O'Day 35 vs Catalina 36

[gcaskew]

The O'Day has the sugar scoop at less than $40,000 but to get a walk through transom on the Cat is close to $60,000. I see these boats meeting the same needs for a couple in the Caribbean so it's a push.

Is the Catalina 36 MK 1.5 worth the $20k over the O'Day 35?

I know the Catalina has a huge user group, but is it worth that much money?

[lifeofreilly57]

The O'Days were OK but the Catalinas are more ruggedly built, the 36 was a pretty stout hull for a production builder.
All have their good and bad points but in this case the value is reflected in their asking price.
If you look long enough you should be able to find a 36 for a fair price, there are a lot of them, the 36 was in production for quite awhile, through several different iterations. Earlier models didn't have a sugar scoop stern.
Of course price also usually reflects condition so it's up to the buyer to determine what their willing to take on for repairs.
Catalina is still in business, O'Day isn't.

[Cheechako]

The Cat will hold it's resale value and be quicker to sell. Either boat in good shape should do it though. It may come down to getting the best boat rather than brand.
Pay close attention to things like: Keel bolts, engine type and condition, rigging condition, sail condition, rudder. These things can eat up a lot of money fast. a "loaded " boat with a bunch of old gear that is suspect looks good in comparison, but really there is very little value to old accessories.