My dad bluewater sailed a Catalina 36 for many years. Shoving off from Long Beach, CA he sailed it to Hawaii and back (return was to to San Francisco due to following the trade winds). On another adventure, he sailed it from CA through the Panama Canal up to New Orleans. He then put it on a truck, sending it to Washington State and the PNW, sailing it around the San Juan Islands, British Columbia and then back down to Long Beach. These were just a few of his sailing adventures with that boat and then moving onto a Stevens 47 (sailboat) to continue his ocean going ways. Great memories!
I knew an owner that made a few trips on his Catalina 36 Mark II many times from Norfork to Bermuda, and at over 80 years old. Though, he wasn't alone, as he reminded me, not to do it alone, if I try it. Loved his Catalina, but crossing oceans it's not what she was designed for. But Bahamas, and Caribbean, of course. RIP my friend Les.
I've been binging your channel for a few months. Just wanna say that solo Lady K is the most kino era! Feels less like "oh another couple trying to look cool on the internet", and more "it's like I have a buddy who does this and he's showing me what it's like!"
I’m currently prepping my Catalina 42 Mk2 to cruise the Caribbean & do a Trans Atlantic. Any well built vessel is capable with a decent skipper, and the right prep. Adding additional fuel, redundancy in filters, auto pilot, rudder/steering/sails/ground tackle. The internet makes it sound as if you aren’t sailing in a 35,000 lb. full keel, canoe stern boat, you’re gonna die! Great channel BTW!
I used to live on an older Catalina 36 and sailed it extensively. I have also sailed the Catalina 42 a lot. Whilst the 36 is a great boat, the 42 is a much more robust solidly built boat. There is no real comparison. A well equipped 42 is a world cruiser but the 36 does not quite make that grade, despite being a fabulous boat. The 42 is much more sea kindly and comfortable in heavy seas.
@@boatsandbits7091 42 UNQUESTIONED, love the layout:), the 36 has potential.........in either I would have dual escape pods 9life rafts, satilitte, GPS beacons, emergency equipment, and anything for the uneXPECTED, like a high compact pump out system etc.......crossing any large water requires great prep.............
Love your channel. Thanks for this episode. I do like the Catalina 36 and have wanted one for some time. I presently have a 1989 O’Day 322. I bought the boat in late 1998 to start a sailing school in Vancouver. One must have was a dedicated aft cabin and I could only find that on bigger boats that were out of my price range. Then I found the O’Day. She’s really been a great boat. Have you thought about doing an episode on the 322? It’s a great boat for the Caribbean. She carries 60 gal of water in two tanks, draws 4’2” and has a really well laid out large interior for a 32. In fact my wife and I are currently living aboard in Campbell River, BC while we wait for a house to be built.
My definition has somewhat changed since I started sailing a little over a year ago. Back then I believed the hardcore hype that a TRUE bluewater boat had to have a full keel first and foremost. After getting a little wiser and now owning a Baba 30 I would certainly consider a boat with a skeg hung rudder but that’s as much as I’ll slide on an Atlantic crossing boat. My boat is one of the few true bluewater boats in the 30’ range weighing in at 12,500lb (5k is ballast) with a full keel, solid fiberglass hull, 80 gallons of fresh water, she’s cutter rigged, and has a decent 4.75ft draft. She is a typical full keel boat though, with zero steerage in reverse or anytime you aren’t moving a couple knots… lol.
We are new to the Catalina 36 world (mkII) but in the short time we've had her on the Chesapeake I've been mightily impressed with her predictable performance and her construction. While that stretch of water is equivalent to inland for the most part, we've been in some significant chop and wind and the boat brushed it aside without a problem - confidence inspiring. A bit like yourself I'd struggle to take her across an ocean, but we are going cruising through the caribbean with a young family next year and I have no concerns at all for that purpose. While the interior will never set the world alight, the practical use of space is excellent for live aboard - modern boat cockpit design has improved substantially for short handed sailing, but below deck I've found that modern equivalents from Hanse, Catalina, etc haven't substantially improved the usable space (IMO they are much more wasteful of that extra space caused by the beam being carried to the transom). Thank you for posting this - was wondering this out loud myself the other day!
