I can't say how the construction of the C&C 41 would compare to the 34 but if they are at all similar I would caution against
purchasing such a boat.
The 34 of that era was a very poorly built boat and representative of the sorts of construction techniques that have not resulted in long lived boats.
This construction technique consists of putting furniture pieces into a
hull liner and then holding them in with only a polyester
adhesive and sheet metal screws. Then the
deck and it's liner are placed over this with more of the brittle and useless polyester resin to hold it together.
After time out in the ocean the polyester
adhesive lets go and the only thing holding the furniture in place are the sheet metal screws and the fact that it's sandwiched between the
deck liner and the hull liner. Soon enough the screws back out and all you have are
panels held captive by the liners.
What you have then are rigid
plywood forms inside a flexible and moving
fiberglass container. The screeching and creaking and cracking from this is enough to give you fits. Let me tell you, when you come down off a wave and the
interior lets out a huge cracking sound you may be wishing you were on a different boat.
The boat becomes so flexible after a while that the
cockpit which sits directly on the hull liner surrounding the
engine works and squeaks even in the smallest waves.
Add to this the fact that the hull deck joint is only bolted and 5200'd to the hull. All this flexing leads the 5200 to lose it's adhesive and sealing qualities and the hull deck joint will start to leak. Nothing could signify the end of a boats lifespan more than a leaking hull deck joint. The cost to
repair such a thing if it could be repaired would exceed the value of the boat.
I'm also under the impression that the C&C 41 is an IOR design of the most distinctive IOR features. I don't know if it has the horrible concavities in the quarter that the 37 had but I do know it's pretty much all IOR all the time. It's fat in the middle and narrow at the ends and it's heavy. IMHO this is a bad combination for an enjoyable and comfortable ride. Again while I don't have experience on this boat I would caution anyone thinking of sailing such a boat off shore that they go out on a broad reach in some waves and see how it behaves.
The 34 was all but uncontrollable in such conditions. What for most boats would have been a 'two fingers on the helm' down
wind ride becomes a two hands on the tiller ferocious workout. The boat simply can't be kept on course broad reaching in waves without an extraordinary expenditure of effort.
These boats won't surf without being in big waves so your always stuck in the
water and falling all over your self. Going upwind they are probably very good. The 34 was excellent upwind and would sail itself effortlessly. But in general what you have is a boat with big sail area that will need it all to get up and go.
IOR was not good for boat design and C&C seems to have been one of the worst in terms of going with the trend. Over the years construction methods have changed and I know new ones are much better. But that particular era could be the worst in terms of boat design and construction quality.
. The bulkheads are tabbed into the hull and connected to the deck with a stainless strap (I have had no problems). The hull deck joint is bolted together and sealed with Butyl tape not 5200(No leaks). I have experience no creaking at all from the bulkheads.
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