Catalina 34 mk11

[bretag]

I am presently looking for a sailboat to take to the Carribean and a return Atlantic crossing.
I am considering the Catalina 34 mk 11, after missing out on a number of Beneteau 331's and 343's. The Catalina does not have a CE rating like the Bene's.
I would appreciate any thoughts on the suitability of this boat (as properly equipped) for the proposed open ocean trip. Thanks, Bretag

[psk125]

Catalinas are generally designed for coastal cruising and are well-suited for that. People have taken the bigger models (40+ feet) on long-range trips, but that is not the norm. A good-weather downwind crossing via the Azores might be possible in a Catalina 34, but it would be good to really know the boat and its capabilities well beforehand.

[Fore and Aft]

Bretag I surveyed a Catalina 34 Mk2 with a wing keel here in Australia yesterday. The owner told me she had crossed the Pacific Ocean with a previous owner. I found nothing wrong with her apart from the usual wear and tear from being 27 years old. I have certainly surveyed worse yachts that have arrived here in Australia.

Cheers

[S/V Illusion]

Catalina, Beneteau, Hunter, …. All essentially the same quality built to the same standards. If the B didn’t generally have a flat bottom fwd of the keel which results in ‘slamming’, it would be acceptable too.
Pick the one best maintained and best equipped without considering the brand name which is largely meaningless. I’ve seen all of them which successfully made it to places most people here likely never heard of.

[KeelsonGraham]

I have a Catalina 34 MII with the wing keel.It was imported to the UK pre Brexit and has a CE rating of A.

A couple of years ago we crossed Biscay and back in her. The first passage was direct from Plymouth to A Coruña taking the outside route, about 150 miles off shore. The return was via Brest. At their worst, the seas were about 3-4 metres but with a long wavelength so not too scary. The strongest winds were about 20 kt.

Generally she handled the conditions just fine. However, she’s not an easy boat to steer downwind in large following seas, wing on wing. She needed constant attention and, at times, the loads on the helm were substantial. If I did it again, I’d probably opt for two headsails.

Needless to say, the Wheelpilot broke. We subsequently installed a below-decks autopilot.

Like all 34 footers the issues are storage for water and fuel and limited electrical generation options. The sort of things that are well sorted in a proper ocean boat.

The 34 is a lightly built yacht but solid enough and would probably be OK for a Transat in the trades. But it would be hard work if the AP failed.

Other things to consider, especially for the return journey. The large fore hatch isn’t ocean rated so you might want to change it. You definitely should carry a spare steering cable. 175w of solar on the spray hood makes a huge difference It’s just about doable to fit a Hydrovane, but there’s very little space to store the bits below decks when pottering in the islands. Add a solent stay so that you can fly a storm sail when necessary.