Kappa San 35 Yawl

Description

The Kappa San 35 (also known as Kappa-San 35, Kappa 35, or International Marine 35) is a classic mid-20th-century wooden cruising sailboat, part of a small production series marketed in the late 1950s by American Marine (a U.S. importer/marketer), built by the Japanese yard International Marine Corp. (or associated Japanese builders) in teak or similar high-quality woods, with design credited to American naval architect Eldredge-McInnis (Walter McInnis or Alan McInnis; sources vary slightly on first name but align on the firm). It belongs to a family of production cruisers including the smaller Samurai 28 and Daimyo 31, all sharing McInnis's traditional lines emphasizing seaworthiness and beauty—this marked the end of wooden production runs for American Marine before fiberglass dominance. Production was limited (likely low dozens to perhaps under 100 hulls across the series, based on rarity today and historical context; exact numbers undocumented), featuring a long keel for excellent directional stability and tracking, available in sloop or yawl rig (the yawl variant adds a mizzen for balanced handling under reduced sail in heavy weather or motorsailing), robust construction with beautiful teak joinery, comfortable interior (typically 2 cabins with 4-6 berths, galley, heads, and good storage for coastal/offshore cruising), and a reputation as a sturdy, handsome, sea-kindly cruiser suitable for serious passages despite modest speed by modern standards.