Opinions on Puchasing a C34

[Wayne]

Jim, on SF Bay most people use a 110 headsail (as do I on my 2006); very little problem with excessive weather helm (I do reef my main heavily and try to leave my headsail out until its really, really blowing).

Julian, I'm a tall guy and wish there was more head room.  And for us, the head compartment is almost useless, other than the head itself.  We use the galley sink for washing hands, brushing teeth, etc. and hardly ever take a show on board.  Boat sails great, tracks like a train, balances well, and is pretty quick (I have a folding prop).  Rates highly in the 'good looks' department, too.  When I bought mine, I took a leap of faith and went for it, and the only surprises were of a good kind . . . 'does better than I expected' was a frequent comment regarding lots of different factors.  Hardware, etc is pretty much all name brands.  Sure, some things have broken (latches), but I have friends with other brands of boats who all say the same thing--small items break. 

[Ken Juul]

In regard to different models.  It is really a personal choice, if you have a significant other....their input is very important.  We were having a hard time deciding between the 34/36.  We were visiting a friend who was working a boat show in Fla.  It was late on Sunday, crowds were down.  We told the broker we weren't buying, just shopping.  He understood, having better things to do, let us look at the boats on our own.  After about an hour on each,  we were sitting in the salon of the 34 discussing pros and cons, the Admiral declared the 34 was the boat for us.

Personal opinion here....the 350 is a great boat, but I don't like leather interiors and prefer the head be aft near the companionway.  Take some time, figure out what is important to you, look at the different models and then to decide what is right for you.

[David Arnold]

Julian,
My wife and I purchased our 2005 brand new and have no regrets what so ever.   I can honistly say I have gone to the Newport Boat Show every year since to see what else there is or what I am missing and not once have I wished I had another boat.  Sure the fridge can be a pain or difficult to reach things way in the at the bottom since we are both 5'5".  Sure the rear "stateroom" is confined but the HUGE vee berth more than compensates.  Yes, the holding tank needs to be pumped every 4 days but not a big deal.  We have a roller furling main and feel that performance is sacraficed in both speed and ability to sail close to the wind but some of that may be my sailing ability or lack thereof.  The 34 is one heck of a boat! 

[Tom Clay]

Julian,

We purchased a new MK 11 in July of 2006, equipped similar to what you are looking for. We purchased new because we could not find a late model boat in the Pacific Northwest. Shipping a late model MK11 from California and adding options that were included in the new boat was more money, it was an easy decision for us.

The battery charger went out after 30 days and was replaced under warranty. We also had some hoses to tighten up and one to replace. The windlass started leaking last year and also was fixed under warranty. No other issues or problems with the boat. We also added an ESPAR diesel hot water heater to the boat, it heats the boat in 20 degree weather.

Our friends bought a used 2004 C350 in new condition shortly after we bought the C34. They had alot of trouble handling the boat, too large and freeboard was an issue, they sold it and bought a C310 which they both love. Get on different boats to see if they are right for you, you will know when you have found the right one.

Good luck finding the right C34, and as others have said don't hesitate, you will love the boat.

PS.... It is veryyyyyy easy for a couple to handle, and yes we love the low freeboard.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Take your time and do your research...As Stu said, this site is your best resource.    

Beyond the basic design, boats are really a sum total of parts and systems.  Boats are complex machines and require regular maintenance, regardless of purchase price.  A well-maintained older boat can often be a better deal than a newer vessel.  A proper refit can often cost more than a boat is worth, so some of the best values on the used markets are older boats that have been throughly refit but are being sold for one reason or another at market prices.  Markets tend to move slowly this time of year, and with the current economy, you can afford to be a choosy looking for your new boat!    

The basic Catalina 34, regardless of year of manufacture, is well-built for coastal cruising.  If you absolutely must have a feature (walk through transom, deck stepped mast, or wing keel for example), then that will limit the search somewhat.  Just about all of the features of a later hull can be re-fit to an earlier hull.    

It's a buyer's market, and you shouldn't limit your search to the local area--the cost of shipping can be well worth it for the right boat.  

Best of Luck!

Mike

...One other thing to consider is that there's a fairly significant overlap between the C34 and C36 in many regards.  It might be worth broadening your search to include both types.    

[Ken Juul]

About monthly I take a look at the C34 listings on yachtworld.com  They currently have 99 boats listed, which is about average.  What really made me happy was after a long dry summer with few sales they currently have 11 boats listed as sales pending.  As has been mentioned a few times in this thread.  When you find the right boat don't delay...the good ones don't stay on the list long.

[Julian Elliott]

I've been researching and soul searching intensively over the past week, and have concluded with your help that (1) a later model C34 is absolutely the boat for me, and (2) I'm still wrestling with the decision on in-mast furling vs. battened main. 