Cool tid bit- the wing keel minimizes the yaw motion making the ride much more sea kindly- the pretty large wing (roughly 4’ x 5’) displaces a lot of water so dampens the ride quite a bit compared to a straight fin keel.
I love your channel. I nearly bought a C36 last year to sail the islands. For my purposes of island hopping and my budget, the C36 seemed perfect. Would I sail it across the Atlantic? Sure.
Patrick Childress (RIP 2020) sailed around the world on a Catalina 27 (modified for the task). Webb Chiles on a Moore 24 and an 18 foot open yawl. In my opinion it comes down to seamanship over boat design. Amel designs boats for a common man to cross an ocean, someone with proper knowledge and seamanship can cross an ocean on a common boat,
Thanks for these great episodes. Your a wealth of great knowledge. I currently own a 2006 Catalina 36. It’s a great boat as you said. I have also owned two Hunters that were very comfortable and would buy one again if the right one came along. With that being said hands-down my Catalina 36 outperforms them under sail. Also the quality of the Catalina I feel is better.
Not sure I would feel comfortable beating to windward for an extended amount of time (Days or Weeks) in the C36, but traveling in the right direction crossing oceans I would have no worries with this boat. I heard of a few that have crossed the Pacific and are now in Australia. Depends on your comfort level for this boat.
Got the 34 mkii. No complaints just smiles. West Coast. Did well around pt conception downwind in the afternoon. Said screw it let's see what happens and not go to Morrow Bay
I sail a SS catalina 38 with the tumblehome sides . It has 8 shrouds 4 on each side very thick . It is an IOR boat from 1982,16500 lbs. I would go any where with this boat but would bring along storm sails and add a stay sail to it.
I had a Yankee 38 (your hull mold) & the boat was 2000lbs heavier. My answer here is about construction. Yankee Over built hull and mast so thick it won't bend. Light air horrible, but cuts waves. Had 3 feet of sea come right over the deck and boat didn't notice. Good yours kept the shrouds bolted thru steel in the cabin bulkhead and I see some at the deck with the mast stepped there as well. Very different blue water.
No, for me personally an integral keel and skeg hung rudder are a must, I'm preparing my chined corten steel Van De Stadt 34' with the 1.8m fin keel and selden fractional performance rig for a solo Atlantic crossing from Cape Town SA to the Dutch Antilles in early 2022, just paid the best part of 6.5K$ for a Hydrovane auxiliary rudder self steering windvane, how about an episode on the VDS 34' with all it's different hull materials, keel, rudder and rig configurations including the Dehler optima 34' (VDS 34') Theyre a great little blue water (even high latitude capable) boat if built from aluminium or steel, I have 360 litres of fresh water in 2 stainless tankes, along with another 125 L in gerry cans on deck, 180L diesel in one stainless tank and another 125 on deck, 420Ah house bank, 100Ah fridge/freezer/windlass battery and 80Ah crank on 2 Victron mppt's and 555 watts of solar, DVSR and high output alternator, karver reaching gennaker, 120% genoa brand new from Ullman, 3 slab reefs in my main and a storm staysail on a dyneema removable solent stay (hanks). We've got 17.7 knots SOG surfing off Aghulhas with 30 knots up the bum and big following seas in excess of 3m breaking. She doesn't roll a lot like a round hull, tracks superbly, points higher than 35°(with the solent staysail) and She can surf, average around 7 knots SOG in light airs and will do 9 to 10 reaching in 20+. She'd actually make a great little Cape to Rio boat
I can tell you one thing more Beneteaus have crossed more oceans than any other boat in the world . Sailing Bacchus home sailed from UK to New Zealand across Atlantic and Pacific 361 no Issues ,so did See the little things 361, and a 351 has sailed the Atlantic many times wining the Ostar race from UK to USA in norhtern atlantic Plymouth to Newport single handed
I own a 1984 cat 36 here in NZ-i have not blue water sailed-only Coastal NZ-but it got here from LA-Hawaii-Tahiti-Raro-Noumea-NZ-then has done many Pacific Island trips over the years-Fiji-Tonga-Vanuatu-it flew thru survey last year and is CAT 1 certified -except life raft is currently out of date-I love it-but am way short on skills to head up Pacific at this stage-in fact probably never will-but coastal NZ sailing its brilliant -just saying !!
