1992 Catalina 36 vs. 1994 Catalina 320

Maine Sail · Jan 4, 2012

chuckbuck said:
Hi Folks,

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great Holiday.

I'm looking at two Catalina's - both around the same price, both in similar condition. Anyone have any advice / additional info to share.

I reckon you get more boat for your buck with the 1992 Catalina 36, but the 1994 Catalina 32 is a more modern design and might hold its resale value better...but again, this is just an in-going assumption - I dont have any facts to back this up.

Any insights into how these two might match up sailing wise? I was interested to see that they have similar PERF ratings (despite the size difference).

Any pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.

All the Best!!

Having owned both a C-36 and C-310 (same basic hull form as the 320) and sailed extensively on a 320, I found the C-36 to be a significantly more substantial boat with a more sea kindly manner about her. The 36 is a nice sailing boat that takes a sea well. Both the 320 and the 36 are good coastal cruisers. I did not like the sailing performance/feel of the 310/320 as much as the 36. The 36 is more comfortable in any kind of sea. Still both boats sail well and have a decent turn of speed. The 320 will be slightly faster in light air than the 36 based on my experience.

The C-320 v-berth is also very tight and that is why we went with the 310 at the time. If it were not for the v-berth we would have bought the 320. My wife and I don't like sleeping in aft cabins.. The C-320 though has a MUCH better cockpit than the 92 C-36. C-36 also has one of the best owners associations out there. Don't overlook the C-34 either. They are more similar in sailing characteristics to the C-36 and has THE best owners association. Both are good boats but do sail them and do spend some time on them to see what YOU like....

Stu Jackson · Jan 4, 2012

Chuck, as Maine Sail says, they are really two completely different boats. The layouts down below are vastly different. The C36 has a forward head and a wonderful saloon. The C320, in my estimation, got the layout backwards, with the wall to the aft head making a nice saloon space appear to be much smaller than it really is. It is the C34 layout but "backwards," with the head and gallye flipped. It results in visually less "space." The rigging is different, too. The C320 hull has a tad if not a lot more freeboard. You MUST try the berths before you buy. MUST. And, the support from the C36 skippers on their website is very very good. Try a C34, too, if you can find one.

As far as age, 2 years in that range makes little if no difference.

Happy hunting.

PS - In response to Chris' post later, here's the C320 Association webpage: http://www.catalina320.com/

mortyd · Jan 4, 2012

huh, did you see a 320 without an open stern transom? catalina itself says the 320 is not designed or made to be a blue water boat.

Chris Burti · Jan 4, 2012

I feel the need to step in and speak up for the C-320...other than sharing the same wing keels after 2000, they have little in common with the C310 and are a faster boat. the layout is much preferred over the C-36 by a large number of cruising couples and over 1000 hulls have been sold in its first decade. It is easily single handed and several owners have completed transatlantic and CA-Hawaii crossings with C-320's sailing on their own bottoms. All costs are incrementally higher for the four feet

We have a very active owners association with a tremendous amount of information...just not here.

All that being said...the C-36 is a faster boat and its traditional layout is preferred by many.

Jimm · Jan 5, 2012

chuckbuck said:
Hi Folks,
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great Holiday.
I'm looking at two Catalina's - both around the same price, both in similar condition. Anyone have any advice / additional info to share.
I reckon you get more boat for your buck with the 1992 Catalina 36, but the 1994 Catalina 32 is a more modern design and might hold its resale value better...but again, this is just an in-going assumption - I dont have any facts to back this up.

Opinion -- If you do any cruising longer than a weekend, buy the 36. I cruise on a 30 - a bit small for comfort, and for the choppy Bay waters. A longer waterline would be better.

Click to expand

NC-C320 · Jan 5, 2012

mortyd said:
huh, did you see a 320 without an open stern transom? catalina itself says the 320 is not designed or made to be a blue water boat.

Is that really correct? Catalina website splits the production into several series. Cruiser series is through 37 ft., which would include both the 36 and 320. Ocean series is 38 ft. and larger.....these ratings seem to be by size of the boat. The 320 is built to CE "A" standards like the bigger boats...I assume the 36 is also.

I bought my 2000 C-320 new and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I picked it over the 34 (actually compared the two), but did not consider the 36, although it looks like a great boat. I think it really comes down to which of the three that one likes best, and perhaps also how you are going to use it. If extensive cruising is the aim, the larger boat might be the choice. If you are doing shorter cruises, the 320 might be the one.

Stu Jackson · Jan 5, 2012

Catalina 320 Cruising Article

I found this on the C36 message board, one of their members charters a few different Catalinas:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/0...islands-australia-by-sailboat.html?ref=travel

shipwreck66 · Jan 5, 2012

I've been using a C36 quite a bit over the past year and love it, actually prefer the aft berth myself. Handles excellent and is extremely roomy for my wife and myself. If I had to choose between the 310/320 I'd prefer the 310. If there were any C34s anywhere around me I'd be eyeballing one pretty hard, but they seldom appear on the market around here, and as I'd about to relocate back to Houston area I'll probably find one when I get there.