Sam,

I am sure if you purchase a well-maintained one, you will be very pleased. I made the decision to spend more money on a boat meticulously maintained rather than one much cheaper but neglected. I have no regrets about that.

Once you purchase, you will want to make one of the best investments you can make and join our association to get all there is to get about enjoying your boat.

[QUOTE=Capt. Sam;7473]Hello, I'm shopping for a Catalina 36 MkII of about the 2001 to 2004 ventage.
Seems to be quiet a few available in my price range. I would appreciate it if anyone could give me advise on what issues/problems that I might be wary of in these models and any other suggestions more experienced owner could give me. A candid word about advantages and disadvantages would also be sincerely appreciated.
Thanks.
Sam
(sailor59@embarqmail.com)[/QUOTE]

Welcome and good luck with your purchase. The best advice I can give is to find and buy the best maintained example you can find in your price range. Even a good boat is going to demand a great deal of commitment from the owner to keep it up, either in time and sweat or dollars to have someone else do it. Its always easier, and likely cheaper, to start with a well maintained boat even if it cost a bit more to buy.

As for specific issues with the Catalina, I'm not really aware of any issues that would not also apply to every other production boat of the same vintage. Hull blistering, wet deck core, aged rigging, etc are problems to look for on Catalinas, Hunters, Beneteau's, etc. A good survey is a must. Sailnet is a good place to inquire about trusted surveyors in your area. All surveyors are not equal and I'd only take the word of a broker recommended surveyor if they were VERY well recommended by local boat owners.

I've found my C36 systems are pretty well laid out for the do it yourself owner. Of course this is comparatively speaking and some contortion is required just much less than in many other boats. Being able to do your own basic maintenance will save you several hundred dollars a year, so I count that as a major advantage for Catalina's.

The Maintenance Compendium that comes with the 3 year C36IA membership is worth more than the price of the membership, even if you ignored the other benefits. It contains OEM manuals for not only the boats and engines but also many systems commonly installed on C36's and documentation on all sorts of owner upgrades. Its great to have all that at your fingertips at home on your PC so you can reference it whenever the mood strikes.

I think you'll be well pleased with a C36MKII and look forward to hearing your experiences as you move through the acquisition process and embark on your Catalina ownership experience.

One problem my 1998 C36 had was caused by a leaking chain plate - the one fixed to the port bulkhead. I have heard that in those years Catalina used a type of caulking that was not flexible enough and this was the cause for the leak, but anyway it's wise to check the chain plates, especially the two fixed to the bulkheads. If the one on the starboard side has been leaking, it won't be so immediately apparent because the discoloration of the bulkhead may not be visible unless you remove the seat cushion immediately behind the bulkhead.

Another thing is this: I've bought two sailboats and used surveyors for both. The first one did an extremely poor job. The second one did what appeared to me to be a very thorough job, as I expected based on the recommendations I'd gotten. However, even [I]he[/I] missed a few things. So what I learned was not to leave it all to a surveyor, even though I agree that you should get one. Check everything you can think of yourself.

Leaking chainplates is another example of problem common on nearly every sailboat by the time they have some age on them regardless of manufacturer. They really need to be rebedded fairly often, at least every 3-5 years if you hope to avoid leaks.

Its one of the tasks I'll be doing once the weather moderates a bit.

I spent over a year investiagating the best and fun sailboat. Mine is a 1999 version. There is nothing better. Yes I recaulked all 6 chainplates due to leaking - not too hard to do. The 2 port and starboard hatches that open leak asweel. I have not replaced the weather stripping yet - but I will get to that when it quits raining. It is very easy to work on. The floor paln is great.
There is plenty of storage. I have the fin keel version - it points higher. Check and see if it has full battens on the main sail. Check the boat yourself. The surveyors will only let you know if it was a very critical problem. As soon as I got mine, I replaced engine oil, transmission oil. 2 new batteries and relpaced the raw water pump - it was leaking, and the water hoses connecting the raw water circuit. Have fun.

Hey Bay Sailor: I was aboard your boat several years ago - at least I think it was... It was a C36 of that same name. Owned by a very nice woman, whose name I forget, but I think she kept it in Alameda, or at least that's where I met her and her boat. Beautiful boat.

Capt. Sam, if you haven't purchased it yet, Fred Jackson has "Amante" for sale, and I know if I was in the market for a newer C36, this would be the boat. Fred takes impeccable care of it, and it shows in the pics I've seen. Only been in freshwater. I'd pay to have it shipped. You can reach him at [email]jacksonfa@earthlink.net[/email]