Sea kindly. This is a subject that many boat reviewers often fail to discuss. It is perhaps the most required characteristic of any ocean crossing sailboat. A sea kindly boat will suffer less damage and abuse its crew less than than flat bottomed pounders. Many much older boats from the CCA era were of such design. If the boat was sound and had an easy motion at sea I would have no problem sailing a Cat 36 across an ocean. But I have never sailed on one. I did sail a lot on a Cat 38 but that boat was an S&S design if I recall correctly and from a different era. It was a comfortable boat in a wide variety of conditions.
Catalinas were designed primarily for the waters off Southern Ca. They excel at coastal cruising the Channel Islands. However, they will also be found cruising all over the world. Not a lot of tankage for long trips but the hull, keel and rigging strength is quite adequate to hold together in heavy weather. You never hear of these boats losing their keels. They sail well and point high. They can definitely do blue water safely if set up properly. The "Catalina Hall Of Fame" has many 36s that have done some serious offshore sailing. Having sailed our C30 for over 10 yrs and our C36 for 6 yrs in S Ca, I can say that although they look similar, the 36 is a much stronger and more capable boat. For these waters there is not a better boat for the money, however, if I were to plan extended offshore sailing, particularly Tradewind passages, I would look for something with more tankage, stowage and better tracking ability downwind. You don't need a tank to sail offshore.
As many have said in the comments loads have crossed oceans in Beneteau and other production boats but for real assurance I would want an integral keel and skeg hung rudder. Older boats such as a Tayana are geared for this but in new boats they are impossible to find
That's a great question Russell. I have been wondering the same thing. Looking forward to an answer, or maybe even a video from him addressing this exact question.
Hans Christians are solid sailors with beautiful aesthetics. Even the smaller ones can be taken around. One fellow did three consecutive circumnavigations.
While I was at a marina in east Florida four years ago, my two next slip neighbors were both 90s Catalinas 36 Mark IIs. One, original owner. Both had factory installed control lines led aft and winches. Love the lines, and the cabin layout, including that aft cabin, was great. One of them went from Florida to Bermuda, and back a few times. The walkthrough transom was another nice feature. I would say, low end blue water, but and excellent island hopper. Wish I had one.
How about Nordic 37? I'm looking for a boat that can get me to the Azores, Northern Europe/Scandinavia and back through the Caribbean. I completed my Sail Canada Intermediate Cruising course on a Catalina 36 out of Granville Island. It was a 5 day liveaboard course cruising in the Strait of Georgia with a total of 5 people on board. This has become my minimum standard (if budget allows) when boat hunting to have the aft cabin.
I really like these episodes, you should consider doing a series on some of your favorite locations to sail. Maybe it's a certain island in the Bahamas or maybe some famous routes In the Pacific.
Kinda curious to hear what you think of the Pearson vanguard. I have a 1965 model and think she handles beautifully on blue water. I know they are famous for circumnavigation but I sometimes question the rig when facing 30 foot or higher swells
i've seen catalina 28's that have crossed to bimini no problem. hell, even a macgregor 26x has made the crossing. just need to pick a good weather window.
How about florida or usvi. I own now as of a few weeks ago. Selling a hunter Cherubini 37, for a Catalina 36 mk 2. My plans are too set sail in January ans not come back for @ 5 months . What’s ur questions ans thoughts.
We just crossed the Gulf Stream, West Palm Beach, Florida to West End, Bahamas in our 2020 Corsair 880 Sport Trimaran, with no issues and the Corsair is only 29 feet long, so anything is possible......