I have spoken with brokers up and down the west coast, and am pretty aware of what's currently on the market, and a couple that are coming.  Some nice boats (if somewhat expensive after transport and adding heat).   The big issue I'm now confronting is the tradeoff in the different mainsail systems.    As an third alternative, I'm investigating whether a batten main with a "stackpack" cover and Harken Battcars would alleviate the effort/mobility issues.  Opinions?

Also, UK and others offer a vertical batten main that they claim is a big improvement for in mast systems.  Is this just marketing hype?

Wayne, your comment re the folding prop is good.  A friend with a C34 told me that it would be a huge improvement in the lighter air up here.

I began this quest because of a desire to accommodate reduced mobility.  I'm now finding it hard to make compromises. 

My wife tells me I'm getting too anal with this...

[Wayne]

I had an opportunity to sail on a boat with vertical battens last weekend.  Still no roach, but at least the leech didn't constantly flutter, so I think it is a really good improvement over standard in-mast furling.  I was ho-hum about in mast furling, but now that I'm used to it I like it.  And I bought it because with 80% or so of new boats sold with it I felt that if I ever wanted to sell I would be limited without it (and I really think I'm right on this point).  Don't know about light air sailing, though.
In terms of mobility issues, I think the 34 is really a great boat for keeping the strains on the body light and manageable.

[Roc]

In 2000, before the in-mast furling rave, my boat came standard with full batten main and the Dutchman flaking system.  I like the Dutchman system a lot.  I have stock slides, and with the stock set up, it works fine. I believe if I had Harken battcars, it would enhance the system.  I've thought about upgrading to the Harken battcars, but the way things work now is really fine and I can't justify the added expense.

[Stu Jackson]

Aquavite's PO installed the Harken batt cars.  I think they are great, except recognize that you will need a mast step or a step ladder to reach the headboard with the main halyard.  Properly lubricated (Sailkote) the main drops like a good set of blinds!  There is extra weight to raise when pulling the main halyard, but we do it both from the mast or from the cockpit.  For singlehanding, Craig Illman shared a "cam cleat on the mast clutch" trick he installed, very nifty.  Here: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4946.0.html

Are the batt cars a "necessity?"  Hardly.  
Am I glad my boat came with them?  You betcha!

[Jim Hardesty]

Julian,
I installed a Dutchman system on my previous boat (30foot S2).  It worked very well.  Shamrock came with roller furling main.  It works very well.  Its easy to furl and no sail cover to put on and off, at the expense of a little speed sometimes.
If it were me, other features would come first.  Boat condition, price, location (fresh or saltwater) and others come to mind.
Good Luck and enjoy the quest.
Jim

[waterdog]

I was thinking deeply about the main just yesterday.   I have a "stackpack" with conventional battens, decent roach, brand new slides, a recently painted mast track, 2 reef points with separate tack and clew lines.   I love the set up and wouldn't change a thing.   The sail performance is excellent, particularly in light air.   I can pull the main easily by hand to within a foot of the top (this is a function of slick new slot).   You couldn't pay me to add batt cars, single line reefing, or in-mast furling.  Not that I have an opinion.

The downside of my set up is that it requires a trip on deck to bunch the sail in and zip up the cover.   If this is difficult for you, then hands down you want a boat with in mast furling and don't even think about the performance trade off.   If going on deck isn't a problem then you can achieve simplicity and performance, but you will need to work with a sail maker (or be handy with a machine) to get to this set up.   I've seen a lot of C34s coming down the coast and I don't think you will find many (if any) on the market equipped this way.   

[Tom Clay]

Our boat came with in-mast main no battens.
We purchased in-mast as most of the newer boats were coming with it. Our dealer also told us the requests for in mast mains were 10 to 1 for it. We felt the boat would be more marketable if we decided to sell in the future. I have had another C34 owner (1988) with standard main, sail with me. After being out twice he would not hesitate to get in-mast furling as he did not notice any performace difference.

One benefit we have found with an in-mast main sail is the multiple reefing points. We have also learned to reef on the fly. The Admiral brings the boat up into the wind until the pressure is released, I immediately reef, the Admiral brings it back down as I am reefing. Takes us about 5 seconds total to reef doing this.

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

My first experience with in mast furling was on a Jeanneau 37 BVI charter back in 2002. We constantly had problems with the sail jamming when reefing. Other charters seemed to be OK so maybe they've improved the systems since then.
I'm still a little leery of the complexity's of in mast systems and was wondering if anyone had experience with in boom furling.
We still have the original system but would probably consider the stack pack if I was going to upgrade, just for the simplicity and lower cost.