Hello,
Wasn't sure where exactly to post this, so I apologize if this is the wrong Cat forum. Please direct me and I'll repost there. Anyhow, we were previously looking at purchasing a 310, but after looking around, we decided we wanted something a little larger. We are now looking mid 30's and see some very nice boats that will suit our needs. Unfortunately, while I had done a lot of research on the 310's (great boat btw), I have to start from scratch again and I'm a little lost on some of the major differences between the 34,35 and 36. More specifically, we are looking only at years from 1998 to about 2004. Most I think are MKII's.
We are a small family and are looking for a south east Florida coastal cruiser for mainly short, long weekend (max of a week) trips. We want a roomy cockpit, walk thru transom, 2 staterooms, salon headroom and stand-up head/shower (I'm 6' tall). All of these boats have everything we'll need, but just wondering what the major diffs are.
Some basic areas in question:
Motor diffs and reliability history.
Electrical system - any major diffs
Tankage.
Ease of topside transiting for and aft (shroud deck connect points).
Cockpit controls.
Visibility from helm.
Some of the boats I've seen listed also have roller furling mains. I've heard pros and cons on these and while this is not a feature I prefer, I won't turn down a nice boat for having it. But I wonder about the reliability of these systems on the Catalina's. Any input on that system would be appreciated, as I have NO experience with RF mains.
To be candid, we are also checking out similar size Beneteau's as a comparator. Checked out Hunter too, but not a big fan of their cockpit layouts, and we spend a lot of time topside!
Thanks in advance. Going to the Miami Boat Show in 2 weeks (hopefully, there might be a some used boats around to check out).
Cheers!
Chris
Wasn't sure where exactly to post this, so I apologize if this is the wrong Cat forum. Please direct me and I'll repost there. Anyhow, we were previously looking at purchasing a 310, but after looking around, we decided we wanted something a little larger. We are now looking mid 30's and see some very nice boats that will suit our needs. Unfortunately, while I had done a lot of research on the 310's (great boat btw), I have to start from scratch again and I'm a little lost on some of the major differences between the 34,35 and 36. More specifically, we are looking only at years from 1998 to about 2004. Most I think are MKII's.
We are a small family and are looking for a south east Florida coastal cruiser for mainly short, long weekend (max of a week) trips. We want a roomy cockpit, walk thru transom, 2 staterooms, salon headroom and stand-up head/shower (I'm 6' tall). All of these boats have everything we'll need, but just wondering what the major diffs are.
Some basic areas in question:
Motor diffs and reliability history.
Electrical system - any major diffs
Tankage.
Ease of topside transiting for and aft (shroud deck connect points).
Cockpit controls.
Visibility from helm.
Some of the boats I've seen listed also have roller furling mains. I've heard pros and cons on these and while this is not a feature I prefer, I won't turn down a nice boat for having it. But I wonder about the reliability of these systems on the Catalina's. Any input on that system would be appreciated, as I have NO experience with RF mains.
To be candid, we are also checking out similar size Beneteau's as a comparator. Checked out Hunter too, but not a big fan of their cockpit layouts, and we spend a lot of time topside!
Thanks in advance. Going to the Miami Boat Show in 2 weeks (hopefully, there might be a some used boats around to check out).
Cheers!
Chris