Ok so what's the general opinion on power vs sail? Larger power to be "blue water" capable vs sail? Although I follow your channel, and really enjoy your vids, my dream is to motor through the Bahamas on a 35-45' powerboat, for weeks/months every winter in retirement.
You ever see the movie, "Dunkirk?" I fell in love with the starring boat... I have a Catalina 36, but if I were to get a motorboat, I'd look for something like that.... a motorboat, which you can sail if your engine cannot start. In the movie the boat is " is a "motorsailer" which, as you'd expect, is a motorboat with a mast which can be sailed. They're kind of rare, but very cool. Although in the movie, her sail was never raised.
Totally agree with you. I'd be willing to take one as far as the Turks and Caicos, maybe even as far as the BVIs. And once I was there, I'd probably start talking to myself about how I might as well carry on to Sint Marteen for a case of Guavaberry Liqueur, and gee, St. John's isn't that much farther, and Martinique and Guadaloupe not much further than that, and before I'd know it I'd be in Grenada wondering what happened. But while I'd probably be perfectly happy to lose four months sailing a Catalina 36 down to the Windward Islands, I wouldn't spend one week sailing from Norfolk to Bermuda at gunpoint. A whole lot can happen in seven days and hundreds of miles from shore....
I’ll be setting sail come January from Destin florida. To. Usvi. St. John , and have no worries about (making it). On my 1997 Catalina 36 mk 2. Looking forward to it. I would like to speak to some people who have made this passage .
How about an episode about the old Newport 30 MKII? Love to hear what you have to say about the old Gary Mull design and the following version by the house design team
I would. But only after I became very familiar with the boat. I would have a robust steering vane system, with a lot of spare parts, and a bullet proof roller furler for the jib. I would think nothing of going up one size bigger than the size recommend. If I didn't reinforce the hull and rigging, I would sail very conservatively, like some of the voyagers I am following on RUclips. I would avoid putting extra stress on the hull any way I could. And I would pick my crossing time very carefully. By reading about ocean voyagers for decades, I have learned that the most important part of the boat is the tiller nut. And no. I don't mean a piece of metal. If I decided to keep the boat, I would probably reinforce it. Just about everyone I watch has moved the chain plates to the side of the hull, if they weren't there already. This is a move I would certainly copy.
coastal cruising and island hopping would we great, give me the Catalina 38 S&S for offshore and making an ocean crossing. all of their holding tanks are really small for the task
I would cruise it across an ocean but it is too small for anymore than one person, over 40 ft for ocean sailing for me. fine build quality and amenities. good boat
Thank you for your videos. The Cat 36 is on my short list. My wife and I will be moving aboard and sailing the Bahamas down to the BVI’s and up the east coast. I have also been strongly considering the Cat 42/425. How would you compare these two vessels for my listed sailing grounds? Thanks again!
I sailed a 1985 36 Catalina for around 2 years. It was NOT my boat but we sailed it every day and did do some cruising with it like west coast of Florida down to the keys and dry Tortugas. It was a great boat for that. I sailed it to get my experience i needed to get my boat and I don't thank we ever had to fix her she just worked very well. She only drew 5 feet so I don't know where you got that 6 foot draft from we rean her around almost every day. She was tide bound and until we had hight tide she was not going out the Chanel so we know exactly what she drew. I loved her but we did not want to sail her in any kind of weather. For that reason we were stuck in the dry Tortugas for 7 days longer than expected. But other than that its was a great sailboat.
I love this channel, very informative. One suggestion - use a little less jargon (like 'IOR') to make it more accessible to beginners, OR consider explaining the terms with captions on the screen or in the description box.
Having skippered a Catalina 36 on many occasions off the coast of Southern California with trips to the Catalina islands, I have to say that I would not blue water this boat. I never got the feeling it (especially the standing rigging) would hold up to the kind of beating it would take during a crossing. I have to say the boat was comfortable and enjoyable (if a little slow) but also a really good value for the money. My father had bought a Catalina 30 back in '83 and single-handed her on Lake Erie. If you lumped these in with Hunter and Newport at the time, Catalina was the clear winner.
