Buying an '86 Cat34

[fbien]

I'm thinking of buying an '86 catalina 34.  I've read the great FAQ on buying, but was curious about the '86.  I believe it was the first year the 34 was out.  I know they changed the deck stepped mast the next year (is there a problem there?).  Would it be advisalbe to stay away from the first-year model?  Anything to look out for?  I'm having a survey and engine survey (only 400 hours) done, of course.

thanks,

-fb

[Stu Jackson]

Frank:  

If you check out the C34 website, you'll find lots of us who have purchased previously owned 1986 boats and many who have  retained their original 1986 boats, 16+ years!  

Unlike most other manufacturers who change things because they didn't get them right in the first production run, Catalina got it right directly out of the box.  

We have #224, #55 won the National Regatta in Connecticut last year and #8 here on SF Bay wins a lot of races, too.  

Many of us have upgraded systems over the years, and sometimes I think the only thing Catalina has missed is a powerful electrical system for these boats, although they seem to have finally gotten the idea with the C310 and new C350.  

You just can't go wrong with a 1986 C34.  We saw a lot of newer C34s during our boat search, but our older boat was a lot "newer" and in better condition than anything else we saw in over a year of looking (for ONLY Catalina 34s). One of the best parts about the C34 is that everything is accessible, and parts are available.  

See "Why We Bought Our Catalina 34" in the FAQ on the website.  Good luck, and don't forget to join the International Catalina 34 Association when you get your boat.

Best regards,
Stu

PS  The brochures section of the website has the original Sail magazine writeup of the 1986 C34, as well as the original price list, which shows the mast option as Ron mentioned.

[kenkillian]

Frank,
We bought Puff # 19  - a 1986 built boat in 1998 and couldn't be happier.  Sure, we have done a lot of work on her, but I have owned boats for 30 years and have never owned one that didn't need something done.  The bottom line is that it is a great boat with a few things that should be done, harness upgrade, alternator bracket fix, and a few others that you will find on the website.  As far as the deck stepped mast, you will note that they went back to the deck step after many years of keel stepped.  I would not hesitate to buy a 86 boat if in good condition.  We think we saved a lot of money by buying a little older and have nearly everthing that the new ones have.  Good luck.

Ken Killian

[mvazmina]

We have 86 #27 and could'nt be happier. The previous owner had already done the upgrades mentioned earlier and all we have done is routine maintanence. We are still using the orginal main. It was in the loft for minor repairs and they were surprised at how well it had held up.

There is always something that has to be done, but I would only add to make sure the wiring is is good shape. I've had to do some rewiring.

[Alohman]

We purchased our '86 last June. We are VERY happy with the boat. We love the look of the teak interior and the exterior has just enough teak. I just can't get used the look of absolutely NO teak on the exterior of a boat. While we sometimes think a walk through transom would be convenient, we would probably miss the storage space you give up. The larger engine in the newer 34's would be nice, but overall, unless we plan to do some serious offshore cruising,I don't see us changing boats anytime soon and we most certainly do not regret our decision to purchase this boat.