Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 36 by Rick Sullivan

Year built	1986
Location of boat	Houston, Texas
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2005
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Absolutely! The Catalina 36 is every thing that I was looking for in a good used 36 foot boat. Catalina is still going strong afer all of these years. Long gone are Pearson, Columbia, Ericson Endevour, Cal, Islander and many of the other sailing names that I grew up with. I did not realize how well these boats were built until after I had actually bought my 86' C36. I was fortuneate to become the third owner of a 1986 Catalina 36 that had originally been sailed in the high winds of San Francisco Bay and had been transported to Galveston Bay via Lake Texhoma.I have had the boat professionally compounded and waxed and the hull and deck look brand new. I re-varnished all of the wood outside and I cleaned and oiled the wood inside. I added some additional canvas covers on the exterior and my wife added some bright pillows to the original interior upholstery and most people thing that I am sailing a new or late model 36 foot sailboat. I have sailed all of my life and I have to admit that this 20 year old girl looks almost new after a major detailing.
Gear that's been added	Minimal...New Batteries, rebuilt the head. Re-Mounted the Radar and GPS that were on the boat and working when I bought it. I moved the AWI and Depth back to the wheel. The boat had just been re-rigged with new standing rigging when I bought the boat. She had a nice sail inventory. Every thing on this boat worked when I bought it.
Structural or complex improvements	Mostely cosmetic. This boat cleans up beautifully. The original upholstery is still holding up well. We have re-varnished all exterior wood and the interior wood has been re-done per Rebecca Whitmans books on teak restoration. i need to make a new wheel cover and I need new curtains. The quality of the Gel Coat is outstanding. The bottom is blister free although it had a barrier coat early on. The mast and rigging is strong, the fiberglass is thick. These boats are built very well.
The boat's best features	It is a great compromise. Not too heavy not too light. Certainely not slow but not a stripped out racer. It is just about perfect for sailing along the Texas Coast. My tall rig with a hydraulic backstay points incredibly high. She is fast off the wind and in high winds she takes a reef well and sails comfortabley. I enjoy sailing on Galveston Bay and passing boats larger than my 36 feet. Catalina Yachts support has been great. The Catalina owners association can answer any question that you have about any aspect of this boat. You cannot find any one that owns one or has owned one that does not sing the praises of the Catalina 36.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	My 1986 has a 21 HP diesal which is barely adequate. Now days they install a 38 HP diesal. I also have a 2 bladed prop which is adequate. A three bladed prop would move me faster under power but would slow me slightely under sail. What the heck...She is a sailboat. I can't wait to turn the engine off and get sail up so that she can take off.The C36 is hard to back up under power but so are most sailboats.
Sailing characterisitcs	Beautiful.She points well and my tall rig points high. I like 10 to 15 knots of wind to really get her to sail her best. I can get upwind as fast as any one on the Bay except the all out Racing boats.Friends tell me that they have sailed their Catalina 36's in offshore storms and hit 9 knots as they surf down wind.
Motoring characterisitcs	I wish the engine was more powerful and I wish that I had a feathering prop.However, I have rarely relied on an engine to get me out of trouble. This boat sails well.
Liveability	She is a great week-ender. We live close enough to our marina that we can get to our house 15 minutes after we dock her.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Outstanding. They make you feel like you are part of the Catalina family....and you are!
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	i knew the previous owner.
Other comments	Catalina made sense for me. I wanted to buy a well built boat. I wanted to buy a boat that sailed well. I wanted to buy a boat that was still in production. I wanted to buy a boat that had a ready market for the day that I want to move up.My wife ask me what I wanted as my next boat and before I could think of any other boat I told her that I though a Catalina 42 would just about be perfect.

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