Would be nice if you could zoom in on IOR boats and the design. I own Marionette wich is an 46ft IOR boat. And i love the history. In every harbour i visite there will be someone who knows her. And as a result you get the most amazing story’s.
36' no problem. COVID lockdowns got me stuck in Guatemala. I took a crew position on a Catalina 32'. 140 miles from Florida the winds were sustained 30 knots dead on the nose. Not a single wave less than 10'. We heaved to for 24 hours. Never once felt like we were on the edge of safety. Made 80 miles after that, then had to heave to again for 12 hours before getting into Panama City on Mother's Day. No doubt a Catalina 32 is much more a blue water boat than a Lagoon 450! Biggest short coming is tankage for fuel...easy problem to deal with. Bang for the buck, Catalina checks the right boxes.
Why would you not do the Atlantic on your boat ?? I am just starting to fix up a recently purchased 1968 Hughes 38' with the intention of doing Horn, Hope, & Lewllan none stop, ala Vendee from Vancouver Island
Hey. The 38 is awesome! My friend Jay has one and I think I would do it on the 38. But the 35 and 38 are very, very different boats. The 38 is a significant t step up in the way of speed and capability. I'd love a 38!
If you do another video that mentions cruising The Bahamas, please mention that The Bahamas on Nov 9, 2021 for vaccinated cruisers, ended the requirement for getting a negative covid-19 test every 5 days while island hopping. That previous requirement for inter-island travel would have been burdensome and expensive.
I always hate the guys on forums who answer the "blue water" question, with "depends on the condition of the boat and the skill of the sailor". Yes, we know that already dude. We know that a skilled sailor can sail a San Juan 21 across the Pacific. What people are asking, is a boat, properly equipped, capable of an ocean crossing without a major disaster under normal conditions?
You are reasonable about all this. The Catalina 36 is a very livable boat for limited use, which in reality, is what most people do anyway. It has limited tankage, but overall a very pleasant boat. I have a "Bluewater boat" but it involves tradeoffs. With a keel-stepped mast, heavy solid fiberglass construction, overbuilt by most standards, great tankage, external chain plates and a full keel, she is not made for easy close in maneuverability and at 37 ft LOA, she weights about 20,000. Skookums were made to cross oceans, but not a great choice for a coastal cruiser.
Title-blue water sailboat-Catalina? Hmmm. Bit of a contradiction. While it’s true, a not so great sailor, could probably take a true blue water vessel across a rough ocean, and survive. The reverse is also true great sailor can take a non-Bluewater sailboat across the ocean, proven by many sailors including Eric ans Sven. Sven builds and takes these tiny little sailboats across the ocean, and Eric Aanderaa takes a small sailboat through crazy North seas during storms. ( incredible channel for intense sailing) I’ve been searching for a good boat for the last year, and would like to find a boat that was built much stronger than I’ll ever put it through. I like overbuilt, not “ just enough so it works” Recently watched a video on Kraken boats- and I think the owners name is Bill ( he’s in all the videos). Somewhere he has a list of the eight or nine criteria that would make up a true blue sailing boat 1. An integrated Keel-no Bolt-on keels. Hull and keel one piece To me this makes sense 2. Full skeg hung hung Rudder. Protect your steering!!!! And you’ll have to research his videos to get the rest of his list Something that I’m curious about -are there any unsinkable boats out there ? like a Boston whaler ?These boats cannot be sunk but you can’t take that across the ocean it’s too small (maybe Sven could , lol) why aren’t sailboats made this way ? Unsinkable? so in the worst possible conditions , you’ve lost your sails, your mast broke off , you could at least secure your hatches go down below and ride out the roller coaster storm in your submarine unsinkable boat . seems to make sense . I imagine the cost would be too high for most. But shouldn’t safety be the number one priority? Your life is worth more than that. In my search I was looking for something comfortable to live in, and travel. however I’ve re-defined my search criteria and now I’ve started looking at older boats. Many of them have been over built or built with the proper materials and seem stronger built ? ( if they are in good shape 30-50 years after construction-should say something about the quality ) Can Lady K do an episode of some good older boats? I have difficulty sorting out the nicer newer fluffy stuff (Jenneau’s or beneteaus) and overlook the 40 year old (Tayana?) hard to sort out which is a better deal for the money. Great channel Lady K. Love your material. (Need some more sailing vids, when’s your next big trip?). Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
This is also my view.. I think most will cross the Atlantic on a good weather passage, but on a rough weather passage, I totally agree with Bill in the above mentioned Kraken video, Skeg protected rudder, integrated keel, centre cockpit for crew safety. His boats are outta my league but his guidelines sure help. Oh, so to answer the question, no I would not.
