# Comparing Catalina 32's 34's and 36's



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I'm shopping for my first 'big boat' and the Catalina line is currently under review. I just spent 24 hours on a 32' in San Diego sailing, motor sailing, light winds, offshore and sleeping onboard at dockside.

I was pleased with the 32's qualities but will probably go as big as a $50,000 to $60,000 budget will allow (ie, 20 year old 34 or 36 .... 38?).

Can someone offer a comparative analysis regarding what qualities I will find when I do get to try out the 34' and 36' using the 32' as a baseline for comparison.

Thanks in advance.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

The 38 is an old S&S design, pretty boat with tumblehome, it's the design Frank Butler took with him when he left S&S to form Catalina. Big genoa/skinny main, pinched ends old school design.

The 36 has been around a while and at 50-60K you're looking at an older version (depending on where you live) Great layout (essentially unchanged through the years) The deck layouts changed somewhere around '88 and in the 90s the markII came out with an enlarged transom and a walk through. Prices jump considerably for these models.

The 34 is not as old as the 36, and also comes in old deck/new deck versions, and the MarkII with the open transom. Roomy as well, not as practical a layout as the 36 for larger groups or kids.

Catalina has done a terrific job of updating these two older designs along the way, with the newer versions being much more attractive looking boats.

34 and 36 will sport single spreader rigs, the 32 will have a double spreader somewhat more modern setup.

Those that own Catalinas are very much behind the brand, obviously they are doing something right. Other than being common as dirt (the malibu of the seas) they do the job they're intended for.

I'm sure certain Catalina owners will chime in here with more detail and comment.


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## k1vsk (Jul 16, 2001)

You don't mention the type and range of sailing you intend - both of which dictate what kind of boat you shoul;d consider much more so than the brand. Catalinas are okay for coastal sailing but many of the older ones have construction issues such as the problem some models have with wood keel posts or wood keel steps which rot and can cause lots of expensive repair. I think only certain sized Cats had this particular problem but it is an indication of other concerns you might consider before settling on any one brand.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Type of sailing planned is southern California coastal, Cabo to Montery and marina live aboard for 3-4 days each month. 

I'm not locked in to Catalina's but for the moment let's focus on their pro/con aspects and comparing 20 year old Cat 32s, 34s, 36s and even 38s within the Cat family.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Any of the Catalina's would be fine for what you want to do. I assume the 32 you mention was a 320. That boat was introduced in the early 1990s while the 34 and 36 were introduced in the 1980s. With your budget, you should be able to find a decent mid-90s 320, or a 1980's 34 or 36. The 34 or 36 will be a MK 1 version without the walk-through transom like the 320.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

One thing—you'd probably be better off getting a smaller boat in better condition than a larger one that needs more work. Boats can quickly become a sinkhole financially, and a smaller boat that is in better shape is far less likely to do so.


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

I'm also shopping the same three models for weekends and longer on the Chesapeake. The 320 being a newer design carries the max beam further aft than the older 34 or 36. This gives the 320 a roomier aft cabin than the MKI 34-36, and only the MKII boats can compete with the 320 on that count. The aft cabin on a 34MKI is arguably nicer than the cubby hole on the 36MKI, but the 36 has a lot more storage than the 34 and both MKI boat beat the 320 when it comes to storage. 

I would rate the galley of the 34 to be the "worst" of the 3 boats but still quite adequate.

The head on the 320 is the smallest of the 3.

In 1990 the 34 and 36 got walk through transoms.

In 93 the 36 got a redesign of the nav station so they could add a door to the aft cabin. The forward facing Nav station on the early 36's provides a good deal more room than the later outward facing design or the rear facing station on the 320/34.

I've read that the 320 is quick for its size and will stay close to a 36 or 34 but PHRF ratings on the Chesapeake seem to counter that arguement. There is a wide gap between the rating for a 34 and a 320. The 36 generally rates a few seconds quicker than the 34 here on the bay.

