Longer Voyages
Carina, #304 ventures north to Canada
John and Eleanor Coulthard Home Page
Zuma, #960 3500 mile tour of the east coast
Gus Trometer's experiences living aboard a C34
On February 21 & 22, 1998, the first informal C34 raft up (that we know about) occured in Central Florida. The two C34s included Voyager #1345 and Genesis #622. The voyage began at Harbor Square Marina on Merritt Island and included a sail down the Indian River to the Eu Galle Causeway bridge (approx. 15.7 miles). Winds were from the East ranging from 8 - 15 knots. A great sail. The raft up, cook out, and evening activities ended around 11:00 p.m. with wake up at 6:45 and preparations to make way before the major storm received on the evening of the 22nd. The return sail was a wonderful downwind experience with winds between 10 to 22 knots. Passed by a Capri race in Cocoa, Florida on the way back and arrived at the dock around 11:30 a.m. We hope to attract other 34s in the area by providing this little voyage and raft up story. Who knows, maybe we generate enough interest for a Fleet.
Puff, #691 N.C. Neuse River to the Outer Banks village of Okracoke
Cherish, #682. Our trip to Cabo in the winter of '92 was tremendous. If you are an owner of a '34 you need and should take an extended cruise. It is a wonderful experience that you will never forget or regret. Take the time and JUST DO IT! In that year the LA basin received 26" of rain, twice the annual rainfall. We went though five storms, had engine trouble, and ran out of bread, but what a trip we had. We followed the history of Juan Cabrillo and earlier sailors, explorers who had sailed this course. It made the trip that more interesting. One night as we were getting ready to leave our anchorage, the wind went from 5kts to about 20kts. We waited but the wind increased and was followed by heavy rain. Naturally we were on a lee shore at Bahia Santa Maria with no life (or help if needed) on shore. Our 17yr old son had set the anchor on about 10 to 1. We held even when the winds reached gust of 40's. Our 11yr old daughter made a medal from construction paper in the morning and we had an award ceremony to our "No 1 anchorman". Later when we got to Cabo that storm was all the talk with the cruisers we meet there. We had a party when we crossed the Mexican border complete with "Champainge and noise makers and popers" at around midnight. When we crossed into the Tropic of Cancer, I ended up partying by myself. (It was again in the middle of the night.) We finally reached Cabo after a leisure trip of about two weeks down the coast and had Christmas on Cherish.
In July of 1995, I sailed Royono from San Diego to Honolulu single handed. The passage took 18 days and was delightful. I'd do it again tomorrow. I had fair winds and following seas virtually all the way. The greatest thrill was sighting the Halawa Head on Molokai at dawn on the eighteenth day and roaring past Molokai with a 30 knot trade wind behind me. The seas in the channel between Molokai and Oahu were running about 18 feet as I crossed in the afternoon. I tied up in the Keehi Lagoon at about 5 PM, although I had it in my mind to continue on to Kauai before stopping. The passage was an experience I will never forget and I was so proud of the boat that I cried while I was motoring up the Keehi Channel. I wouldn't trade my Catalina 34, Royono (means Happy Home on the Water) for anything.
Port Canaveral to the Florida Keys
Dutch Lion, #1183 Florida to Belize