I recently purchased a Pearson 386 and absolutely love it. Next couple of years I plan to sail it all around Lake Ontario with the goal of going to the Caribbean and some day get to the Mediterranean. I do believe she could handle it.
I ownwd a C30 and crewed on a C36 on Lake Ontario which had the same Westerbeke 3 cyl. I personally found the engine in the 36 to be under-powered when in foul weather
People have crossed oceans in a bath tub.That being said no I wouldn't cross an ocean in that boat.But pick a good weather window you can cross the Gulf Stream and on to many islands.
We have a Hunter 37.5 (in small part to you Hunter video) which slightly exceeds some of the notes you make about the C36. Love the boat and plan to take her South next year but Blue Water she is not. Big storms, tall seas and the like are not the issue. Surviving a full speed collision with a semi submerged shipping container is. These types of boats can survive storms (not comfortably) but can not take a hit.
Although robustly manufactured (plenty 'O glass, solid joints, etc...) the rigging & lack of engineering below the H2O line would deeply concern me. Heck, enough wind will knock this little weekend cruiser on its ass and do damage on the way over. Now, you can add rigging strength, add big winches aft on deck to add safety, but- it lacks proper design for a genuine crossing. Jes 1 man's opinion- I suggest you get another! But, I'd love to have it in the Caribbean for a season or two- it would be a blast to sail around the islands...
Interesting video. Good question too. My answer is no and this is why. Pthe two things I look at carefully are the capsize, and comfort ratio. 20-30 is considered coastal crusing and the Catalina is very low at 23+ on the comfort ratio and above 2 on the capsize formula. Your Hughes 35 much better suited in both areas at 28+ and 1.81. My Colombia 10.7 is 29+ and 1.87 and I plan on crossing oceans with her. You also mentioned the Amel 54. I was surprised to find this boat is only slightly better suited than yours and mine and doesn't technically make the cut either but as you mentioned Brian had be doing it for years. If I ever upgrade I'll go for a CSY 44. You turned me on to this boat and it's well within the bluewater 30-40 range. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I want one someday. Love you chanel, I watch every video!
My dad bluewater sailed a Catalina 36 for many years. Shoving off from Long Beach, CA he sailed it to Hawaii and back (return was to to San Francisco due to following the trade winds). On another adventure, he sailed it from CA through the Panama Canal up to New Orleans. He then put it on a truck, sending it to Washington State and the PNW, sailing it around the San Juan Islands, British Columbia and then back down to Long Beach.
These were just a few of his sailing adventures with that boat and then moving onto a Stevens 47 (sailboat) to continue his ocean going ways. Great memories!
Sounds like he had some fantastic adventures!
I knew an owner that made a few trips on his Catalina 36 Mark II many times from Norfork to Bermuda, and at over 80 years old. Though, he wasn't alone, as he reminded me, not to do it alone, if I try it. Loved his Catalina, but crossing oceans it's not what she was designed for. But Bahamas, and Caribbean, of course. RIP my friend Les.
I've been binging your channel for a few months. Just wanna say that solo Lady K is the most kino era! Feels less like "oh another couple trying to look cool on the internet", and more "it's like I have a buddy who does this and he's showing me what it's like!"
That's awesome thank you!
I’m currently prepping my Catalina 42 Mk2 to cruise the Caribbean & do a Trans Atlantic. Any well built vessel is capable with a decent skipper, and the right prep. Adding additional fuel, redundancy in filters, auto pilot, rudder/steering/sails/ground tackle. The internet makes it sound as if you aren’t sailing in a 35,000 lb. full keel, canoe stern boat, you’re gonna die! Great channel BTW!
