I have the keel centerboard version (2004 311) and the edges of the wings get rust on them no matter how much prep prior to bottom paint the yard does. With the lead keel it was just bottom paint, maybe it's me but I just prefer a keel that doesn't rust
B361 vs Catalina 36 MKii
- Thread starter jarcher
- Start date
I have ordered parts that are model specific for my now 13 year old boat from:
http://spareparts.beneteauusa.com/controleur.php?action=accueil
They have search either by diagram or keyword, can't say the was any secret involved great shipping and service not so much the price but for somethings it's the only source.
I've gotten parts from Catalina but it was a much more hands on experience.
I got a Bene because we moved to a house on shallow water and really needed the shallow draft of the keel center board, something Catalina doesn't have if they did I would have bought another Catalina
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Well I am a do-it-yourself type gadget guy, and I spent a lot of time racing so I'm not sure which way that cuts! It seems that I should expect both of these boats to be well built and sturdy, and to sail well. We're excited to go see the B361 in a few hours. Thanks to you all I'm well armed with thoughts and questions. I'll let you all know what we think tomorrow 
I'll add to the positive comments on the Beneteau spare parts site. searched for a few parts there and never had a problem finding what I was looking for. The prices definitely aren't great but you should be able to get what you need.
As for the iron keel - it's definitely more maintenance than lead. As soon as the epoxy over the iron gets any kind of imperfection the iron starts to rust and the affected area grows. Then you need to sand the rust down and re-epoxy again. Lead doesn't rust the same way.
As for the iron keel - it's definitely more maintenance than lead. As soon as the epoxy over the iron gets any kind of imperfection the iron starts to rust and the affected area grows. Then you need to sand the rust down and re-epoxy again. Lead doesn't rust the same way.
I looked at a bene 361 one year before I purchased my current boat. The 361 sold before I got serious. The 361 had a nice galley with lots of storage. Didn't sail it but I have sailed a bene 331 many times on charter , which is a smaller version---sailed & handled well. Interestingly the 331 had a lead keel. There were a few years on that production run that lead keels were still used, so check each 361 that you consider. My 343 has an iron keel. I usually remove the small rust spots & treat with interlux 2000 epoxy & hot coat with ant-fouling. It will likely require blasting & recoating in the future. The interior fit & finish is superb. There was a problem with the lacquer finish peeling on some models/years so check that out also, Beneteau refinished most that had the peeling issue; however, they weren't so generous with the ones that had latent peeling. Beneteau parts have been very responsive; I order online or call & order directly thru the Marion, SC facility. Catalina's are fine boats also. I have a friend who has a 350--nice boat. My advice is to check out the features on each one as well as the price that you can acquire the boat and it's location--if you have to truck it to your location, add another 4-6k to the cost. Good luck with your search!
Sorry for the super long post!
What a weekend the girl and I had! Saturday we did 4.5 hours driving (round trip) to check out a B361 and Sunday we sailed a Catalina 36 MKii with her owner. This really helped focus my thinking.
Since I started this thread as a comparison between the two let me offer my thoughts after finally looking at a B361 for about 2.5 hours but not sailing it. In no particular order:
1 - The vee berth is tiny! Suitable for one short adult or two small children. Maybe. It will be storage.
2 - The aft berth is plenty big for me and my girl. I'm 5ft 6in and she is an inch shorter. We both fit nicely and we're happy with the head room. We are a bit concerned about the ventilation, especially since one of the hatches that opens does so inside the dodger, which blocks the breeze.
3 - It's a challenge to get around the giant steering wheel to get behind the helm. You really have to do some climbing and there is a latch in a perfect spot to gouge some skin off your calf as you squeeze around the wheel. A folding wheel fixes this at the slip but not under way.
4 - The clutches suck! The boat I saw had plastic clutches. One was outright broken and the others were crappy plastic and none worked right. All need to go, ideally with higher quality replacements.
5 - The traveler is a major pain to adjust.
6 - The cockpit is actually a bit smaller than the Catalina C36MKii but much nicer. I can't quantify this, it's just a nicer cockpit, both look and feel. Yes, a lot of wood but left natural it's easy to care for.
7 - The girl really liked the non-wood steps. I like the way they easily folded up for engine access.
8 - The galley is very nice, well laid out and visually appealing. It's not in the way at all and it's very well equipped.
9 - The wood interior is just beautiful. It looks to be very high quality, as you all said, and solid.
10 - The overhead lights are very nice! Love those.
11 - I love the access from the ceiling to the deck mounted hardware. The 36MKii lacks this and servicing or replacing deck hardware probably means cutting the ceiling.