As others have pointed out, the 320 is the newest design and being a smaller boat may let you buy the newest within your budget. Personally I think the 320 is a really nice boat in many aspects but it has less storage than our current 32' boat so we are leaning towards the 34 even though the aft cabin and galley on the 320 are as nice or better than the 34. Our current boat has a "sugar scoop" transom and we find its a really nice aid in boarding from a dingy, and think we'd miss the convienince of the step so we're contemplating post '90 MKI's to the 320 and trying to decide.


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hello,

You didn't say how many people will be on board. If it is just 2 or so, the 323 is the best choice (for the same money you can get a newer 320 than an older 34 / 36). If you will have more than 4 people on board, and for longer than 2 nights, the 34 and 36 have a lot more room below. And if you will be spending more than a week aboard, the 36 has the storage capacity and tankage for those trips.

Barry


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## christyleigh (Dec 17, 2001)

I have to assume the last 2 posters were refering to Inside Storage as a problem for the c320 as I wish I had 1/2 the cockpit accesible storage on my NC (mine is all on the inside now) that I had for 6 years on the c320. I could literally throw 2 folded Dahons into the cavernous port lazzerette followed by say 10 throwable PFDs and 5 life vests plus odds and ends. For example also the aft port locker would also hold 10-15 thowables and the aft starboard locker another 5+. The fridge is larger than my NC and the 34 or 36 also I beleive. As for choosing one of the three I would definitly skip the 34 and choose between the 320 and 36 (with the wet bilge). The head on the 320 is probably the smallest in the 25 to 35 range of any make though but at 5'7" it didn't bother me or my wife at all. The fuel and waste tanks are small but the water is reasonable (we aren't heavy shower users).


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## tommyt (Sep 21, 2002)

Having spent time on the 320, 34MKII and 36 MKII, I think that they can all work for you dependent on your needs.

The 320 was designed as a boat for a couple. The design of the boat is set up for a couple to sleep and sail. Certainly you can put more aboard, but sleeping room would be at a premium. It is a really good sailing boat, and it is my understanding that it holds its own on the beer can circuit.

The 34 and 36 are very similar boats with the exception of the salon. I really prefer the salon in the 36 to the 34 ( I own a 34 by the way) and prefer the aft cabin in the 34. The cockpit is identical, so is a wash. I don't understand the comments on the galley, because on the MKII they are so similar I really have no favorite. Tankage is basically the same on both the 34/36, and I think on the 320 as well.

Careful of boat and slips. The 34 is actually 35'8" LOA, and the 36 is something like 36'10". Particular marinas can cost you on that difference. 

FYI, the 36 has been discontinued, and the 34 is about to bite the dust as well based on what we are heariing. All of the Catalinas have an active owners group. Catalina seems to be focusing on the 35 and the new 375, this less need for the 34 and 36.

Support has always been good, and we assume it will continue to be even after they are discontinued.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

Listen to Tommy...he knows his Catalinas the way other sailors know barbeques.


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

I also own a C34MkII and not surprisingly, highly recommend that boat. Unfortunately, many others do too which keeps the used market prices up. For $60k, expect to buy an older "plan Jane" in California. For more than the last decade, Catalina has been facing a tougher environmental regulations and a tougher business climate in their Woodland Hills facility. Their long term strategy after buying out Morgan, was to migrate manufacturing of the bigger boats from California to Florida. Originally, both the C34 and 36 were slated to be phased out. They decided to keep the 34 after all and It's molds and patterns have been shipped to Florida along with the C42's. My guess is the used boat market for the C34 will remain high on the west coast when factoring in the additional shipping for new boats from Florida.