I used to live on an older Catalina 36 and sailed it extensively. I have also sailed the Catalina 42 a lot. Whilst the 36 is a great boat, the 42 is a much more robust solidly built boat. There is no real comparison. A well equipped 42 is a world cruiser but the 36 does not quite make that grade, despite being a fabulous boat. The 42 is much more sea kindly and comfortable in heavy seas.
@@boatsandbits7091 42 UNQUESTIONED, love the layout:), the 36 has potential.........in either I would have dual escape pods 9life rafts, satilitte, GPS beacons, emergency equipment, and anything for the uneXPECTED, like a high compact pump out system etc.......crossing any large water requires great prep.............
Love your channel. Thanks for this episode. I do like the Catalina 36 and have wanted one for some time. I presently have a 1989 O’Day 322. I bought the boat in late 1998 to start a sailing school in Vancouver. One must have was a dedicated aft cabin and I could only find that on bigger boats that were out of my price range. Then I found the O’Day. She’s really been a great boat. Have you thought about doing an episode on the 322? It’s a great boat for the Caribbean. She carries 60 gal of water in two tanks, draws 4’2” and has a really well laid out large interior for a 32. In fact my wife and I are currently living aboard in Campbell River, BC while we wait for a house to be built.
I just bought a Catalina 36 MkII out of Etobicoke. Thanks for your channel. 😀
My definition has somewhat changed since I started sailing a little over a year ago. Back then I believed the hardcore hype that a TRUE bluewater boat had to have a full keel first and foremost. After getting a little wiser and now owning a Baba 30 I would certainly consider a boat with a skeg hung rudder but that’s as much as I’ll slide on an Atlantic crossing boat. My boat is one of the few true bluewater boats in the 30’ range weighing in at 12,500lb (5k is ballast) with a full keel, solid fiberglass hull, 80 gallons of fresh water, she’s cutter rigged, and has a decent 4.75ft draft. She is a typical full keel boat though, with zero steerage in reverse or anytime you aren’t moving a couple knots… lol.
We are new to the Catalina 36 world (mkII) but in the short time we've had her on the Chesapeake I've been mightily impressed with her predictable performance and her construction. While that stretch of water is equivalent to inland for the most part, we've been in some significant chop and wind and the boat brushed it aside without a problem - confidence inspiring. A bit like yourself I'd struggle to take her across an ocean, but we are going cruising through the caribbean with a young family next year and I have no concerns at all for that purpose. While the interior will never set the world alight, the practical use of space is excellent for live aboard - modern boat cockpit design has improved substantially for short handed sailing, but below deck I've found that modern equivalents from Hanse, Catalina, etc haven't substantially improved the usable space (IMO they are much more wasteful of that extra space caused by the beam being carried to the transom). Thank you for posting this - was wondering this out loud myself the other day!
Catalina's chain plates seem to be the BEST made, in comparison to some 400,000 sailboats and they are very easy to see and check!
Cool tid bit- the wing keel minimizes the yaw motion making the ride much more sea kindly- the pretty large wing (roughly 4’ x 5’) displaces a lot of water so dampens the ride quite a bit compared to a straight fin keel.
I love your channel. I nearly bought a C36 last year to sail the islands. For my purposes of island hopping and my budget, the C36 seemed perfect. Would I sail it across the Atlantic? Sure.
Patrick Childress (RIP 2020) sailed around the world on a Catalina 27 (modified for the task). Webb Chiles on a Moore 24 and an 18 foot open yawl. In my opinion it comes down to seamanship over boat design. Amel designs boats for a common man to cross an ocean, someone with proper knowledge and seamanship can cross an ocean on a common boat,
Tristan Jones also in a 16-footer.
Just came from your most recent video to this one, its a darn nice boat that ive added to my wants list for retirement.......so many to choose from
Just picked up a c34mk2 😁. Better fit for my marinas and I prefer the aft head for Vancouver Island rainy days. Cheers!
