Hello Catalina Owners: I'm looking to buy an older 34 and have narrowed it down to 3 - one 87, 89 and a 90. However, from some of the reading I've done - there appears to be concern about the boat being underpowered with the 23/25 HP engine......it certainly is by today's standards. Is this the case? What gives me pause is that today the engines are 35 HP and the 3 boats I'm looking at all have upgraded to 3 blade props. I'm not really concerned about speed but can I fight currents and a strong head wind? Any opinons/experience/comments would be appreciated.....thanks PS - anything else I should watch out for besides the Catalina smile?
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Hasn't been a problem
Hi Steve - I had the same apprehension before buying my early C36 (1986) with the 21hp M25 engine. The boat had a fixed 3 blade which I later changed to a 3 blade Max. However, I had no problems whatsoever with that 3 blade fixed prop on my circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in 2001. Believe me, we encountered considerable currents, wind and seas and the motor/prop pushed us along fine. I think the larger engines in later models are preferable, but certainly are not a necessity. There are many variables in choosing a boat, but don't discount a fine vessel on this accord only. Just my thoughts, Trevor
Hi Steve - I had the same apprehension before buying my early C36 (1986) with the 21hp M25 engine. The boat had a fixed 3 blade which I later changed to a 3 blade Max. However, I had no problems whatsoever with that 3 blade fixed prop on my circumnavigation of Vancouver Island in 2001. Believe me, we encountered considerable currents, wind and seas and the motor/prop pushed us along fine. I think the larger engines in later models are preferable, but certainly are not a necessity. There are many variables in choosing a boat, but don't discount a fine vessel on this accord only. Just my thoughts, Trevor
C34 Underpowered Rumor is Nonsense
Steve Please check this thread out: http://c34.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=329609511&f=829605811&m=743600911&r=743600911#743600911 Also go to the link and review the C34 website. Just because newer boats have larger engines doesn't mean that older engines didn't work. The Universal M25 (21 HP) was changed to the M25XP with 2 more horsepower, then up to 30 and now 35. Same boat hull, not much more speed. The upside to the older engines are that you actually have room to work and service them. Read the Why We Are C34 Owners on the link, and all the other great technical material on our C34 website. You should have absolutely NO concern about it. I sail on SF Bay which has "some" current. We have members in the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands who are doing just fine. Lotsa current up there. Trevor's right, and the C36s have pretty much the same engine history. Tom S will also probably chime in, too, about his C36. Happy reading (BTW the message board is fuly searchable, too. Use the FIND feature). The main website has its own separate SEARCH feature. Stu C34 IA Secretary
Steve Please check this thread out: http://c34.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=329609511&f=829605811&m=743600911&r=743600911#743600911 Also go to the link and review the C34 website. Just because newer boats have larger engines doesn't mean that older engines didn't work. The Universal M25 (21 HP) was changed to the M25XP with 2 more horsepower, then up to 30 and now 35. Same boat hull, not much more speed. The upside to the older engines are that you actually have room to work and service them. Read the Why We Are C34 Owners on the link, and all the other great technical material on our C34 website. You should have absolutely NO concern about it. I sail on SF Bay which has "some" current. We have members in the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands who are doing just fine. Lotsa current up there. Trevor's right, and the C36s have pretty much the same engine history. Tom S will also probably chime in, too, about his C36. Happy reading (BTW the message board is fuly searchable, too. Use the FIND feature). The main website has its own separate SEARCH feature. Stu C34 IA Secretary
Agree with Trevor and Stu
Thing is I think I might have way more HP than I need, but that's ok I'll take it ;-) (I have a '99 C36 with the 35HP M35B) Just a few years earlier they had supplied the C36 and C34 with the M35A engine which is 30 HP. I think Catalina puts in the newer bigger engines more because it doesn't really cost much more money for a few HP more and models change through the years from Universal. They are not putting in the bigger engines because they think the boats needs more power. I wouldn't worry too much about the power required for your boat. I would worry more about the condition of the engine. If you **really** needed to get the most thrust out of your engine for a given HP, I have heard a self pitching Autoprop will help. But then again thats another $2K . I would worry more about the condition of the boat. Also don't worry too much about the Catalina smile, most that do have that is just cosmetic, not all are anything more than that.
Thing is I think I might have way more HP than I need, but that's ok I'll take it ;-) (I have a '99 C36 with the 35HP M35B) Just a few years earlier they had supplied the C36 and C34 with the M35A engine which is 30 HP. I think Catalina puts in the newer bigger engines more because it doesn't really cost much more money for a few HP more and models change through the years from Universal. They are not putting in the bigger engines because they think the boats needs more power. I wouldn't worry too much about the power required for your boat. I would worry more about the condition of the engine. If you **really** needed to get the most thrust out of your engine for a given HP, I have heard a self pitching Autoprop will help. But then again thats another $2K . I would worry more about the condition of the boat. Also don't worry too much about the Catalina smile, most that do have that is just cosmetic, not all are anything more than that.
