Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 34mkII by Steve Guhl

Year built	2001
Location of boat	Milwaukee, WI
The boat is sailed on	The Great Lakes
How the boat is used	Racing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2001
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	As a coastal cruisers I would not hesitate to buy this boat. As a racer, unless it had the fin keel I would not even consider it. Even with folding prop, VC17 bottom and racing sails, the boat contiues to underperform in winds under 10 knots or on an upwind beat.
Gear that's been added	This boat was orginally purchased for cuising, with GPS, radar, autopilot, RAM mic, Dodger with bimini and connecting panel, microwave, etc.. The folding prop and racing sails were added at a later date for racing purposes.
Structural or complex improvements	No.
The boat's best features	The systems (electrical, plumbing, etc.) are well laid out, labelled and easily accessable. The cockpit has plenty of room for day sailing and for socializing after a day of sailing. The Catalina 34 site is an excellent source of information on the boat for any repairs, upgrades and ideas for making the boat more liveable, plus projects that can enhance the features of the boat, including adding more usable storage.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The only failure we have had has been the battery charger that failed. It was an easy upgrade to the Xantrax unit which was recommended on the Catalina 34 site.
Sailing characterisitcs	The boat handles all conditions well and I have had it out in winds over 35 knots without any problems. As mentioned before, winds under 10 knots and upwind performance are not a strong point of the wing keel version.
Motoring characterisitcs	After adding a Flex-o-fold 2 blade prop, I have found the boat to motor at higher speeds at a lower rpm with the boat achieving hull speed easily before reaching its governed rpm. The M35B engine has plenty of power and has performed flawlessly for the the 5+ years that we have owned it.
Liveability	We usually take a one week cruise on the boat each summer. The storage has been more than adequate but with some of the projects can be improved tremendously for both provisions and clothing.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	The boat sustained some minor damage to one of the life lines during a spring storm when it rubbed up against the dock and bent it. Catalina immediately sent a replacement and within a week the boat was as good as new. They have always been very supportive and responsive.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	The dealer (SailPlace Inc.)was very helpful and did an excellent job of setting up and commissioning the boat so that it was in sail away condition. I would highly recommend them as they have always been willing to take my calls and answered any questions that I may have had even though the boat was bought 5 years ago.
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