Yellowfin 36 Offshore: 2024 Boat Buyers Guide

The 36 OS is the perfect boat for everything from hardcore offshore tournament fishing to weekend family sandbar outings.
Yellowfin 36 OS offshore
The 36 is known for its deft offshore runs in chop. Courtesy Yellowfin

Yellowfin entered the premium center-console category in 1998 and remains among the most recognized and coveted brands in that segment. The make consistently draws customer praise for performance handling, fishability, comfort, speed and fuel efficiency.

Yellowfin Yachts bears the undeniable imprint of its founder and president, Wylie Nagler, who became known for his pledge of personal responsibility for the standout quality of every boat his company ships. Florida-built Yellowfin is now part of Warbird Marine Holdings.

Yellowfin creates offshore models that display classic Carolina Outer Banks-style influences in wide, flared, high bows. Their distinctive sheerline combines classic flair and modern functionality—a singular and immediately ­recognizable look that pays off in beauty, dry ride and superior seakeeping abilities. They pop onto plane on stepped hulls, and are noted for their strong, lightweight construction. 

The company says that its stepped-surface hulls reflect the study of laminar flow on planing surfaces to create an efficient running surface that enables its boats to plane faster, trim better and deliver more-efficient performance in almost any conditions.

Yellowfin offers semi-custom platforms upon which customers can create the boat of their dreams, drawing from a deep list of options. These include power from several brands, top style and amenities, and even the type and placement of rod holders one’s fishing style calls for. 

Today the line stretches from a 24 CE Bay Boat to a 54 Offshore center-console, each a high-performance fishing platform custom-built of the highest-grade materials and products, and skillfully assembled.

Yellowfin 36 Offshore

Yellowfin has added new refinements and features to its 36 Offshore, long a leader of its class and one of the manufacturer’s most popular products, with a strong presence in coastal communities and competitive saltwater tournament circuits. 

Among updates to the 36 OS is an extended console that features a forward lounger that can be either configured on its own or paired with traditional forward seating. An in-floor fish box has long been a feature of the Yellowfin 36 OS; within the lounger is additional insulated storage space, and additional rod holders can be placed alongside it. 

Other updates to the 36 Offshore include a new-look transom, with removal of the transom door in favor of a lift-door panel, and a redesigned transom livewell setup. The bilge access hatch now opens aft instead of forward, and handrails have been added to each side of the leaning post. 

Exposed hardware has been removed from the helm, and a solid windshield added within an all-new extrusion. Helm seating features new designs and upholstery, including a new headrest. 

The 36 is known for its deft offshore runs in chop, thanks to its twin-stepped-hull design and its perfect blend of balance and efficiency to produce the driest ride on the water. Well-matched to either twin- or triple-outboard configurations, it can be customized to create the perfect boat for everything from hardcore offshore tournament fishing to weekend family sandbar outings. 

Editor’s Tip 

The redesigned Yellowfin 36 OS includes a change in the location of the hinges for the bilge hatch. They are now on the aft edge of the hatch. While this is a small change, it improves access to the bilge area for greater convenience when servicing filters and items. -Jim Hendricks, Staff Editor, Boating and Fishing Group

Performance Data

  • Test Power: Triple Mercury 400 hp V-10
  • Test Props: 27 Rev X
  • Test Load: 3 people, 100 gallons of fuel
  • Test Speed: 70.5 mph top speed, 45 mph cruise
  • Max Range: 525 mi.

Specifications

LOA:36’8″
Beam:10′
Fuel Capacity:477 gal.
Dry Weight With Power:9,500 lb.
Max HP:1,350
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Yellowfin Yachts – Sarasota, Florida; yellowfin.com