water 150 gal
    “Fresh Water: 180 Gallons (681.37 Liters)” — broker listing (1984), curtisstokes.net
    One listing says 180; no builder figure.
  • Holding 40 gal
    “Holding Tank: 20 Gallons (75.71 Liters)” — broker listing (1984), curtisstokes.net
    One listing says 20; no builder figure.
  • Water heater unknown (Raritan)
    “Raritan 6 gallon water heater” — broker listing (1984), curtisstokes.net
    Only one broker listing (a 1984 boat) gives a heater size; no builder or importer equipment list found.

Tanks are often replaced or added on older boats — check the tank labels or a survey for yours.

Thrusters and steering — where this comes from
  • Bow thruster often added later
    “2019 New Hydraulic steering - upper & lower helms and Cylinder/Ram ... Added Vitus bow thruster” — search excerpt (1985), kijiji.ca · “bow and stern thrusters make docking and maneuvering easier” — search excerpt (1979), yachtworld.com
    Two separate boats for sale (1979 and 1985) have bow thrusters, the 1985 one clearly added later (a Vetus, misspelled in the ad); no builder document was found.
  • Stern thruster unknown
    One 1979 boat (listed on YachtWorld and Craigslist) has bow and stern thrusters; it's a single boat, and no builder source was found.
  • Steering unknown
    No builder or owners' source was found. A 1985 boat had its hydraulic steering (both helms and ram) renewed in 2019, but no source gives the original system.

Thrusters and steering are often replaced — check the units on your boat before ordering parts.

Sources disagree on fuel tank — left blank rather than guessed.

Heavily built solid-fiberglass hull with hard aft chines and long keel. Layout changed in 1977 (galley to starboard, double berth aft); called the 37 DC in 1978-79. Aft stateroom opens to the cockpit. Single 6-cylinder Lehman cruises 6-8 knots. HMY does not state which Lehman horsepower.

Engines fitted

Generator

“The boat has never had a generator installed (prospective buyer of a 36 double cabin)” — search excerpt, trawlerforum.com · “labels on the genset say "Onan 4.0 Marine Genset" ... in a 1979 Marine Trader 36DC” — search excerpt (1979), smokstak.com · “Cummins Onan 5MDKBH-5238E 5 kW generator” — broker listing (1984), curtisstokes.net

Generators vary boat to boat: an Onan 4.0 kW diesel on a 1979 boat, a Cummins Onan 5 kW (a later model than the 1984 hull, so a replacement or addition) on another, and at least one boat that never had one. That isn't enough to call it standard, optional or often added later, and no single unit appears on two boats.

Known problems for this model

Engines & parts

Ford Lehman 120 (6D380 / 2715E) parts: good

Factory standard engine — you entered “Ford Lehman 120 (2715E)”

Marinized by Lehman from the Ford of England 'Dorset' 2715E six-cylinder (380 cu in) industrial/truck diesel; Ford built the Dorset base engines 1964–1984. Base-engine internals interchange with the Ford 2715E, and marine-specific parts (raw water pumps, heat exchangers, injection elbows, gaskets, lift pumps, air filters) are widely stocked. American Diesel Corp (founded by former Lehman people) still sells parts, publishes spare-parts lists and gives technical advice. Rebuilt and used 120s are also sold by salvage yards.

Parts sources: American Diesel Corp, Go2marine (Ford Lehman parts collection), Fred Warner Marine & Outdoors

Common problems (2)
  • Chronic oil leaks engine
    Most 120s weep oil somewhere; owners often trace it to the rear of the engine near the heat exchanger (head/head gasket area) or to the drive seals of the gear-driven injection pump. Moderate oil use is treated as normal on these engines.
    trawlerforum.com · marineengine.com
  • Fuel leaks at injection pump, lift pump and return lines fuel
    Slow diesel drips usually come from loose bleed screws or banjo washers, perished rubber injector return hoses, a failing lift-pump diaphragm, or worn internal seals in the Simms or CAV injection pump, which needs a pump shop to overhaul.
    yescenters.com
Maker’s service schedule (16)
Engine oil & filter change200 hrs
“After first 15 hours running .... 1. Change Engine Oil ... Every 200 hours running ..... 17. Change engine and transmiss” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Fuel filters & water separator200 hrs
“Every 200 hours running ..... 18. Change all engine and fuel oil filters.” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Change oil in fuel injection pump50 hrs
“Every 50 hours running ...... 13. Check cleanliness of intake air filter. 14. Check (exchanger) zinc pencil. 15. Change” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Transmission fluid change200 hrs or 1 yr
“Change oil every 200 hours of operation or at least once each season under normal conditions” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Valve clearance check / adjust400 hrs
“After first 15 hours running .... 3. Adjust valve clearances. ... Every 400 hours running ..... 22. Adjust valve clearan” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Injector test / service400 hrs
“Every 400 hours running ..... 21. Remove and service injectors.” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Engine pencil zincs50 hrs
“After first 15 hours running .... 4. Check (exchanger) zinc pencil. ... Every 50 hours running ...... 14. Check (exchang” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Drive belts inspect / replace200 hrs
“After first 15 hours running .... 5. Adjust belt tension. ... Every 200 hours running ..... 16. Adjust belt tension.” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Air filter / intake silencer50 hrs
“After first 15 hours running .... 8. Check cleanliness of intake air filter. ... Every 50 hours running ...... 13. Check” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Clean fuel lift pump200 hrs
“Every 200 hours running ..... 19. Clean fuel lift pump.” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Clean injection pump cover filter200 hrs
“Every 200 hours running ..... 20. Clean injection pump cover filter.” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Remove raw water pump and check drive coupling400 hrs
“Every 400 hours running ..... 23. Remove raw water pump and check drive coupling. Place dab of grease on coupling halves” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Adjust idling speed (if required)400 hrs
“After first 15 hours running .... 10. Adjust idling speed (if required). ... Every 400 hours running ..... 24. Adjust id” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Check engine/propeller shaft alignment6 mo
“After first 15 hours running .... 9. Check engine/propeller shaft alignment. (twice annually, minimum).” — manufacturer (1986), marinedieselbasics.com
Replace Borg Warner transmission oil cooler1,200 hrs
“Suggested replacement is at 1200 hours.” — manufacturer, img1.wsimg.com
Inspect drive damper2,500 hrs
“Inspect your drive damper if you have more than 2500 hours on the engine.” — manufacturer, img1.wsimg.com
Service part numbers (3)
Raw-water impeller Jabsco 1210-0001
“6D380 5850-0001 040 3/4" NPT Flange SK33 3298 1210-0001” — manufacturer, marineengine.com · “Breakdown of 2C48 Pump ... 9 1 1210-0001 IMPELLER” — manufacturer, marinesurveyorontario.com
Raw-water pump kit
original 2C45 pump (Jabsco 5850-0001)
Jabsco SK33
“6D380 5850-0001 040 3/4" NPT Flange SK33 3298 1210-0001” — manufacturer, marineengine.com
Raw-water pump kit
Lehman 2C48 replacement pump (Jabsco 10950-2401 type)
Jabsco SK239
“Service Kit SK239 - Comprising Key 7/8/9/17” — manufacturer, marinesurveyorontario.com

From the engine maker’s parts lists, or two independent parts dealers. Numbers change with serial number and get superseded — check yours before ordering.

Model sources (3)

hmy.com · pacificyachting.com · curtisstokes.net

Own a Marine Trader 36 Double Cabin? Add her to your boats, then share a photo — names, numbers and faces are blurred before it appears.

Other Marine Trader models

Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.