Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 36 by Bonne Duncan

Year built	1986
Location of boat	Ventura, CA
The boat is sailed on	Open ocean
How the boat is used	Day sailing
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! I've loved the boat since first seeing the year it was introduced at the Long Beach, CA. It just took me 30 years to get one!
Gear that's been added	Recently added Raymarine C70, DMS30 depth guage, Autohelm with remote, Icom radio with remote mic at the helm. New cushions. Next is lazy jacks and new batteries. The previous owner added an additional water tank.
Structural or complex improvements	The previous owner tiled the galley counter tops. Don't do it! Who needs to be cleaning grout! It also make the refrigeration hatch and the dry storage hatch very heavy. He also tiled the top of the engine compartment. Looks nice but I'd rather have the solid surface counter tops back. He also built a nifty shelf above the sink that attaches to a would "pole" and goes all the way across the sink area and attaches to the port side bulk head. I'll enclose a picture if I can figure out how to do that!
The boat's best features	I've owned 5 Catalina's and seem to know all their little personality quirks. Catalina smile, etc. Luckily mine was repaired before I bought it. The previous owner kept it in great condition. I think the large cockpit is one of Catalina's best features.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Everything works on my boat. She is tight with no leaks. I would like to replace some of the overhead hatches if I can find them. Any advice as to where to get ones that match would be most appreciated! Would also like to replace the curtains.
Sailing characterisitcs	She sails great! Going to have her re-rigged though. I have too many bad angles and makes things hard to pull.
Motoring characterisitcs	I have a Universal M25 and she is under powered. She also has a tendency to overheat and I have the 3" heat exchanger. Could be that 2000 rpm is just too much for her. Engine has been completely serviced and my mechanic says it's in great shape. But she still likes to get hot.
Liveability	I've lived aboard for almost a year and love it. She is very liveable and I have frequent guests and they all say the quarter berth is very comfy.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	I have only dealt with my local dealer, Catalina Yacht Anchorage and they are great!
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	My experience was very positive. I have bought boats from this broker before...and would again.
Other comments	If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I'm getting old now and approaching my trawler years but will hang in with my 36 as long as it's fun and I'm able to do it.

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