I had a C-36 with an M25..
and it's more than enough power. I frequently motored against very strong tides (10 to 12 foot tides) in the rivers and bays in Maine and had no problems. It pushed my boat between 6 and 6.5 knots and she was a 36 with the same engine you are looking at in a 34.. I would not worry about it. Todays engines are probably over powered and being used as a sales and marketing tool... -Rodd C.
and it's more than enough power. I frequently motored against very strong tides (10 to 12 foot tides) in the rivers and bays in Maine and had no problems. It pushed my boat between 6 and 6.5 knots and she was a 36 with the same engine you are looking at in a 34.. I would not worry about it. Todays engines are probably over powered and being used as a sales and marketing tool... -Rodd C.
C36 Rodd
Thanks for your great website and the links to it that we, and C34 and C36 folks all over, have enjoyed. Now that the boat's for sale, are you going to keep the 'site going or do we all have to hustle and download all the goodies? All the best, Stu
Thanks for your great website and the links to it that we, and C34 and C36 folks all over, have enjoyed. Now that the boat's for sale, are you going to keep the 'site going or do we all have to hustle and download all the goodies? All the best, Stu
Engine Size
I have a year 2000 vintage C34 MkII with the Universal M-35 rated at 30HP @3000 RPM. I understand that newer versions of the engine have slightly more displacement and are 35 HP. I have done a fair amount of “buddy boating” with a M-25 powered C34 and I think that both engines are fine. Both boats at the time were equipped with a 15” 3 bladed prop. I might cruise at one to two tenths of a knot faster – Not much of a factor when bucking a two knot current. I might also be able to hit hull speed in more varied conditions (although the boat likes to cruise between 6.5-.8 kts). The one time I noticed a big difference was while crossing the reef at Pigeon Point when a (large) swell was rolling through. My M-35 had the horsepower to punch through the waves a lot faster, though the other boat did just fine also. The larger engine might handle a high capacity alternator better, but you can remedy that by going to an externally regulated 70 Amp alternator. Probably the main reason for Catalina going with the M-35 is that it is a smoother running 4 cylinder as opposed to the 3 cylinder M-25. I can tell you from first hand experience that the 4 cylinder is much, much more comfortable on the feet after motoring 12-14 hours.
I have a year 2000 vintage C34 MkII with the Universal M-35 rated at 30HP @3000 RPM. I understand that newer versions of the engine have slightly more displacement and are 35 HP. I have done a fair amount of “buddy boating” with a M-25 powered C34 and I think that both engines are fine. Both boats at the time were equipped with a 15” 3 bladed prop. I might cruise at one to two tenths of a knot faster – Not much of a factor when bucking a two knot current. I might also be able to hit hull speed in more varied conditions (although the boat likes to cruise between 6.5-.8 kts). The one time I noticed a big difference was while crossing the reef at Pigeon Point when a (large) swell was rolling through. My M-35 had the horsepower to punch through the waves a lot faster, though the other boat did just fine also. The larger engine might handle a high capacity alternator better, but you can remedy that by going to an externally regulated 70 Amp alternator. Probably the main reason for Catalina going with the M-35 is that it is a smoother running 4 cylinder as opposed to the 3 cylinder M-25. I can tell you from first hand experience that the 4 cylinder is much, much more comfortable on the feet after motoring 12-14 hours.
G Bean . Do you have an M35B engine ?
If you do I beleive its a 35 HP engine If its the M35A its a 30 HP engine ....I'm not sure but I think they stopped installing the M35A back in 1998 -- but it doesn't really make that big a difference.
If you do I beleive its a 35 HP engine If its the M35A its a 30 HP engine ....I'm not sure but I think they stopped installing the M35A back in 1998 -- but it doesn't really make that big a difference.
older 34 under powered
i have a 1990 with a max prop and came thru some tuff spots in the GIWW. One lock passed us thru w/o going thru the locking process so we head into about 5 knots of rushing water and I was surprised at how well the boat handled. I thought that it would have pushed us back, but we hung on and inched on thru. The little 23/25 Universal also pushed us out of a bad "hard aground" spot. Seems to be plenty of power to me,, and it sips diesel. ... 5/8 gal. hour at 2600 rpm.
i have a 1990 with a max prop and came thru some tuff spots in the GIWW. One lock passed us thru w/o going thru the locking process so we head into about 5 knots of rushing water and I was surprised at how well the boat handled. I thought that it would have pushed us back, but we hung on and inched on thru. The little 23/25 Universal also pushed us out of a bad "hard aground" spot. Seems to be plenty of power to me,, and it sips diesel. ... 5/8 gal. hour at 2600 rpm.
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