Fairline Targa 37, the Mid-Size Targa of the Late 1990s

Where the Fairline Targa 37 fitted in Fairline's lineup

In April 1997 Fairline's website listed its Targa range as the 48, 39, 37, 34 and 29. The Fairline Targa 37 was the middle of that family: bigger and beamier than the new Targa 34, smaller and far cheaper than the inboard-powered Targa 43 that arrived that autumn. In May 2000 its pages were still on Fairline's site next to the new Targa 40, but by October 2000 they had been removed.

Because the 37 sold for a relatively short spell and was never given an English-language magazine test that we could find online, it is the least documented of the late-1990s Targas. The earliest boats we found on the market were built in 1996 and the latest in 2000.

That makes it a classic case for buying on survey rather than reputation. The good news is that the boats we found were advertised as honest, well-maintained cruisers, and their asking prices have barely moved in ten years.

What we know about its size and weight

Several brokers list the Targa 37 at 10.68 meters (35 feet) with a beam of 3.50 meters, about 11 feet 6 inches. One gives a weight of about 6,600 kg. As with other Targas of the period, the model number probably includes the bathing platform and pulpit, so the overall length on the water will be a little more than the hull figure; we could not find a factory LOA.

That beam is wider than the Targa 34's 11 feet 4 inches but narrower than the Targa 43's 12 feet 5 inches. Fuel and water figures in adverts vary, from 300 liters of water in one listing to a fuel figure in another that matches the later Targa 38, so measure or confirm the tanks on the boat you are buying.

We have left draft, tankage and speed blank in the specification table for that reason.

Twin Volvo KAD diesels and what they deliver

Every Targa 37 we found had twin Volvo Penta diesels on Duoprop sterndrives: either KAD42s, rated at 230 hp, or 260 hp KAD44s. One Spanish broker quoted a maximum of 30 knots for a 2000 boat with the 260 hp engines. That is a broker's figure, not a test, but it is in line with the 36 knots MBY measured on the lighter Targa 34 with the same KAD44 engines.

The KAD series combines a turbocharger with a belt-driven supercharger for strong low-down torque. It is a good engine when maintained, but the supercharger clutch, belts, aftercoolers and heat exchangers need regular attention, and parts for 25-to-30-year-old units can take time to source.

When comparing boats, a set of engines with documented Volvo dealer servicing is worth more than a few years difference in build date.

• 2 x Volvo KAD42 DP, 230 hp each (460 hp total)
• 2 x Volvo KAD44 DP, 260 hp each (520 hp total)
• Broker-quoted top speed: about 30 knots with KAD44s

Two cabins with cherry or oak joinery

Listings describe two cabins and four berths, with a saloon and galley between them and a single heads compartment, the standard Targa arrangement of the period. One Dutch broker notes a laminated oak finish over the original cherry joinery, which tells you that cherry was the factory wood and that some owners have updated it.

Equipment varies widely. Boats on the market in 2024 to 2026 were offered with air conditioning, a bow thruster, autopilot, a hydraulic gangway and modern chartplotters. One Mallorca boat came with more than 70,000 euros of maintenance and upgrade invoices from the previous two years. Those extras matter more to value than the build year.

Deck and cockpit details to check

Like its Targa siblings, the 37 is an open sports cruiser with a large cockpit, a bathing platform and a canvas cockpit cover. Several owners have replaced the cockpit and platform teak with synthetic teak, and some have wrapped the hull in a vinyl foil, which can hide the condition of the gelcoat underneath.

Inspect the canopy and its frame, the windscreen seals and the cockpit drains. On an open boat of this age, water management is the difference between a dry interior and rotten cushions and sole boards.

Avoiding mix-ups with the Targa 38 and Botnia Targa

Two names cause confusion. First, Fairline also sold a Targa 38 in the early to mid-1990s and a different Targa 38 from 2006, and at least one boat advertised as a Targa 37 was described in its own text as a Targa 38. Check the hull identification number and compare the beam: about 3.5 meters for the 37 against roughly 3.6 meters for the 1990s 38 and 3.64 meters for the 2006 boat.

Second, Botnia Targa is an unrelated Finnish brand, and its current Targa 37 is a rugged cruiser that MBY nicknamed the 4x4 of the sea. Search results and video tours for the Botnia Targa 37 have nothing to do with the Fairline.

What ownership costs in the US

Plan on about $11,000 to $22,000 a year for a 37-foot slip, insurance, two diesel services, drive and bellows maintenance, antifouling and canvas. Most Targa 37s are in the Mediterranean, so importing one adds transport, duty and possibly electrical conversion.

For a buyer who wants a late-1990s British sports cruiser with diesel power and two proper cabins, the 37 is a reasonable alternative to the more common Targa 34, offering a little more beam for a similar budget.

A sensible approach is to shortlist two or three boats, ask each seller for engine-hour logs and drive service invoices, and commission an engine survey with oil analysis alongside the hull survey. On a boat of this age, that combined report is the closest thing you will get to a factory specification sheet.