All,
If you had to do it over again would you buy a bigger 36' older boat or a smaller 32' newer boat? I have a chance to get this one right & we'll buy either a Catalina or a Hunter next spring. I have a fiancée who will be on board with me and while I learned in small day sailors in the nineties she has not learned to sail yet.
My concern is this: is 36' too big to be our first real boat? I had a Catalina 25' a few years ago and was chicken to take it out alone but since she doesn't sail we will take a few ASA classes together so we'll feel more comfortable on the boat.
Other info: We want to do the Great Loop and Texas coastal sailing. We're in WINDY Corpus Christi. I think we will want a swim platform and wing keel. Other than that we'll sea. Just thinking out loud...
Thanks,
Jim
Bigger is better. 36' is not too big. The difference between handling a 32' and a 36' boat is minimal. Make sure you have a roller furling headsail.
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
Go with a 36. On open water the 36 is going to ride out weather better than a smaller boat. It is a real safe feeling having a larger boat when the weather pipes up. A whole lot more room for storage. Better sleeping quarters. My wife loves the ride so more than our 33ft Cal. The 36 will be a bit more work in close quarters like docking and such. Not much more. I like the trade off.
Chuck
Chuck Lennox
97 MKii Ventura Ca
Island Girl Hull #1611
Can you tell me if the Vee berth on the C36 mk11 is big enough for two people to sleep comfortably?
I imagine it depends upon the size of the people and how much room they like to claim, but we enjoy incredible amounts of room. We are both short (me 67 and my wife 62 inches), so that is not saying much, but the athwartship dimension is huge. You can each do a lot of rolling around and seldom have any conflicts.
Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/
I am 6' 3" and my wife 5' 3" we both sleep in the vee berth just fine. I can stretch out just fine.
Rob Kibler
s/v "Meander"
2003 C36 MKII #2124
Thanks for replying. When I looked at the boat the current owner had so much stuff stored in the v berth I couldn't tell the size.
Speaking of "work", I would weigh the newness into this equation. How new is new....vs old, i.e. the condition each boat is in? An older c36 will probably be more maintenance time/money....maybe a LOT more, depending on how well the previous owner kept up the boat. Search for my other posts under cruising for details on this aspect.
Maintenance time/money goes up as the square of size...or something close to that. Fatty Goodlander mentions this in his book "Buy Outfit and Sail" as do other reputable authors.
That being said, I'm happy with my C36, and often sail it alone with no problems. I have to just be more cautious about when I go out, and have everything setup ahead of time. I baby-stepped into it all, and have never hit anything...yet.
Being a full-time liveaboard, I love the size. Doesn't feel cramped or crowded...even with a crowd.
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
Our 1999 Catalina 36 was our very first boat (new to us in 2004), and we didn't regret it at all. I do agree with Ben that costs and effort can ramp up fast as you increase size, but the comfort level of the 36 was worth it to us.
Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/
Sounds unanimous about the C 36.
The previous owner of ours was a 1st time sailboat owner and not only survived but really enjoyed it.
When we were in the market it came down to a new C 31 or a used C 36 MK II. We were upgrading from an 86 C-30. We picked the MK II and never looked back.
Good luck
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Wife and love the V berth. Lots of room.
Chuck Lennox
97 MKii Ventura Ca
Island Girl Hull #1611
If you're looking at 32' to 36' and between Hunter and Catalina, then you're asking about a very broad spectrum and it's difficult to give a simple answer. As an example, the Catalina 350 and the Catalina 36 differ by very little in length (35.42' vs 35.58') but they are very different boats. The Catalina 36 and the 34 are more similar to one another, but all different from the Hunters.
Your own comfort on the boat as skipper is probably more important. I went from a C25 to a C36, but that was relatively easy since I had totally mastered the C25 solo sailing in all sorts of weather and seas. If you were shy to solo the C25 then be aware that the forces and weights go up greatly with each foot of boat length.
I noticed someone on this thread said that sailing a 32' was not much different than sailing a 36'. That may be true for motoring and docking, but when things get nasty or you're dealing with large sails the differences can get dramatic. This spring I was solo sailing off the coast of Michigan with the spinnaker. Just as I got near shore and started working to take the spinnaker down, the wind went from 12 to 18 knots. At one point I was pulling on the snuffer line and a wind gust shifted, it almost lifted me off the deck. I'm not sure what I would have done if the chute actually lifted me up and I was suspended over open water, solo, and 3 miles from shore. That would not have happened in a 30 or 32 foot boat. The main reason I got a C36 instead of a 39 or 42 was that the 36 seemed the biggest boat I could handle solo without powered winches.
GTJ
Greg Jackson
SV Jacqui Marie
2004 C36, MKII
tall rig, wing keel,
I went from a 30' Chance design to the C36, and it is actually easier to sail. I have a headfoil with lots of head sails instead of roller furling, and that can keep me busy. As I single-hand a lot, this choice ups the planning and effort required of me, but a roller furling headsail takes away that kind of complication.
The C36 is a great sailing boat, and is a far better sailor than the C320, IMHO.
As Greg points out, the sails on a bigger boat are more powerful, and therefore require more respect, but not so much as to discourage you from going with what I think is a better all-around boat.
I sail with a bunch of Catalina owners, one of whom had bought a Hunter 34 as his first boat. After seeing the sailing and quality differences between it and the Catalinas, he next jumped into a Catalina 42. He still complains about the Hunter.
You probably expected a bias towards the C36 here, and I suppose we haven't disappointed, but the C36 is a fine design with many outstanding qualities. It would be hard to fault making the choice to own one. As in any used boat purchase, the boat's condition is the key. Look at a lot of boats if you can, and you'll likely develop a feel for how well the owners have maintained them. I'm sure one will speak to you.
Rob Hahn
S/V Galahad
C36 #54, US31237
Lake Superior, out of Superior, WI
[quote=RobH]...... As in any used boat purchase, the boat's condition is the key. Look at a lot of boats if you can, and you'll likely develop a feel for how well the owners have maintained them. .....[/quote]
Agreed! My mistake in purchasing was my bias toward a late model boat. I purchased in 2010 and I would not consider any boat that was older than 2000 at the time, I ended up with a 2004 model.
After purchase I was amazed at how many things showed serious age and needed repair or replacement. Since then I've seen well treated boats from 1995 that are in better shape, as well as 20 or 30 year old boats that have gone through total rebuilds or updates. As Robert suggests, look to the condition of the particular boat, not just the age. As well, look to how well it's been treated, not how much it's been used. You can find 10 year old boats that have 250 engine hours but have been so poorly maintained that they are in worse shape than well loved boats that have 1200 engine hours.
GTJ
Greg Jackson
SV Jacqui Marie
2004 C36, MKII
tall rig, wing keel,