Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 34 by Don Solomon

Year built	1993
Location of boat	Rock Hall Md
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	16-22 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1993
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes, but I would have been more demanding at time of commissioning. My dealer did a lousy job of commissioning my boat, and I have been paying for it either in extra work, or in parts and labor.
Gear that's been added	Stereo system. Otherwise, boat came pretty complete. However, my wish list is in this order: 1. autopilot 2. airconditioning 3. cruising chute or gennaker
Structural or complex improvements	No.
The boat's best features	Value for the dollar, accommodations and equipment, factory support, owners associations.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	1. The etching and bottom paint have given me consistent problems from day one. Dealer re-etched and repainted after the first year of use. 2. All my Par/Jabsco pumps failed. However, they graciously sent replacement parts and new pumps free of charge, and I have not had any problems since. 3. Mast head anchor light bulb went out last year, when I went up to replace it I found that the whole mast head light had been jury rigged taped, glued and just a complete mess. I was unable to find a suitable replacement for it and had to refurbish as best I could. Next time the light goes out I will replace with a new anchor light. 4. I have a void on the deck right behind the starboard aft stay. This presented itself as a 9-10 inch circular crack in the non-skid gelcoat. I sent Mr. Butler an estimate of the repair as well as pictures, but he declined the repair but offered his
Sailing characterisitcs	Sails fast and comfortable but will head up quickly and dangerously if not careful (function of the wing keel and shorter rudder). Slow off the wind beyond 120 deg aparent, need a chute for downwind sailing.
Motoring characterisitcs	Motor is loud and vibrates the cabin but powerful and reliable (M-35)
Liveability	I find the boat more than comfortable for two and equally for two couples. Needs more storage space and better galley configuration.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Yeah, dealers only care about you when your buying. Beware of high volume dealers that can't get your boat commissioned on time and properly. Make sure you have a good salesman as they can make all the difference between you and the yard commissioning your boat - mine did.
Other comments	We love our Catalina, although it is not perfect, we feel that it is a great, safe and fun boat. Having owned two used boats, previously, I would definetly buy a brand new boat, being more fastidious about it's commissioning this time.

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