Attended the Pacific Strictly Sail show and there was a C34 Mk 2 on display! Some interesting "evolutions" from earlier models. What I thought really interesting was the surprise voiced by the local dealer staff that a C34 was even being shown, and also, the high level of interest that was being shown in the model by show visitors. Of course the number of sales orders and the cost of build will ultimately determine whether the C34 turns into the C340, or simply disappears, but it was an "upper" to see one at the show and to hear the interest. Just a thought.
A C34 MK2 is about the only thing I'd trade my MK1.5 for. I don't want anything bigger or smaller. Wouldn't take a Hunter, Beneteau or Dufour the same size.
ok, I'm biased!
Craig
Craig, I completely agree. When one looks at the newer/larger models, and assuming one is still utilizing the boat the same, with 2 aboard, I cannot see much reason to change. Yes, newer/bigger is certainly nice to walk through, but for actually sailing?....Not my own cup of tea.
A friend in our marina has a new C387 that he took delivery of in November last year. He has been aboard our boat a couple of times. His comment was that he wished he had bought a C34. Feels his boat is too big for just he and his wife. Of course... we are all biased!
Jack
I was at strictly sail, too. I know the folks at Farallon (Catalina dealership) are really hoping the 34 sticks around because it is a really good seller for them.
I checked out the Beneteaus (bad case of the uglies below--I really hate the boxy new interior) and the Jeanneaus (which I have always liked, but I think they have needed to make cheaper to be competitive). Came away feeling better than ever about my 34.
I picked it up from the yard on Saturday after having the bottom painted. Don't know how much of it is just in my head, but it sure seemed to be moving along quickly at moderate throttle, and glided a long way after I shifted into neutral . . . Can't wait to take it out for a sail!
Wayne - I just had the Jenny Jewel's bottom done for the first time in 2.5 years. Even with regular bottom scrubbing from time to time in the summers I was shocked how much of a difference the new bottom (and clean prop) made. I am now going 6.5 knots at 2100 rpm where before I was lucky to get that at 2700 rpm. Sailing speeds are way up too.
Joe
Nice boat show. Here's a picture of the new C375 (Catalina 375) and C34, side-by-side. The C375 appears to be a lot less "boxy" than the C350.
The factory got the idea from owners of C42s and other boats, nice stern pulpit with outboard bracket.
Autopilot from port locker
Helm instruments. Call me crazy, but unless you're a professional basketball player there's no way you could see over that package of electronics. While we prefer to "keep it simple" on our boat, I know people love and some depend on this array, but I think it takes away from the sailing. First there's the plastic to look around or over, then there's a dodger with plastic to look through... (That's Cory on the left, former Fleet 1 Captain Greg Sherwood's wife, Cathy, on the right.)
starboard locker storage looks pretty good, except for what falls between the two shelves goes???
For the life of me, I can't figure out why Catalina keeps installing these cheap clam cleats for mainsheets. We've replaced ours with a sheet stopper that we leave open when sailing. It gives a better fairlead to the winch. The little red thingy on the clam cleat always had a tendency to break.
Other than that, the hardware and sizes looked first rate.
galley shots The offset sink looks a bit odd, not too hard to get used to, though
What's dumb? Take a detailed look at the galley sink backsplash. There's a clear area between the top of the teak edge and the bottom of the splash - just where water would go! Why bother if it's not a complete barrier??? Details...
Access to aft of the engine is through a lift up panel in the aft cabin. You can get to the stuffing box, but it's not as easy as on our C34s.
The access to the oil dipstick, one of my favorite "check out the new boat and if you can't get to it, walk away" items is through a small lift up hatch with a finger hole underneath the companionway stairs. Not bad, kinda like our starboard side aft cabin little doors.
Wow, regarding the autopilot picture, wouldn't it be nice to have the inside skin of the hull (does the whole below-waterline part of the hull inside qualify as the bilge?) so nice and clean?
Regarding the 375, I actually really like her lines. Her sheer line with what appears to be a gentle rise in the aft section (maybe it's just the camera angle) hearkens back to much more traditional look. I also like the portlight arrangement. I've never really liked the look our two deadlights (a little too slick and not useful). That said, I like our arrangement with three opening portlights better than the original C36 with only two opening portlights. The 375 seems to have the best of both worlds: a large deadlight for light and lots of opening portlights fore and aft. I wonder if CY is going to contemporize the 42 next, or what its next new model will be?
I'm not sure if it hurts CY's sales, but it's funny to me that, Stu, your picture of the 375 is the best one I've seen. The ones on CY's site make it seem like a trailer home.
Also see this with more photos of the C375: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4048.0.html
Having the C375 in the water really helps looking at the lines.
I sure hope they don't mess with the C42 or the C34. The C42 that was at the show had the far superior port aft galley. The pullman berth with forward head is still being offered in the brochure, but the one at the show was the best layout that they make: V berth with head, starboard side nav station and settee, port saloon and port aft galley with head to starboard and entrance to single aft cabin. They got this boat right. One great feature is the tall vertical stainless handrail at the edge of the galley, and good handholds throughout. The galley fridge top actually has HINGES from the factory with a strut to hold it up. When I was on the C34 a couple looking at it was wondering about where to put the fridge top, so I explained how to do it to them. You'd think the factory could do on a C34 what they've done on the C42. Details, details...
