C34 and C36 Comparison

[tommyt]

PK,

The reference to cockpit size that I made was a MKII to MKII comparison. A few years ago my boat was out of commission for a few weeks and i sailed a C36 in its place. The 36 did not have cockpit cushions so I used mine and they fit perfectly, including the snaps.

I ahve sailed a 36 MKI, but not a 34 MKI, so have no comparison there. My assumption is Catalina did the same on the MKI, but you know what happens with assumptions.

[Bill Asbury]

PK, we looked at many boats including the C36 before buying our C34 and we liked the C34 cabin layout much more than the C36 as indicated in previous posts.  Generally speaking, the larger the boat the more expensive everything tends to be, so if the C34 satisfies your needs why buy the C36?  As someone else said, we wouldn't trade our C34 straight across for a C36.

[Ron Hill]

PK : I'd kill for the C36 swivel chair at the nav table and the folding dinette table.  When it comes time to shower and sleep the C34 is the only way to go.  (BTW, you spend more than half of your life on a sail boat in the bunk sleeping !!!)
Both hulls are of almost identical design and the tall rig C34 has the same mast height as the standard C36.
A few thoughts.   

[Cat36#1598]

Going out on a limb here...

I have a 36MKII - 1996 with a tall rig / fin Keel. 

First of all, both boats are great. 

Why I went with the 36...
I had a 1989 C30 "Traditional" layout and wanted basically the same thing in a larger boat.

I went with the 36mkII because of the "traditional" layout.  (They do offer a "U Shape" Seating)

For me personally I liked being able to keep the table up and out of the way.  I felt this added back more useable interior space for moving about or having additional people on board for entertaining.  We typically eat in the cockpit.  The table only comes down if both berths are used or we are serving dinner in the cabin for more than 2 people. 

The "game table" on the stbd side is typically down and the cushions are in, making this a full length seating area.  We prefer to use this table when it is just my wife and I for dinner and we are not eating outside. 

As for the aft cabin, yes it is our storage room ("garage") for the cockpit cushions, cruising spin, etc. until we have guests on board.  (The stuff is going to end up somewhere on any boat.) And it can be a little tight getting in with two people.  Once both are in the berth there is plenty of room.

There are trade-offs on any design. 

34 pros...
The 34 aft head is great for keeping it close to the cockpit where you typically come from.
TCO may be a little lower depending on purchase condition.

36 Cons,
The sink on the 36 is a few feet in front of the ladder which can take a little getting used to.
Battery access on the 36mkII is tight.  Plan on inventing a few words every 3 years when you need to replace them. There is only about 1/2 inch on each side to pull them out.
The Nav Seat is a waste of space in my opinion.  I pulled mine out and I am in the process of making teak doors with shelves for that space.

Both boats are now legacy models since Catalina stopped making them. 

Maintenance wise, the boats should be similar except for a few areas...
1. Bottom jobs will be a little less on the 34.
2. The 36 is on the cusp for Wheel driven Autopilot.  The wheel based pilot will work until the wind gets to about 15 and then it is too small for the boat.  Basically you would need to go with a more expensive linear-drive unit. 

Both sail well and I am sure you will be happy with either.

I think that at the end of the day, either is going to provide great enjoyment and hold very good re-sell value over time.

All other things equal, it will come down to what layout you would rather have.

Just my thoughts,

Jack

[Ken Juul]

Agree with all that has been said.  What it comes down to is your and probably more importantly your Admiral's likes and dislikes.  We looked at them seperately for quite a while.  We finally found both displayed at a boat show.  It was a quiet Sunday.  We told the broker we weren't buying, just deciding, so he left us alone.  After about an hour split between the two models, mostly spent in the cabin, the Admiral declared...it's going be the 34, decision made.

[PK]

Thanks to everyone for the response to the 34 vs 36 questions.  After viewing a couple of each we have decided to make an offer on a 34.  As everyone stated, they both had their good and bad points.  In the end dollars vs. age made the decision for us.  (and according to the other half the name played a fairly substantial role as well!!) With any luck everything will go as planned and I'll join some of you in the SF bay in a month or so.  Thanks again and if it all works out, I anticipate having a few hundred questions for everyone!

[Stu Jackson]

Congratulations, PK, you would have had a winner regardless of which choice you made.  Name's can be changed, hulls and interiors cannot.

You WILL need a surveyor - read this:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,1947.0.html