12 - The nav station seat looks nice and classy and the Catholic nuns from my grammar school would have loved it, since it forces you to sit up ram-rod straight. Chart table is small but useable.
13 - Only one winch on the cabin top, not great.
14 - The main salon seems crowded with that huge table and compression post right in the middle. The girl and I are not heavy set and sitting on the couch around it seemed tight. I like that the table goes down to make a sleeping berth but really, this table is huge and just dominates the interior. I much preferred the was the C36 MKii is laid out (where the table comes out and hangs on the bulked).
15 - The port side couch is a little narrow. Good for sitting but not great for lounging.
16 - That baby stay...
17 - Loved the giant cockpit accessible sail locker. That's where my asym will go!
18 - Liked the propane locker that fits two propane cylinders.
19 - The head with standup shower is very spacious. A big plus. The girl likes that it is aft and close to where we would actually sleep, although I got her to admit that a 10 foot walk is really not an issue.
22 - Helm pedestal and instrument mount are nice with that plastic cover
23 - Removable cockpit folding table is nice.
24 - No hatch above the small vee berth.
25 - The swim ladder does not block the walk-thru transom, since it is set off to the side. If I back the boat into the slip I can use the walk thru transom for boarding without having to lower the swim ladder.
26 - Overall the B361 is a much classier boat, and that really shows.
The Catalina 36 MKii has a shorter list of likes and dislikes, mostly because I don't have those notes in front of me, but the main things are:
1 - It's a more, for lack of a better word, industrial, or utilitarian, boat. The interior is not as nice and it lacks many nice touches the B361 has, like the beautiful interior, the overhead lighting, the access to deck hardware mounts, stuff like that. The doors and drawers worked better on the B361 too.
2 - The openness of the main salon is really quite nice. Put that table up and the space is vast. Time to eat or sleep, just put it back. It was easy to do. It just feels much bigger.
3 - The head is smaller and forward, but it was adequate in size and offers separate access from the vee birth and the main salon. Great when we have friends along.
4 - The vee berth is a nice size and probably the preferred sleeping location.
5 - The aft berth is long and wide enough but much of it is very short. Although the girl gets clostrophobic, she though it would be fine so not really a problem.
6 - The aft berth has an "escape hatch" that I climbed through easily, but is mostly nice for ventilation. This is a big plus.
7 - There is a big hatch right above the vee birth.
8 - The galley comes almost to the middle of the boat and obstructs entry into the main salon. It's otherwise fine, although the B361 galley just seemed nicer.
9 - Wood inside is okay, but not nearly as nice looking or solid seeming as the B361.
10 - Cockpit is bigger than B361, bit seemed like a rectangular box. Not so nice to sit in.
11 - Cockpit accessible storage is nice, plenty of room for stuff although not sails.
12 - Room for just one propane cylinder.
13 - The outboard, aft seats seem nicer on this boat. The ones on the B361 seem more like tables and/or cup holders.
13 - Very nice nav station seat, even if it does partially obstruct the door to the aft berth.
14 - Getting around the helm was no problem at all, but the wheel is smaller than the B361.
15 - The swim ladder blocks the walk-thru transom. If you back into a slip, you'll have to lower the ladder first if you want or need to board through the transom.
So then, which do I choose? For now, neither.
As I said, I spent several hours sailing a Catalina 36 MKii today and I'm very glad I did. This really focused my thinking about what I want. It sailed okay, but trimming the main and adjusting the traveler is, well, just not fun and not particularly fast or easy. Gybing the boat by sheeting in the main (for a controlled gybe) in 20 knots of breeze didn't go well at all, because the mainsheet, with center boom sheeting and all those blocks, is not smooth. Tacking with the traveler locked in the center was easy enough, no problem there. None of the sails can be trimmed from the helm. The main sail, which lacked battens (because of in-mast furling) had its leech flapping during the entire sail. She didn't point well. The helm had what seemed to be a good bit of play, although that is probably a cable or adjustment issue. Then again, I'm used to my tiller. The girl and I both disliked the dodger which took away much of the breeze and enjoyment of sailing. Yes, it can be folded or removed, but it's one more thing to do.
After the sail, she said to me "I don't think this is the boat for you." She also pointed out that we don't need that much space, although I want that much space. Still, she had two good points. We're both still working and we'll probably do 1 week long cruise each summer, and maybe 1 to 2 weekend cruises per month. And I'm still on the fence about giving up racing. I don't really want to.
