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Spoke with the factory about the weight and was told it's a non-issue. I was very surprised at how little difference in mast weight there actually is between the furling masts and non furling. Kent, at the factory, told me what it was and I was shocked at how little difference there is. Unfortunately I never wrote down the numbers but it was not a lot when you consider a mast with all the rigging probably weighs in the 550 to 600 pound range anyway.

I opted for better radar performance as I'm not racing but then again most C-34 owners are not the J-Boat racing types either so radar performance should win out..

Considering the options I went with Raymarine. Why? Because at the time Raymarine was the only unit that truly integrated all my electronics and still is. While I don't feel Raymarine stuff is quite as bullet proof as Garmin or Furuno the Raymarine units have proven to be very reliable for me. I considered Furuno but the units are very user un-friendly & Garmin's don't have the radar experience yet for me to be comfortable using one..

I sail on the coast of Maine where Pea Soup fog is more the norm than the exception and so far my 2kw Raymarine has performed incredibly well & better than the 4kw that was far lower to the ocean that my 2kw. For a short time I also owned a powerboat with a Raymarine 4kw system and noticed minimal to NO difference in target tracking abilities between the 4kw and the 2kw. Both units can be adjusted almost infinitely! Yes the 4kw has a narrower beam width but if you mount it low does it really matter?

Keep in mind that HEIGHT of the scanner is the MOST important factor even when zoomed in to 1/2 nm in rough seas. On my Catalina 36 I had a Raymarine 2kw on a backstay Questus mount. While the mount was very high quality, and the radar did stay on a plane with the horizon, I lost serious performance due to the height and quickly grew to regret my decision! On my new boat I went back to a mast mount faster than you can say the word performance!

While the fantasy of a self-leveling radar mount sounds great in theory in practice you loose performance unless it's a mast mount self-leveling unit. I use my radar a LOT so I do know the difference and the higher the radar the better the performance. My 2kw on my current boat, which is mast mounted, performs better than my 4kw did on my powerboat which was at about the same height as a back stay radar.

As for where to mount the display one word.. Helm! I suppose if you're never sailing in fog than it could be mounted below and checked periodically but target tracking requires more than a cursory check every few minutes at least in fog! Also one feature I really like is the radar overlay and it's well worth the expense!

My advice go with a 2kw and mast mount it! Don't be fooled by the 4kw up sale!

Here are the radars I've owned and repair history.

Cape Dory 30 Furuno 1.5kw  - Problems = None      Performance = Decent (mast mount)
Catalina 30 - Furuno 2kw     - Problems = None      Performance = Excellent (mast mount)
Catalina 36 - Raymarine 2kw -   Problems = None - Performance = ok (due to height)
Mainship 30 - Raymarine 4kw - Problems = None   - Performance = ok (due to height)
Catalina 310 - Raymarine 2kw - Problems = None -  Performance = Best Yet (mast mount)

Look at the pictures below and decide for yourself which radome can see more distance!

Catalina 36 W/2kw & Questus

Catalina 310 W/Mast Mount 2kw



-Maine Sail
Maine Sails Sailing Galleries
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/image/61043598

1) Use the correct size hole saw & mandrel from either Starrett or Lennox.
2) Use a 1/2 drill that has some power! Drilling through fiberglass is tough work on a 3/8 drill.
3) To avoid chips tape the surface with blue tape then drill the center pilot hole.
4) When starting the hole start the hole saw in REVERSE and keep it in reverse until you get through the gelcoat layer!

#4 Is a little trick I learned from one of the workers at Hinckley Yachts! Starting in reverse will minimize any gelcoat chips and with the tape you'll be fine! This "reverse" trick works with any size hole saw and also works of fabric headliners etc..

Tip #5 Buy a standard size marine speaker like A 5 1/4 or 6 1/2. You will eventually need to replace them and want a standard size! Consult the manufacturer for the proper hole saw size as a 5 1/4 or 6 1/2 inch speaker does not use a 5 1/4 or 6 1/2 inch hole saw etc...

I like Sikaflex 291 LOT. I have no idea what the LOT means but the stuff is great. It's a polyurethane & bonds similarly to 4000 UV or 4200 but retains 700% elongation before break where 5200 and 4200 are roughly 300 to 350% elongation at break. Most of the top quality boat yards here in Maine use Sikaflex..

[In my 37 years of boating I've NEVER had an anchor set so definitively and abruptly as the Manson Supreme or hold as well!]

Hi All,

Even though I don't own a 34 I do watch your forums because there are a lot of similarities between the C-310 and the 34's. Unfortunately the C-310 assoc is lacking so I frequent the C-36 and 34 sites regularly.

