The $55k Pilothouse "SUV" of the ICW
1979 Schucker 436 Motorsailor - $55,000
Most boats force you to choose: do you want the romance and efficiency of sailing, or the climate-controlled comfort of a trawler? The Schucker 436 says “yes.”
Built in Florida specifically for the shallow waters of the East Coast, this 40-foot motorsailer is essentially the “Land Rover” of the ICW. It features a flat-bottom hull with bilge keels, allowing you to explore skinny water where deep-draft sailboats fear to tread, while still offering the stability that pure trawlers lack in a seaway.
The current owner has done the heavy lifting that usually terrifies buyers in this price bracket. The 78HP Kubota diesel was rebuilt in 2025 (along with a new transmission), and the bottom was peeled and painted in the same year. With a 250-gallon fuel tank and a burn rate of just 1.25 GPH, you have a range that makes the Great Loop look like a weekend jaunt.
She isn’t fast, and she won’t win a regatta. But if you want a massive, liveaboard-ready pilothouse with a fresh survey (2025) for the price of a used pickup truck, this is your hull.