So all that said, I think I'm going to change direction and look for a Beneteau First 36.7. I see two listed within reasonable distance, both about $70,000, so in my price range. It's a foot narrower than the B361, but still has a very serviceable galley and head, with hot water. It has less space than the B361 inside, but not much less. The head is much smaller and is forward; we can suck that up. The cockpit is efficiently arranged for sailing, but less so for drinking and hanging out, although I see no reason it won't serve that purpose well. It lacks the cavernous sail locker the B361 has, to make room for an extra berth. I think that was a design error but I can't change it. In exchange for these minor concessions, I can still race her! The traveler is right where a traveler should be (pardon my bias). They are rigged for spinnaker (the other boats had a spinn halyard but nowhere to cleat it!). They PERF at about 95 or something, vs 140 for the B361. I'm thinking with that high aspect keel (7 foot or 6 foot, I see one boat listed for each) it points nicely. I'm giving up convenience with in mast main furling but getting a much better mainsail. I'll accept a headsail furler, especially since Harkin makes one that can be switched from cruise mode to race mode fairly easily. I might even go so far as to put lazy jacks on the main but I doubt it. Rolling the main is just not that hard. There is an "owner-driver" class rule and a rule prohibiting racers from stripping standard equipment out. There is also a rule limiting how often new sails are bought. All that means that I can leave her a (partial) cruiser without being less competitive.
So that's my long report! I would appreciate thoughts and suggestions, especially about boats I may want to look at. You have all been a great help, thank you!
What a weekend the girl and I had! Saturday we did 4.5 hours driving (round trip) to check out a B361 and Sunday we sailed a Catalina 36 MKii with her owner. This really helped focus my thinking.
Since I started this thread as a comparison between the two let me offer my thoughts after finally looking at a B361 for about 2.5 hours but not sailing it. In no particular order:
1 - The vee berth is tiny! Suitable for one short adult or two small children. Maybe. It will be storage.
2 - The aft berth is plenty big for me and my girl. I'm 5ft 6in and she is an inch shorter. We both fit nicely and we're happy with the head room. We are a bit concerned about the ventilation, especially since one of the hatches that opens does so inside the dodger, which blocks the breeze.
3 - It's a challenge to get around the giant steering wheel to get behind the helm. You really have to do some climbing and there is a latch in a perfect spot to gouge some skin off your calf as you squeeze around the wheel. A folding wheel fixes this at the slip but not under way.
4 - The clutches suck! The boat I saw had plastic clutches. One was outright broken and the others were crappy plastic and none worked right. All need to go, ideally with higher quality replacements.
5 - The traveler is a major pain to adjust.
6 - The cockpit is actually a bit smaller than the Catalina C36MKii but much nicer. I can't quantify this, it's just a nicer cockpit, both look and feel. Yes, a lot of wood but left natural it's easy to care for.
7 - The girl really liked the non-wood steps. I like the way they easily folded up for engine access.
8 - The galley is very nice, well laid out and visually appealing. It's not in the way at all and it's very well equipped.
9 - The wood interior is just beautiful. It looks to be very high quality, as you all said, and solid.
10 - The overhead lights are very nice! Love those.
11 - I love the access from the ceiling to the deck mounted hardware. The 36MKii lacks this and servicing or replacing deck hardware probably means cutting the ceiling.
12 - The nav station seat looks nice and classy and the Catholic nuns from my grammar school would have loved it, since it forces you to sit up ram-rod straight. Chart table is small but useable.
13 - Only one winch on the cabin top, not great.
14 - The main salon seems crowded with that huge table and compression post right in the middle. The girl and I are not heavy set and sitting on the couch around it seemed tight. I like that the table goes down to make a sleeping berth but really, this table is huge and just dominates the interior. I much preferred the was the C36 MKii is laid out (where the table comes out and hangs on the bulked).
15 - The port side couch is a little narrow. Good for sitting but not great for lounging.
16 - That baby stay...
17 - Loved the giant cockpit accessible sail locker. That's where my asym will go!
18 - Liked the propane locker that fits two propane cylinders.
19 - The head with standup shower is very spacious. A big plus. The girl likes that it is aft and close to where we would actually sleep, although I got her to admit that a 10 foot walk is really not an issue.
22 - Helm pedestal and instrument mount are nice with that plastic cover
23 - Removable cockpit folding table is nice.
24 - No hatch above the small vee berth.
25 - The swim ladder does not block the walk-thru transom, since it is set off to the side. If I back the boat into the slip I can use the walk thru transom for boarding without having to lower the swim ladder.
26 - Overall the B361 is a much classier boat, and that really shows.
