Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 36 by Thor Radford

Year built	1988
Location of boat	Seattle WA
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	Yes
Owner bought the boat in	2008
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes Indeedy! This boat was originally bought to be a home for my wife and I and our children. It is amazing how much you can get into one of these roomy vessels. I cannot say enough about the size and layout of these boats.
Gear that's been added	So far we are adding a new AirHead composting toilet to the boat but there has not been the time or $ to add any more to it yet.
Structural or complex improvements	Not yet. Planned are: New running rigging New dodger and cockpit cover hull paint fiberglass work to repair a delamination near the portside chainplate
The boat's best features	Size, layout and ease of sailing. I have had a great time living aboard this boat. My family gets along in relative comfort and as long as we use the head on the dock for some of our business we are able to get by with the holding tank being pumped out once a week. I am hoping the composter will alleviate some of this issue and allow us a bit more time (and no more money) between dealing with the head issues.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The joker valve in the head has been replaced as well as several bits of plumbing in the galley, but for the most part things work. The joker valve being the one thing that is the most problematic. I will re-review this after I have had a few months with the new composting head. I expect there to be a transition time as I get used to the new system but it is much simpler and should be somewhat easier to deal with than the holding tank. I am also going to be removing the tank so I get to have some more storage.
Sailing characterisitcs	I have at this point only been able to sail her at the sea trial, but that was a fantastic experience. SHe points high and will gain a great deal of speed under a small amount of air. I was very happily surprised to find that we could make almost a knot for a knot in wind-speed on a broad reach. This even with some older cruising sails. I have no downwind specialty sails but the genoa seems ample for my family's speed requirements. I do not intend to race, but I like to get places quickly and this boat seems to do so very well.
Motoring characterisitcs	Most time underway has been motoring and the universal 25 is underpowered. I find it difficult to back her without giving her a long time to get going. The propwalk in reverse with my 3 blade maxprop is pretty heavy which can be great when you tie up corresponding to the direction of walk but unfortunately at my marina I don't. This makes mooring tricky for a guy who has had little experience for a while. I have noticed, however, that an experienced sailor used to these boats can still make her do nearly anything, so I know this is an issue that will come with experience.
Liveability	As I live aboard her full time with a wife and (sometimes) kids I can say that this is a great boat for living. I would not hesitate to buy another 36 as a liveaboard though I will probably move up to a 42 tri cabin as the kids get to be teenagers... I could easily recommend this boat to anyone who want a very comfortable long-range cruiser. They have great sleeping room and keep folks private in the cabins fore and aft. I would say that the aft cabin is a bit claustrophobic as the headroom there is short to be sure but so far it has been great for the kids. Moisture from the sweating of the fiberglass hull can be a bit of a problem in the NW in winter but I think most of that can be allayed with the use of dri-dek under cushions that make contact with the fiberglass (mostly the V-berth area) We are going to be fitting some under our V-berth later this month. The Webasto diesel forced air heater is about the best thing I have ever experienced on a boat. We call it the "Whoopass" as it takes total care of any cold air on board. I love the thing and while it needs some coaxing from time to time to keep it going I have not had a problem that I have not been able to take care of myself throughout this harsh winter. It has been working well and does a great job.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Haven't had to.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	My broker was fantastic. We went through scads of boats looking for the best possible liveaboard in our price range. Admiralty Yacht Sales in Seattle was a great partner when we came to the final purchase and delivery of the boat. I have nothing bad to say about them. This vessel had only one owner in the 20 years it had been in the water and that being a very interested Boeing engineer. He spent a lot of time making sure that the running gear and electrical systems were very well maintained.
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