The C375 has a large open layout, but absolutely poor handholds. I wouldn't want to be down below trying to get to the forward head in any seaway - it would be dangerous. The dodger didn't come with what the local dealer calls "ocean handrails." I suppose the Bay doesn't qualify for handholds on a dodger, but I wouldn't go anywhere without them. The saloon table is a disaster at best - it has a very heavy particle-board tabletop hooked and higned to the bulkhead, a particle board lower support that has to be winged out and then stainless tube supports underneath - a three person job if I ever saw one. The C25 and C30 table arrangements were much better and easier to use. Not having a simple table arrangement is nuts, I think. I hear "they're working on that." The two separate seats to starboard means no full length settee opposite the saloon and no place to layout or stretch out horizontally except for the cabins.
The aft cabin feels MUCH smaller than our aft cabins because of the arrangement of the headliner/cockpit/hull above - a real head-knocker as bad as ours.
The access under the aft cabin is poor - the covers to the areas below would need to be cut to make them in any way manageable. The single big mattress makes getting to them difficult at best - a split mattress would make much more sense.
The saloon is actually a C350 on steroids. I don't think of this as a replacement for the C36 - it's nowhere near as good a sailing boat, more a marina hopper like the C350. The "improved" headroom makes it require handholds that it just doesn't have.
I didn't have time to find the batteries.
The galley is very nice.
The sailing gear is well done (except for that clam cleat).
I agree with you on both the C42 and C34. The only thing I'm not crazy about on the C42 is the backstay that is planted off-center. I don't know why they don't just do a bridle like our boats have. And I totally agree about the optimal configuration for the C42 with a vee berth and storage locker (unless you have two kids of different sexes that need their privacy). I don't understand why people seem to like the pullman configuration. Who wants to crawl over his partner to get out? Yet, that configuration seems to have been the most popular.
Very interesting critique of the 375. I can't wait to crawl around on it. I'll let you know if I find the batteries. I'll bet they've continued the ridiculous practice of installing 8Ds. I wonder if they've gotten smart and co-located a starter battery next to the engine with a separate switch on any of their models?
When the 375 was premiered at the Boston show this winter, many of the brokers also commented on the lack of hand holds in the cabin. I happen to speak to Gerry Douglas about that and he said that they are looking into that issue.
I'd say the dipstick hatch must have been an after thought... I can
only imagine the amount of added noise the comes up through that
little piece of wood. The quality of the thin plastic surface on the
engine cover and areas like the chart table was also less than impressive.
I'm not sure why they didn't insulate the forward icebox/fridge?
...the bottom of it is the hull...
A couple of other obvious issues like the crazy routing of the
jib furler line and the massive electronics package at the
helm aren't to my taste but I did like the layout below including
the shower in the head and side access to the forward birth,
flip up table.
What I'm wondering is how she sails? Here are some numbers:
Hull Length / ( LWL ) (Beam) (LWL/Beam) (draft) (disp)
34 = 34-6 (lwl 29-10) (11-9) (2.54) (5-7) (12k->15k)
350 = 35-3 (lwl 31-3) (13) (2.4) (6-8) (13k)
375 = 37-4 (lwl 34-5) (13) (2.65) (6-10) (15.5k)
387 = 38-9 (lwl 32-5) (12-4) (2.63) (7-2) (19k)
42 = 41-10 (lwl 36-0) (13-10) (2.6) (6-8) (20.5k)
The 375 numbers look pretty good if it's really 15.5k lbs...
though I wonder about the lwl ... what's the LWL under sail?
(displacement to length looks good)
Dave, I suspect all of the displacement numbers are off, hopefully equally. I'm shocked by how short the 387's LWL is. Given its displacement, no wonder I blow by them ('cause it sure ain't my great sailing ability).
Dave,
We saw the forward "icebox" area as dry storage, not a fridge, but maybe a cooler if you added your own ice.
The particle board finish is a real downer.
Just teak oiled our REAL teak (down below) onboard this afternoon. No water based teak finish on our boat.
I figured that's what they were trying to pass off the forward 'icebox' for
but what a place to save a few dollars... especially since the main ice
box isn't very large. And... last I checked, most iceboxes were
insulated... guess it would work ok for trash.
I can understand that they try and save some money here or
there on the finishes but the finish on the chart table was already
chipping off... both the chart table and the engine cover are high
visibility spots. I wonder how much water is going to pour down
that oil check hole over the years.
Overall loads of room down below with the table up. A nice setup.
Still, I wonder what the PHRF rating will wind up being...
...is CY still building boats that perform?
Dave
In the galley picture looking aft that I posted, there is the forward "dry storage", then the aft top accessed fridge (or icebox or freezer) and then a vertical forward opening Waeco separate refrigerator. I think they locked the door, we couldn't get it to open.
I agree on the finishes. It's almost like the "paper" covering will peel within a week! The detailing on the rough edge of that oil dip stick hole...
Rating? I'd think that people who own that boat wouldn't even think of it, like the C350 folks, it's a different breed. Performance boats: C34, C42 - that's all that's left (maybe the C470 but that's also a different boat with a different purpose).
It's really a crying shame :cry4` that they discontinued the C36!