Draft 3'10" vs 4'3"

[Paulus]

I am interested in purchasing a 1989 Catalina 34 with a wing keel. I would be interested in your opinions regarding the difference.  The owner of this vessel tells me that tells me that it is 4'3 and yet the spec sheet says 3'10.
Would like to hear from you.
Thanks,
Paul

[Philip Imhof]

He's correct. It is 4-3

[SailDan]

Phil,
It appears that the information on the draft for the 1987 and the 1988-89 C-34s listed in the Brochures on this site are incorrect (see http://www.c34.org/images/34c522d.jpg).  These Brochures give the draft for wing keel C-34s for these years as 3'10" not 4'3".

[Stu Jackson]

My understanding was always that the difference in draft was from horizontal to heeled.  A flat wing keel will be deeper when the boat is heeled and sailing.

Recent posts have indicated that the [flat - un-heeled] draft was deepened on later models by the factory.

Just a joke: is 5 inches gonna make a big difference?  

[Ron Hill]

Back in the late 1980's there was an article in the C34 Mainsheet Tech section.  It addresses the 3'10" draft.  It seems that 3'10" was the  design goal!! and Catalina admitted that the draft was really 4' 3".

However, I've found that the draft is really more like 4 5" when the boat is fully loaded with water, fuel, food and cruising equipment.   When I first saw that short article, I immediately went out and measured and it was correct.  The factory missed their "Design Goal"!!  Archimedes was probably correct that the C34 has a greater displacement weight than the 12550 lbs listed as the "Designed" displacement.  

Always wanted to put my boat on the bathroom scale and see what it really weighs.  Too bad that most of the travel lifts have inoperative or uncalibrated strain gages.  

The one thing that you can take to the bank, is not to get into water that's less than 4 & 1/2 feet!!!!!!!!