Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 36MKII by David

Year built	1999
Location of boat	Sandusky, Ohio
The boat is sailed on	The Great Lakes
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	1999
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes.
Gear that's been added	We added the auto pilot, best stereo, dodger, bimin, canvas package, micro-wave, tall rig, 150 genoa, cockpit table, fish finder, and cradle.
Structural or complex improvements	No. We added a clock and barometer to the cabin bulkhead.
The boat's best features	This boat has a great deal of storage and the large aft cabin allows us to cruise comfortably with 4 people. It is easy to single hand and has a great freezer and good size fridge with ample dry locker storage. The battery pack is quite large and it is easy to stay at sea for a week or more. The diesel is well sized with lots of power left after hull speed is reached. Water and fuel capacity is fine for a week at a time. The bed rooms are large and the walk through transom allows for easy swimming and dingy boarding. The hardware is well sized and no teak topsides makes maintenance very easy.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	I did experience difficutly with one of the plastic valves in the pressurized water system and replaced it with a brass one. Catalina is sending a glass man to assist with several bubles topside but nothing major.
Sailing characterisitcs	I was concerned with the performance of a tall rig with shoal draft but was very pleasantly surprised. She is not tender at all and does go to weather very well. 7.5 knots is comfortable and she will motor there as well. When she went 65 miles under sail with the autopilot and I didn't have to touch her I knew we had made a good choice.
Motoring characterisitcs	She will motor at hull speed with power to spare. Access is good and maintenance easy. Relatively quiet and eady starting.
Liveability	I feel this is one of the best sized boats on the market today. The large cabin and good storage makes it a very fine value. The hatch area provides excellent ventilation and the head is large with a great deal of storage. We sailed her for three weeks at a time so far and have been very pleased.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	So far so good. No pressure and willing to help.
Other comments	I was attracted to this boat as I could not find a disappointed owner. I inquired a good deal via the internet and had quite a few positive responses. I found that it achieved its Cruising World best value rating. Working with a builder who will be around a few years has its advantages.

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