Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 36 by Art Golden

Year built	1993
Location of boat	Great Oak Landing Marina
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?	No
Owner bought the boat in	GA
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes and No. By that I mean yes, I would buy a Catalina. In this case no means I would have bought a 42 instead. I have found my Catalina 36 to be most enjoyable and easy to sail. Coming from power boating, just three years ago, I have fallen head over heals in love with the sailing lifestyle. Along with our 16 year old and our two dogs, we spend every weekend between mid April to mid October on board. Either sailing to ports on the bay or just kicking back with our docks friends, two of which also own 36's. My wife and I plan to enjoy our 36 for three more years then go up to a 42 Catalina (2 cabin model) to retire on. We plan to sail south and spend our time sailing in the Carribean islands. If any of you reading this happen to be on the Chesepeake...look for Cheers, sail #1247. SeeYa
Gear that's been added	Yes, * Built a custom cockpit table that easily seats 4 without bumping elbows. * Added to new Standard VFH with remote mike. A great investment. * New CruseAir 16k BTU Air Conditioning unit. * 2 8D'd batteries wired for house bank and 1 std dedicated for engine cranking and windlass.
Structural or complex improvements	None
The boat's best features	* Easy to handle/sail * Forgiving * Rounds up nicely * Pleanty of room
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The only comment I wuold have, which I think has been improved on newer models, is the acces to systems (ie holding tank, strainers, A.C., intake and discharge valves etc). Also, go with brass thru-hulls instead of plastic.
Sailing characterisitcs	* Flat to 3 foot seas * Variable winds from 5 - 20 knots
Motoring characterisitcs	* Mid summers on the bay does not provide ample winds for consistant sailing. Therefore, motoring is the solution to get where your going.
Liveability	Plenty of room for short length trips but I would like a 42' for longterm liveability.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	I bought our boat from a dealer in Saint Simons Island, Georgia, I would say that of the four boats we have purchased (three used, one new from a dealer), it had to be the easiest of the four. Since we live in PA so the fact that the boat was out-of-state could have made for a problems. I contacted BoatUS (my boat insurance provider)who put me in contact with two independent surveyors and a boat transport (truck) company. In addition to a helpful broker and a reasonable seller, they all made it easy to buy this boat.
Other comments	You can't find a better boat for the money.

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