Catalina has been around a very, very long time. For example, the wooden keel blocking referred to earlier was on the C30s built in the mid 1970s. The design was changed to eliminate the wood by the early 80's and the C320, 34, and 36 never had wood blocking. Also mentioned are the excellent owner maintained websites. I highly recommend you visit them. 

www.C34ia.org
www.C36ia.org

Funny how we all view features differently. For us, the C36 galley was a turn off (we first considered the 36) as we felt it was too close to the companionway and we'd constantly bump into it coming down the steps, and there wasn't a good place to mount a galley safety strap for cooking in a seaway. I do wish that there was a longer settee in my boat however. I'm 6'1" and it is a little short when I rig it as a sea berth. I do like the head near the companionway as it keeps wet foulies away from the rest of the interior. The boat carries 45 gallons of water which I find adequate, but only 25 gallons of fuel. So factoring in a reserve, I only get about 30-36 hours motoring endurance which means a fuel stop at Morrow Bay if the winds aren't cooperating. You need to optimize the boat in order to get it to consistently sail to her 147 rating, but I do get to pick off the occasional J Boat or Santana. They are well suited for our breezes here on San Francisco Bay. But are slow in winds under 10kts and painfully slow under 5kts.

I have seen the 320 on jack stands and man, they have a fine keel and their hull is remarkably fair too. What I didn't like about them was their high free board (about as high as the 34's) and relatively high beam to length ratio. The other thing to look out for was for a couple of years they were not extending the toe rail all the way past the cockpit (aesthetic reasons) but this made a slipping "hazard" that they corrected in latter years. I have always liked the 36 too (other than the galley) and thought that they had the best exterior proportions of all of Catalina's mid-30 footers.


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

The 34MkII would probably be above his $50-60K budget though. In that range he might be able to find a late 34MkI with the open transom or a mid 90's C320. MikeA and I are basically shopping for the same boat. I'm glad we're on separate coasts. ;-)


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## tommyt (Sep 21, 2002)

You should also factor your sailing grounds into the rig size on a 34/36. They are great sailing boats, but if you sail in light wind areas, the Tall Rig does make a difference. GeorgeB probably does not have that problem often in his area, but in the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake, a tall rig is an advantage. 

Because of my situation (boat is also chartered) I went with the Tall Rig and a 130 rather than having to rely on the 150 that a lot of the boats have as standard. 

GeorgeB, there seems to still be a lot of confusion on whether the 34 continues or they just produce the hulls they already have done. One of the C34.org members just did a tour of the Florida factory over Christmas, and the guide (plant manager) did not know that the molds were being shipped to him. Catalina sometimes has a communication problem, but I think that he would know if they were coming and that they were going to be producing the C34. Lots of rumor, and this may just be another one. However, they certainly have too many models at the moment and have to focus somewhere.


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## GeorgeB (Dec 30, 2004)

Rumors and rumors of rumors. I got my information from the owner of Farallon Yachts. Pat even told me what the last hull number to be produced in Woodland Hills (which I have since forgot). She was most concerned about the new pricing structure for the C34 now that cross country shipping is factored in which erodes the price competitiveness with Beneteau and Tartan. Production will be phased in at Ft. Lauderdale after the last 34s and 42s are finished in California. The C34 is still listed on the Catalina Website whereas the C36 and C310 have been taken off (and discontinued). Recently, the 34 has been one of the most popular of Catalina's thirty footers and it would be a shame if they discontinued (rumored to be slated for phasing out over time after being transferred to Florida) the boat in the future.

Catalina's are by no means a "light" boat and their "sling" weight is considerably greater than their designed weight. The added weight definitely helps in our fresh Bay breezes. My previous boat was a tall rig 28' which was a delight in the lighter winter breezes. But I hardly ever saw the foot of my mainsail between Memorial Day and Labor Day as we usually put in the first reef at the dock and often set the second reef later in the day. You definitely want to match your rig to the prevailing wind conditions in your area.


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## Poorwhitetrash (Aug 28, 2007)

I am also considering both of these Catalina models (mid to late 80's models). Please give me your input on how these boats handle at sea. Is the 36 much more stable? and what about the deep vs shoal draft? Thanks in advance for your opinion.


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