[Added bu Stu Sept.1, 2014:  the C310 skippers can be found here:  http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/forumdisplay.php?f=111]

I would recommend seriously looking at a Manson Supreme, Rocna or a Steel Spade (not the aluminum version I have one and it stinks compared to the steel version I also have). I've owned just about every anchor made and still own them. My CQR never even gets dusted off any more and my Bruce is on loan to a buddy who never anchors. The Delta is not a bad anchor but also nowhere as good as either a Rocna, Spade or Manson Supreme. I anchor out a lot and my Manson Supreme is now my primary anchor. I actually physically test my anchors and put them through the paces and compare them to each other. I also keep an anchor log book with scope, wind, depth, bottom type and anchor used for each anchoring. The Bruce and CQR were good anchors a long time ago, and still are, but when compared to some of the newer designs they just don't compete in the same arena.

Below is a video of my Manson Supreme in a very hard, intertidal zone showing off how well it penetrates hard bottom types. I drive my truck on this intertidal zone to launch my brothers Boston Whaler! When I tested My CQR here it wouldn't even bite even after four tries. I have no affiliation to Manson or any other manufacturer & these tests were done for my own piece of mind and to get a better understanding of how an anchor works on the bottom.. In the picture below you can see why the Manson sets and holds so well. The cross section of this anchor is sharpened like an arrow head. In my 37 years of boating I've NEVER had an anchor set so definitively and abruptly as the Manson Supreme or hold as well! I can literally drag my CQR 25 around a cove with upwards of a 10:1 scope, and my boat in reverse, at 80% throttle. My 33# Bruce is similar but does finally set and hold.

Home Made Mason Supreme Video
http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=86200&cdate=20060313&ctime=160000


I'm not trying to slam the CQR, Delta or Bruce as they are all ok anchors. It's just that the Spade's, Manson Supreme's and Rocna's are excellent anchors and after driving a BMW I could never see going back to a Pontiac if you know what I mean.. I can't tell you how many CQR's I dove on, over the years, that were basically being used as a rock connected to chain. Probably 60% of the CQR & Bruce anchors I have witnessed on the bottom, in coves or anchorages, have been sitting on their side with about three inches of the tip barely caught in the bottom. I'm not saying CQR's  can't be set, they can & I used one for 6 years, they just require more skill and patience to set, & set properly, than the newer designs. From my musings over the years I would have to say that close to 50% of boaters, both power and sail, but mostly power don't even know how to set an anchor or attempt to! I've witnessed lots of catastrophic, vacation ending, dragings leading to serious hull damage over the years and every one still haunts me. Perhaps I take anchoring a little to seriously but the cost of an anchor is small compared to a six figure boat. This picture http://www.rocna.com/press/press_0612_wm_ym_testing.pdf is exactly why NOT to use a CQR. When diving on mine this was the set more often than not even after multiple attempts at getting it to set. Click on the link and look at the picture of the CQR. It's laying on it's side and is NOT set. For a CQR to be properly set it must be vertical like a plow!!!!!! This picture typifies the "rock on a rope" most sailors experience, but never realize, due to the relatively benign summer conditions we mostly encounter. The funny thing is this was a picture that was displayed in Sail Magazine representing anchor tests! Usually the rock on the rope holds till morning giving a false sense of security until a breeze pops up.

I use my Fortress as a dedicated stern anchor a job for which this anchor is perfect. It's very light, to set out in the dinghy with, and holds like pit bull in one direction. It can be tough to set on a hard bottom due mostly to its weight but I have never not been able to not get it to set after a few tries. The anchors on my boat are a Fortress (stern), Manson Supreme (primary) and Spade S-80 (backup). The CQR collects dust in my shed, the Bruce is on loan to a friend with a power boat and the Delta I let go with one of my boats I sold.

Both the Manson and the Spade cost less than the CQR but the Manson has much more surface are per pound than the Delta, CQR, Bruce or Spade because it does not need added lead "tip weight" like the Delta, Spade or CQR.

The anchors pictured below are my CQR 25 lb, Manson Supreme 24 lb & a Spade 35 lb. Look at the surface area of these anchors and you'll see that a Manson has as much surface area as most 35lb anchors yet it only weighs 24 pounds! The sharpened tip also penetrates eel grass and weeds far better than any anchor I have ever used.

Picking the right ground tackle is only half the battle. You also need good technique, proper scope and you MUST set your anchor by either back winding the sails or using the full reverse power of your motor other wise you have a rock on a rope and might as well be using a cinder block.



-Maine Sail
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising