We currently sail a 1990 34' - non Mark II. We want to go to a newer boat but the sales rep. want us to try a 36' Mark II. We think the 34' is nicer but there are many more 36' available than 34'. Of those that have sailed both, what are your thoughts? Being on a shallow lake, we are limited to the wing keel of the 34' or 36'.
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Gary Jensen
Had a 36
I had a 36 that I loved. She sailed exceptionally well in ALL conditions on S F Bay and the pacific Ocean. I moved up to a 380 that I love...You may want to consider the same move.---to a 380. There isn't really much difference between the 34 and the 36.. There is truly a lot more room on the 380 and they sail well.
I had a 36 that I loved. She sailed exceptionally well in ALL conditions on S F Bay and the pacific Ocean. I moved up to a 380 that I love...You may want to consider the same move.---to a 380. There isn't really much difference between the 34 and the 36.. There is truly a lot more room on the 380 and they sail well.
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Jack Gilmour
Why do you prefer the 34
We have a new 36 MKII and like it a lot. We chose it because of the better galley and the separate table which lets us store the big table against the wall most of the time. This and better storage made our choice for us. We were told the 34 sailed better, but our experience sailing with Ericsons and Beneteaus makes us wonder if that is true.
We have a new 36 MKII and like it a lot. We chose it because of the better galley and the separate table which lets us store the big table against the wall most of the time. This and better storage made our choice for us. We were told the 34 sailed better, but our experience sailing with Ericsons and Beneteaus makes us wonder if that is true.
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Les Murray
I prefer the 36
When I was shopping for a boat, I had chartered a Cat 34, but I ended up buying the 36 (MkI). The layout below decks is much etter with a larger salon area, vee berth, and galley. The only things I prefer with the 34 is the aft head and I think the aft cabin is a little more user friendly. I think the 36 sails better than the 34 with less weather helm and more speed. Les Murray s/v Ceilidh 86 C-36 #560.
When I was shopping for a boat, I had chartered a Cat 34, but I ended up buying the 36 (MkI). The layout below decks is much etter with a larger salon area, vee berth, and galley. The only things I prefer with the 34 is the aft head and I think the aft cabin is a little more user friendly. I think the 36 sails better than the 34 with less weather helm and more speed. Les Murray s/v Ceilidh 86 C-36 #560.
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Jim "Kismet"
Love my 36
It took me two years to decide between the 34 and 36. I immediately fell in love with the lines and layout of the 36, but for practical reasons I considered the 34 to more economical. My heart finally won the battle and I'm very pleased with the 36. That said, I wonder if you would find much difference between the two boats while sailing a "shallow lake" if you experience light, variable winds with little wave action. Of course, these conditions are an assumption on my part. I sail in the challenging San Francisco Bay and am extremely happy with the performance of my 36. The slightly longer water line has made a big difference in comfort compared to my previous Coronado 34, even with its very narrow beam. Although, during "busy weather" conditions I find the cockpit a bit too wide for safety for a crew of two, Overall though, I'm quite pleased. My wife and I find the interior extrememly flexible with which to work as ours was ordered with the standard bulkhead dinette table. Stowed against the fwd. bulkhead there is a great deal of room to stretch out and relax, exspecially for a taller person. The flexibility of the stbd "cocktail" table/berth works well for the two of us and we find that we only use the main dinning table while guests are dinning. The close proximity of the galley sink cabinet to the companionway ladder and its short bottom step poses a problem for a lumbering ox such as myself, but I manage to be carefull to not bang a knee most of the time. Budget considerations may be high on your list. If so, it's always more economical to own a smaller boat, even though these two boats share many similar features. Bottom paint alone can save you some money on a smaller boat, not to mention berth fees, haul-outs, sails, etc. It all adds up at the end of a year. For me, I'm delighted with my choice of the Kismet and haven't a regret. --Jim
