possible purchase-Chesapeake area

[JJS]

My husband & I are looking at C34’s for possible purchase.  I am wondering if there are surveyors (in the Chesapeake area) who are especially knowledgeable about Catalinas.  
Also, are boats in the Chesapeake area more prone to blistering than in other areas?   I’ve heard that Catalinas are particularly susceptible to blistering for certain years (is this true??) & this has me concerned as it seems to be a very expensive fix.
Thanks for any info.
JJS

[cholder]

In my view, why care about blisters?  My C34 had them when I bought the boat 5 years old 9 years ago and they've not changed much.  Eventually, I might deal with them but the cost isn't huge, maybe US$4000.  You should be able to get that off the purchase price.  My belief is that almost all boats have had, do have or will eventually get blisters.

Perhaps the only people who really care about blisters are those who race their boats because they want a perfectly faired and glass smooth finish.  Extreme examples I've known are prepared to spend more than $10k to achieve this level of finish on a J24, a boat otherwise only worth maybe $15k in used condition.  Their extreme approach isn't relevant to 'normal' sailors.

Blisters aren't a significant problem with a C34 because the hull is a solid fibreglass construction.  Were it a sandwich construction they'd be a concern because of the thin layer of glass fibre on the outside of the laminate - blisters in a laminated boat can seriously weaken the laminate. That isn't a concern with the C34.

[Ken Juul]

There are a number of surveyors, most centered around the large sales centers.  Your broker should be able to point you toward one you can trust.  I would include North Carolina in your search.  I found a much better equiped boat for several thousand less in New Bern, broker based in Beaufort.  I found www.yachtworld.com the best search engine.

[cajenson]

Some blistering would not be a big concern and seem to be only cosmetic anyway. I have not heard that blistering in the Chesapeake is more of a problem than elsewhere nor are they more of a problem for Catalinas.Last August I bought a C34 Hull # 40. This boat spent is life in the southern Chesapeake when it was hauled I found about 8 blisters total and when I repaired them they were very shallow.Good Luck.
     CA JENSON
HULL # 40 FreeBird

[Roc]

I suggest you find a surveyor by asking other sailors (which you are doing through this site), or talk to marina owners, marine service people, etc, even Boat/US can be a source because they advertise this service...but don't rely heavily on the referrals from the broker.  Not to say that brokers are shady characters, but, they do have alot at stake in the sale.  I think it would be best to find an 'independent' surveyor that you pick on your own and not the one 'suggested' by the broker.  I believe this would keep everything about the transaction clean and amicable.

I hope your search goes well.  The Catalina 34 is a great boat!

Roc-

[chudave]

I would suspect that you would see less blisters on a boat bought in the Cheseapeake, where a majority of the owners probably pull for the winter, as opposed to somewhere else where the boat stays in.

Jack Horner is the "name brand" surveyor in that area, but I have never used him.  He did write up an article in SpinSheet about two years back on used C34's.

Dave Chu
Former C34 owner