The Catalina 36 MKii has a shorter list of likes and dislikes, mostly because I don't have those notes in front of me, but the main things are:
1 - It's a more, for lack of a better word, industrial, or utilitarian, boat. The interior is not as nice and it lacks many nice touches the B361 has, like the beautiful interior, the overhead lighting, the access to deck hardware mounts, stuff like that. The doors and drawers worked better on the B361 too.
2 - The openness of the main salon is really quite nice. Put that table up and the space is vast. Time to eat or sleep, just put it back. It was easy to do. It just feels much bigger.
3 - The head is smaller and forward, but it was adequate in size and offers separate access from the vee birth and the main salon. Great when we have friends along.
4 - The vee berth is a nice size and probably the preferred sleeping location.
5 - The aft berth is long and wide enough but much of it is very short. Although the girl gets clostrophobic, she though it would be fine so not really a problem.
6 - The aft berth has an "escape hatch" that I climbed through easily, but is mostly nice for ventilation. This is a big plus.
7 - There is a big hatch right above the vee birth.
8 - The galley comes almost to the middle of the boat and obstructs entry into the main salon. It's otherwise fine, although the B361 galley just seemed nicer.
9 - Wood inside is okay, but not nearly as nice looking or solid seeming as the B361.
10 - Cockpit is bigger than B361, bit seemed like a rectangular box. Not so nice to sit in.
11 - Cockpit accessible storage is nice, plenty of room for stuff although not sails.
12 - Room for just one propane cylinder.
13 - The outboard, aft seats seem nicer on this boat. The ones on the B361 seem more like tables and/or cup holders.
13 - Very nice nav station seat, even if it does partially obstruct the door to the aft berth.
14 - Getting around the helm was no problem at all, but the wheel is smaller than the B361.
15 - The swim ladder blocks the walk-thru transom. If you back into a slip, you'll have to lower the ladder first if you want or need to board through the transom.
So then, which do I choose? For now, neither.
As I said, I spent several hours sailing a Catalina 36 MKii today and I'm very glad I did. This really focused my thinking about what I want. It sailed okay, but trimming the main and adjusting the traveler is, well, just not fun and not particularly fast or easy. Gybing the boat by sheeting in the main (for a controlled gybe) in 20 knots of breeze didn't go well at all, because the mainsheet, with center boom sheeting and all those blocks, is not smooth. Tacking with the traveler locked in the center was easy enough, no problem there. None of the sails can be trimmed from the helm. The main sail, which lacked battens (because of in-mast furling) had its leech flapping during the entire sail. She didn't point well. The helm had what seemed to be a good bit of play, although that is probably a cable or adjustment issue. Then again, I'm used to my tiller. The girl and I both disliked the dodger which took away much of the breeze and enjoyment of sailing. Yes, it can be folded or removed, but it's one more thing to do.
After the sail, she said to me "I don't think this is the boat for you." She also pointed out that we don't need that much space, although I want that much space. Still, she had two good points. We're both still working and we'll probably do 1 week long cruise each summer, and maybe 1 to 2 weekend cruises per month. And I'm still on the fence about giving up racing. I don't really want to.
So all that said, I think I'm going to change direction and look for a Beneteau First 36.7. I see two listed within reasonable distance, both about $70,000, so in my price range. It's a foot narrower than the B361, but still has a very serviceable galley and head, with hot water. It has less space than the B361 inside, but not much less. The head is much smaller and is forward; we can suck that up. The cockpit is efficiently arranged for sailing, but less so for drinking and hanging out, although I see no reason it won't serve that purpose well. It lacks the cavernous sail locker the B361 has, to make room for an extra berth. I think that was a design error but I can't change it. In exchange for these minor concessions, I can still race her! The traveler is right where a traveler should be (pardon my bias). They are rigged for spinnaker (the other boats had a spinn halyard but nowhere to cleat it!). They PERF at about 95 or something, vs 140 for the B361. I'm thinking with that high aspect keel (7 foot or 6 foot, I see one boat listed for each) it points nicely. I'm giving up convenience with in mast main furling but getting a much better mainsail. I'll accept a headsail furler, especially since Harkin makes one that can be switched from cruise mode to race mode fairly easily. I might even go so far as to put lazy jacks on the main but I doubt it. Rolling the main is just not that hard. There is an "owner-driver" class rule and a rule prohibiting racers from stripping standard equipment out. There is also a rule limiting how often new sails are bought. All that means that I can leave her a (partial) cruiser without being less competitive.
