Stay with my 36 or different Boat?

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richie30's picture
richie30
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Joined: 12/12/07
Posts: 158
Stay with my 36 or different Boat?

Would love your thoughts..

We love our 36 MK2

But, as I get older now 66, we thought about a trawler....then realized we love turning off the enjine and having that sail!

This is what we  feel is lacking on the 36.

A V berth that you don't need to do a summersault to exit in the middle of the night (at least once)

Furling main ( it is more of a struggle each year to work without one.

A proper shower

A refrigerator that opens on the front. plus a decent size freezer.

A little more room, since we spend about 60 nights a year on board.

So, what do I do?
Can I modify or move up?

380  375  387  ??

Confused but certainly open to your ideas!

Thanks

Rich

 

Rich

Richard & Joan Bain
PAZZO Hull#1670
1997 Catalina 36 MK11
Bayfield, Ontario

My Day Job Below
www.richardbain.com
www.bineapress.com

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Sojourn
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Joined: 7/14/08
Posts: 163

Hi Rich,

I'll try to gie you my thoughts as answers to your direct questions.  We are on the boat about the same amount of time on the Great Lakes.  Our annual summer cruise averages about 6 week and rest in and around our home port.

But, as I get older now 66, we thought about a trawler....then realized we love turning off the enjine and having that sail!  Decide if your a sailor or a boater.

This is what we  feel is lacking on the 36.

A V berth that you don't need to do a summersault to exit in the middle of the night (at least once)  My wife and I are both in our 70's and getting in and out of the vee berth could be a chore.  I bought a small mat to protect finish on the flooring and a small collapsible step stool to get in and out easily.  The summersault thing might still be a problem.

Furling main ( it is more of a struggle each year to work without one.  This is a dollar and cents (sense) thing.  If you can afford it I would swtch to furling boom style main.  Better shape, bigger size, less weight aloft and in emergency can still be taken down like a standard main.  An other alternative is adding an electric halyard winch or at least an electric winch handle.  All reefing lines should be lead aft.

A proper shower.  Showers are an issue, great to have, a mess do deal with.  A separate stall is nice to have, it will by itself take up room. but I don't think it totally necessary.  The clean up is the big deal.

A refrigerator that opens on the front. plus a decent size freezer.  I am a top door guy.  It keeps the unit cooler and prevents prevents things from falling out.  If you need that and it is deal breaker, look for door that on an athwart ship bulkhead, so if the boat is healing or you were in seaway the stuff doesn't fall out the first time you open it.  Every time you open the door cold air falls away increasing the load on the batteries.  Check for actual capacity, may be less than you think.  We would all like bigger freezers.

A little more room, since we spend about 60 nights a year on board.  Yeah so?  For what, more storage, guest on board, and stuff?

So, what do I do?  Again it's a dollars and cents issue, how much will it cost in the future to make the change.  A trawler is nice, but the cost goes up a lot.  To gain meaningful room you will to go to a tleast a 40+ foot boat, then fuel is an issue.  All expenses go up, insurance dockage, storage, and maintenance.
Can I modify or move up?  At our age this is the last boat I'll own.  I have replaced a laundry list things on the boat and can't afford a brand new boat.  While selling my boat and moving up to a used boat is doable,  I don't want to inherit a whole new set of needed upgrades, replacements and repairs.  

Hope this helps, 

Lou Bruska
Sojourn
1985 C-36 MK 1 hull 495

Lou Bruska
Sojourn
1985 C-36 Mk-I TR #495
Eldean Shipyard
Lake Macatawa (Holland, MI) Lake Michigan
Rallyback@comcast.net

stephenemmerman
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Joined: 12/22/07
Posts: 33

I own two Catalina's one in Greenport NY 380 2000 at a marina and a 36 MkII 1996. The 36 is behind my house in Punta Gorda Fl. I got both my boat off hurricanes and repaired them both. The issue is depth in Florida so the 36 fits perfectly for the shallow issue. Having both boats i can agree with you more about the v birth in the front. I am 77 and my better half is 72. Before the Covin 19 it was different times. We do use our boats extensively but not with our friends any more. The club I belong to has a lot of Mainships. One of our members had a 36 catalina and he went over to a motor cat and also did the big loop with it a PDQ. The queen size bed is something to kill for on the 380. Both boats have New Engines. The 36 has a Yanmar. And the 380 has a new Westerbeke 42B. The 380 we sail to Newport out in the Ocean and it is heavier and takes the ocean swells better. The 36 we only go to Marathon with it. And in the gulf in good weather. The People with the Mainships never go far because of the cost to run and the possibility of replacing expensive engines. Last thoughts refrigerator is larger in the 380 but the unit is right next to ear in the master bedroom the noise gets to me. The showers are both good in both boats. Both of my boats do not have in mast furling I live without it. I have a close friend with a hunter 31 with in mast furling he goes no where with his boat but out sailing a few days a week but never sleeps on it. Life is good at 77 and still able to do everything on the boats. The cost of hauling and dockage in NY is starting to be an issue financially but we only live ounce. My house in Florida is mine and my significant other has a house in NY that works for us I would recommend PGI as a place to sail and live. 

c36 MKII 1996 #1523
North Star M35
Punta Gorda Fl - Hurricane Ivan
stephenemmerman.blogspot.com

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Chachere
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Joined: 10/27/10
Posts: 825

Rich --
No easy answer on the forepeak;  We're in the same age demographic, but tend to sleep mostly in the salon because we like the light there in the morning better (but it does mean making up the bed every evening).

As to the main sail, we added the Tides sailtrack system a few years ago, and in combination with the Dutchman system and all control lines (including reefing) led to the cockpit, the main is much easier to mess with than before. 

We corresponded last year on this some of these issues, and as to the shower,  in my post in reply www.catalina36.org/comment/62975#comment-62975 I suggested taking a look at the mods that Tom Soko has documented in his former C36, which we've done (note, however, that he eventually went to a 400!).   Adding a little sloped piece of teak to the bottom of the inside of the door has largely eliminated the water leaking out into the salan, and we find the head dries out quickly enough after a shower to not be a problem (we don't have shower curtains).   But to each their own -- sure, a seperate stall would be less messy. 
Frig is definitely a pain, even though I know that top-load is more efficient.   We have some plastic trays that subdivide things on the top level, so that we can unpack it quickly to get to the lower levels, but still a PITA. 

We end up somewhat in the same point as what Lou posted: We've upgraded and replaced a long list of things, don't have the resources to buy a new boat, and getting another, larger used boat would mean starting that process all over again.   But it would be nice (and I freely admit I do enjoy the tinkering process.... ) and, yeah, we do go to some of the shows (we're both totally impressed by the Outbound 46 that we saw at Annapolis a couple of years ago...).  

Do let us all know where you go with this.
- Matthew

 

Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY

TQ2
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Joined: 10/6/19
Posts: 4

We moved from a C36 that we really enjoyed, to a C375.  My wife loves all the differences you're actually looking for- easier access to the v berth, no contortions to reach into the bottom of the fridge to get items, a separate shower stall, and much less work on deck with the furling main.  it still feels like the "home" we were so familiar with, but with some nice upgrades!

 

richie30's picture
richie30
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Joined: 12/12/07
Posts: 158

Thanks for the great information!
R
 

Rich

Richard & Joan Bain
PAZZO Hull#1670
1997 Catalina 36 MK11
Bayfield, Ontario

My Day Job Below
www.richardbain.com
www.bineapress.com

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