Two boats, two style, two different concepts, two ways of looking at sailing. My choice was based on cruising and gunkholing and in all the 34' boats considered, Hunter and Catalina 34s were the ones I picked because of what I wanted to do. I eventually went with the Hunter as I had had a 28.5 for 7 years so might have been a little prejudiced. Because I sail singlehanded 90% of the time I like the positioning of the winches almost in line with the wheel on the Hunter.
I can't judge the sailing qualities of the C & C 34 but I have had my Hunter 34 since Spring of 2000 and what follows is a rather long-winded opinion. Perhaps someone with a C &C 34 can volonteer the same type of info and help your decision making process.
Hunter 34: Personal feelings after 18 years of ownership
I have had mine since spring of 2000 and logged in close to 30000 miles, twice sailing her solo all the way up North to Labrador, also Magdalen Islands, the East Coast of Canada, as well as down South, from Montreal to Georgetown in the Exumas, Eleuthera, the Abacos and back up to Montreal. Also did numerous trips up the St. Lawrence River to Lake Ontario and back.
The short note is: I am still in love with her. I have the short draft model (4'3") and while I do admit that it does not point as well as the deep draft (5'6"), for the gunkholing that I do it is ideal !
My 34 is an 84 and came with the 3GM30F with 20HP. I replaced that engine with a 3GM30F 27HP a few years ago. I went with a rebuilt unit because it was a simple drop-in, using same shaft and prop. I have been happy with that, but one has to be careful who you get the engine from since all engines are not rebuilt equal LOL. I spin a 15 X 11 3-blade fixed prop and she backs real well. Using prop-walk I can turn her 180° in her own length !
I have taken care of the issues about the compression post and solved it in such a way that it will never be a concern again (see attached). I also installed a windlass because I do a lot of anchoring and got fed-up with the back breaking lifting of the anchor.
Over the years I have also added: GPS, Raymarine ST-60 wind & speed, X-5 autopilot, Garmin Chartplotter, wash-down pump, LED lights, micro-wave oven, 1500W (3000 max) inverter, 400W inverter (for the computer), 100 amps alternator, etc.. I also installed a WEMA fuel gauge, although by keeping a very comprehensive log-book I never needed one. Back in 2003 I installed radar but as of 2015 I took it off since it was no longer functional and I couldn’t get parts to fix it. I eventually went with AIS although of course they do not fulfill the same function.
I have installed a dodger & a bimini, and I have 2 transitions to go from one to the other: one Sunbrella for those hot days when you want shade and one clear plastic that allows me sailing and staying dry even if it rains !
My fridge used to run on 110 AC alone and the insulation is good enough to keep beer cold for better than 3 days. However when it stopped working I replaced with a NovaKool unit, which gave me a small freezer (because I like ice in my drinks !). If running the engine, I can run the 1500W inverter to provide 110 AC to the entire boat (I ran the wire to a plug which gets inserted in the 110 inlet of the boat when needed, i.e. no mistake possible).
The 100 Amps alternator keeps the batteries happy (2 type 31 RV Deep Cycle in parallel and 1 type 31 RV Deep Cycle as spare. Both banks hooked to a Perko switch. If anchored for longer periods, I fire up my Honda 2000 for a few hours and it is more than enough to keep the new fridge charged up.
I have redone the entire upholstery inside, but have kept the small lexan sliding covers for the shelves.
I don't have air conditioning and don't really care since I do more anchoring than marinas. I sleep in the V-berth section because there is more air and I have a wind scoop which I hoist over the bow hatch when anchored. I also have a couple of small fans for these sweltering nights when in marinas. My main beef with this bow section is that I'm short and the bed is real high. Hunter has provided a step to help with the climb, but I'm now past 73 and getting up for a pee-break in the middle of the night is a hassle, particularly on those rare occasions when my wife is there. I do feel like a dog turning around in its litter ! Not enough of an issue however to make me want another boat.
The stern cabin can get hot because it has poor ventilation, particularly if you have been running a long time under engine. While it has a very generous area for 2, the lay-out is not for claustrophobic people. Not a problem for me since I sail solo 90% of the time and use the stern mostly for storage.
It is true that she is tender and has to be reefed early. That however does not slow her down. I generally will sail with full canvas up to about 17 knots (if steady) and then reef. Above 20, I do double-reef and furl in the head sail to balance the boat. I have a Profurl furler set-up with a 130 with a foam-luft. I can furl it in down to about a 95 and still keep a pretty good shape. I also use a telescoping whisker pole occasionally, depending on conditions. In heavier wind (25 - 30) I set the main with 2 reefs and depower the sail by opening it with the traveler keeping it trimmed hard. I also furl the jib more than half. Shape is not has good but in these conditions I don't really care and the boat still sails well.
For real light winds I use an asymmetrical spinnaker (i.e. gennaker, drifter, etc) even when sailing solo. Good from about wind abeam to about 170°. Impossible to sail dead downwind however so I drop the main in real light winds (the 30% swept back spreader do not allow effective DDW opening of the main) and sail 170° then gybe. If I do this solo most sailors ought to be able to with a crew ! She sails well, is very responsive, and forgives a lot of my mistakes ! All boats are hard to turn if not enough wind or speed !
This is a long-winded description but the short version is simple; she is perfect for what I want to do and where I want to do it. Yes a 40 foot boat would be nice for those long trips, but then I could not keep her on the lake that I love for my day outings. And of course the expenses would go along with the size. Every boat is a compromise and I have found the happy compromise for me when I bought my Hunter 34 !
I had also looked at the 31 but decided the 34 had so much more roominess (particularly in the V-berth area) that it was a no-brainer as prices were not all much more expensive.
Above all, if you do decide to put an offer on either one, make sure you make that offer conditional to a survey. And get a surveyor that knows the boat.
Claude