So that's my long report! I would appreciate thoughts and suggestions, especially about boats I may want to look at. You have all been a great help, thank you!
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Sounds like you're looking at all the right things for the ways you want to use the boat. One thing I would point out is that while the dodger might seem like a downside on a hot summer afternoon, it can help extend the sailing season in the fall, and especially in the spring when the spray is still cold.
"The traveler is right where a traveler should be (pardon my bias)".
If you say this, then you were looking for the wrong boat (both the 361 and the 36MKii) in the first time!!! Looking at the position of the First 36.7 traveller I would definitely walk away.
So you want a racer that can also cruise with many compromises. Why not? Makes perfect sense to many people. And at least you know better now what you need. Good luck with your search.
PS: By the way, the Beneteau 361, uses the First 35S7 hull. It's not a slow boat...
If you say this, then you were looking for the wrong boat (both the 361 and the 36MKii) in the first time!!! Looking at the position of the First 36.7 traveller I would definitely walk away.
So you want a racer that can also cruise with many compromises. Why not? Makes perfect sense to many people. And at least you know better now what you need. Good luck with your search.
PS: By the way, the Beneteau 361, uses the First 35S7 hull. It's not a slow boat...
I was sitting in our B361 on the mooring up in Jamestown, RI, one afternoon, looking at that table and had a thought - what if I drilled a hole UP the mast and pushed the table UP instead? I wore out about 8 drill bits, but I put the same hole in the mast that holds the table at dining level way up the mast. My salon table is now usually pushed up against the ceiling and the under-table bars make great hand-holds when underway. It *really* opens up the salon! When we want to eat, we drop the table down to the right height and serve our meal, then back up it goes.
Dean Thomas
2001 Beneteau 361 Second Wind
I trimmed down my B235 table so it just held 4 dinner plates, then did the raise-it adaptation. Worked like a charm. Made it easier to use the vee bunk, to boot!
I have always been extremely jealous of the table in the French-made 361's. I actually inquired about retrofitting the French version of the table onto the Marion-built boat and it was ... prohibitive.
First, thanks for your great write-up @jarcher . You never know who you just helped make a decision, perhaps years from now. A comment about the Catalina 36 saloon
"2 - The openness of the main salon is really quite nice. Put that table up and the space is vast. Time to eat or sleep, just put it back. It was easy to do. It just feels much bigger."
This makes for a great dock / party boat - it's a nice 'living room'. Practically, it's less nice for sailing. When the boat is heeled 10-15 degrees (not overpowered at all), it's treacherous to walk forward of the galley on our boat. There are minimum standard handholds on all production boats anyhow (they break up the nice lines). I love my boat, but some of the design features are better for anchor / dock than a sea way. Just fair warning for all those who can't picture some lovely boat at the dock when it's angled on its ear.
"2 - The openness of the main salon is really quite nice. Put that table up and the space is vast. Time to eat or sleep, just put it back. It was easy to do. It just feels much bigger."
This makes for a great dock / party boat - it's a nice 'living room'. Practically, it's less nice for sailing. When the boat is heeled 10-15 degrees (not overpowered at all), it's treacherous to walk forward of the galley on our boat. There are minimum standard handholds on all production boats anyhow (they break up the nice lines). I love my boat, but some of the design features are better for anchor / dock than a sea way. Just fair warning for all those who can't picture some lovely boat at the dock when it's angled on its ear.
That's a great idea about the B361 table (pushing it up for storage). I was also thinking that if could be modified to fold down near it's mount on the compression post, that it could be rotated 180 degrees, so it sticks out away from the big couch, then folded down. But the push-it-up idea seems better and easier to implement.
Makes sense. And really, a dodger is something that can be added to or removed from any boat. It's not a good data point to consider when comparing the two models. I probably should not have included that comment.
phrf on the first 36.7 is somewhere in the 70's I think. The First series is racer/cruiser oriented the other Benes are cruiser oriented.
A well designed dodger should allow you to open up at least the center panel so that you can get some air flowing thru when desired in port or at anchor. Perhaps the one you looked at did not allow that, which could be a factor in evaluating that boat. Unzipping the panel a bit also helps greatly with adjusting the traveller. I was surprised at your comment that there was no hatch above the forward berth, since our B361 does have a hatch. We also have a Nicro Fico day/night solar vent installed in it as well.
Good luck with the B36.7 search!
My B361 has the v-berth hatch too. I love our dodger. When it rains I can stand on a step in the companion way, watching the weather come in, while staying dry beneath the dodger. My dodger also has the removal panels which is awesome when you want to let the breeze blow through the cockpit.