It took me two years to decide between the 34 and 36. I immediately fell in love with the lines and layout of the 36, but for practical reasons I considered the 34 to more economical. My heart finally won the battle and I'm very pleased with the 36. That said, I wonder if you would find much difference between the two boats while sailing a "shallow lake" if you experience light, variable winds with little wave action. Of course, these conditions are an assumption on my part. I sail in the challenging San Francisco Bay and am extremely happy with the performance of my 36. The slightly longer water line has made a big difference in comfort compared to my previous Coronado 34, even with its very narrow beam. Although, during "busy weather" conditions I find the cockpit a bit too wide for safety for a crew of two, Overall though, I'm quite pleased. My wife and I find the interior extrememly flexible with which to work as ours was ordered with the standard bulkhead dinette table. Stowed against the fwd. bulkhead there is a great deal of room to stretch out and relax, exspecially for a taller person. The flexibility of the stbd "cocktail" table/berth works well for the two of us and we find that we only use the main dinning table while guests are dinning. The close proximity of the galley sink cabinet to the companionway ladder and its short bottom step poses a problem for a lumbering ox such as myself, but I manage to be carefull to not bang a knee most of the time. Budget considerations may be high on your list. If so, it's always more economical to own a smaller boat, even though these two boats share many similar features. Bottom paint alone can save you some money on a smaller boat, not to mention berth fees, haul-outs, sails, etc. It all adds up at the end of a year. For me, I'm delighted with my choice of the Kismet and haven't a regret. --Jim
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Bill Hendrick
Love a 34
I've had a 34 for nearly 10 years and my best friend had a newer 36, 1993. In southern calif air, I walk away from him until the wind hits 16 to 18 knots. I like the 34 as its 2000 lbs lighter and I like the forward cabin much better, as its bigger. His 93 had a nice aft cabin, better than our 34, but we sleep forward. If you're going to change, suggest you look at a nice clean 1992 or newer 42...that's worth changing to!!
I've had a 34 for nearly 10 years and my best friend had a newer 36, 1993. In southern calif air, I walk away from him until the wind hits 16 to 18 knots. I like the 34 as its 2000 lbs lighter and I like the forward cabin much better, as its bigger. His 93 had a nice aft cabin, better than our 34, but we sleep forward. If you're going to change, suggest you look at a nice clean 1992 or newer 42...that's worth changing to!!
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Jon Arck
Why move up to only a 36?
We'd originally considered a 320,34, and 36 before we bought Tweety Bird, our 1997 C34 Mk II. Since I'd already been chartering 35 boats, I felt that I'd ourgrow the 320 fairly quickly, even though I felt that the aft cabin and galley were superior. My brother had owned a C36, and we didn't notice enough of a difference between the 34 and 36 to warrant the extra $12,000 (plus, we prefer to have the head near the companionway). Now that we're considering moving-up, we wouldn't consider a C36; a 380 is the minimum in order to notice any significant difference, but we prefer the 400 for the dual steering and dual heads. If we get the 380 solely to save the $35,000 difference, we likely would regret it in a few years; and then moving-up to the 400 or something else would be even more expensive. Easy for me to say, but if you can afford it, get what you want and what likely will serve you for a long time. These aren't exactly disposable toys we're talking about here...
We'd originally considered a 320,34, and 36 before we bought Tweety Bird, our 1997 C34 Mk II. Since I'd already been chartering 35 boats, I felt that I'd ourgrow the 320 fairly quickly, even though I felt that the aft cabin and galley were superior. My brother had owned a C36, and we didn't notice enough of a difference between the 34 and 36 to warrant the extra $12,000 (plus, we prefer to have the head near the companionway). Now that we're considering moving-up, we wouldn't consider a C36; a 380 is the minimum in order to notice any significant difference, but we prefer the 400 for the dual steering and dual heads. If we get the 380 solely to save the $35,000 difference, we likely would regret it in a few years; and then moving-up to the 400 or something else would be even more expensive. Easy for me to say, but if you can afford it, get what you want and what likely will serve you for a long time. These aren't exactly disposable toys we're talking about here...
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