Wanted Catalina 34

[UK Bob]

Hi Folks I am in the UK and have been studying Catalinas for the past few weeks. I am looking to buy a used Catalina 34 with GPS Atohelm .and  self furling jib  plus usual extras, and has been loved through its life. I intend to buy within the next 4 weeks and sail back to the UK. Any ideas or offers please. Hope all is well on your side of the pond regards UK BOB

[Stu Jackson]

Welcome, Bob

Have you looked at the Buy & Sell section?  -- It's here:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/board,13.0.html

One of the more thorough website engines for finding specific boats is yachtworld.com.  Give that a try if you can't find an individual seller.

[Jon Schneider]

Bob, as Stu said there are lots of places to search for a C34; just google!  But I'd be surprised if you found one with a self-tacking jib.  I've never seen any Catalina with such a configuration (although someone is bound to pipe in here with one).  I'd also not count on a wheel-autohelm to get you across the "pond."  If that's the device you're going to rely upon, better buy three of them. 

[Ted Pounds]

If you're looking for freshwater boat (usually in better condition) I recommend Jan Guthrie at http://buy-a-boat.com/.  She's honest, hardworking and loves sailing.    She can also give you good advice on getting back to the UK.

[lazybone]

UK Bob,
You might want to consider the cost of shipping the boat back to the UK versus the upgrades that would be required (read smart) in order to modify a "coastal cruiser" into an transatlantic worthy boat.

[Stu Jackson]

Many Catalinas, not only C34s, were retrofitted with self-tacking jibs to sail in the narrow confines of the Sacramento - Stockton (California) Delta.  "Shanty", a 1988 C34, had one.  They berthed almost next to us for a few months before moving on to the Oakland Yacht Club right up the estuary.  I wouldn't want to go anywhere offshore, or even out on San Francisco Bay, with that rig.  It required a small jib to pass ahead of the mast, with literally NO flexibility.  Great for its intended purpose, but that was about it.

And I just gotta beg to differ on freshwater boats being in better condition...that's nonsense based on only basic neglect - given that, sure, freshwater would be better, but who wants to go there?  Another urban myth...

[waterdog]

I think Bob was looking for self furling - ie. roller furling - not self tacking. 

[Jon Schneider]

OMG, Waterdog, you're right!  Self-FURLING.  Somehow the "self" threw me off.  I'm not exactly sure what "self"-furling is, but I assume it's the same as plain old furling.  In that case, Bob, nearly every C34 that I've ever seen has a furling jib, but most of the earlier models had continuous line models made by Hood.  Many people feel that continuous line furling mechanisms are less reliable than single line models. I've used both and found no problem with the continuous line version, in fact I found it rather an elegant design.  That said, I upgraded my own original Hood continuous line furler to a standard single line model (Harken), primarily because the foil was beginnnig to show signs of decay.  Sorry about confusing the tacking/furling spec.