Thanks for these great episodes. Your a wealth of great knowledge. I currently own a 2006 Catalina 36. It’s a great boat as you said. I have also owned two Hunters that were very comfortable and would buy one again if the right one came along. With that being said hands-down my Catalina 36 outperforms them under sail. Also the quality of the Catalina I feel is better.
Not sure I would feel comfortable beating to windward for an extended amount of time (Days or Weeks) in the C36, but traveling in the right direction crossing oceans I would have no worries with this boat. I heard of a few that have crossed the Pacific and are now in Australia. Depends on your comfort level for this boat.
Yes. Yes I would.
Sam Holmes goes all over the World in his Cape Dory 28.
Got the 34 mkii. No complaints just smiles.
West Coast. Did well around pt conception downwind in the afternoon. Said screw it let's see what happens and not go to Morrow Bay
Same same
I sail a SS catalina 38 with the tumblehome sides . It has 8 shrouds 4 on each side very thick . It is an IOR boat from 1982,16500 lbs. I would go any where with this boat but would bring along storm sails and add a stay sail to it.
I had a Yankee 38 (your hull mold) & the boat was 2000lbs heavier. My answer here is about construction. Yankee Over built hull and mast so thick it won't bend. Light air horrible, but cuts waves. Had 3 feet of sea come right over the deck and boat didn't notice. Good yours kept the shrouds bolted thru steel in the cabin bulkhead and I see some at the deck with the mast stepped there as well. Very different blue water.
Owned, including a transpac (CA - HI), my 87 Catalina 34. I love it.
Love my C-36. I would take her to the islands. The fuel tank size is an issue. My wing keel only draws 4’-6”.
No, for me personally an integral keel and skeg hung rudder are a must, I'm preparing my chined corten steel Van De Stadt 34' with the 1.8m fin keel and selden fractional performance rig for a solo Atlantic crossing from Cape Town SA to the Dutch Antilles in early 2022, just paid the best part of 6.5K$ for a Hydrovane auxiliary rudder self steering windvane, how about an episode on the VDS 34' with all it's different hull materials, keel, rudder and rig configurations including the Dehler optima 34' (VDS 34')
Theyre a great little blue water (even high latitude capable) boat if built from aluminium or steel, I have 360 litres of fresh water in 2 stainless tankes, along with another 125 L in gerry cans on deck, 180L diesel in one stainless tank and another 125 on deck, 420Ah house bank, 100Ah fridge/freezer/windlass battery and 80Ah crank on 2 Victron mppt's and 555 watts of solar, DVSR and high output alternator, karver reaching gennaker, 120% genoa brand new from Ullman, 3 slab reefs in my main and a storm staysail on a dyneema removable solent stay (hanks). We've got 17.7 knots SOG surfing off Aghulhas with 30 knots up the bum and big following seas in excess of 3m breaking.
She doesn't roll a lot like a round hull, tracks superbly, points higher than 35°(with the solent staysail) and She can surf, average around 7 knots SOG in light airs and will do 9 to 10 reaching in 20+. She'd actually make a great little Cape to Rio boat
Actually looking at a VDS34 as my future boat, for many reasons including strength and seaworthiness. Would love to see a vid of yours ;)
I can tell you one thing more Beneteaus have crossed more oceans than any other boat in the world . Sailing Bacchus home sailed from UK to New Zealand across Atlantic and Pacific 361 no Issues ,so did See the little things 361, and a 351 has sailed the Atlantic many times wining the Ostar race from UK to USA in norhtern atlantic Plymouth to Newport single handed
I own a 1984 cat 36 here in NZ-i have not blue water sailed-only Coastal NZ-but it got here from LA-Hawaii-Tahiti-Raro-Noumea-NZ-then has done many Pacific Island trips over the years-Fiji-Tonga-Vanuatu-it flew thru survey last year and is CAT 1 certified -except life raft is currently out of date-I love it-but am way short on skills to head up Pacific at this stage-in fact probably never will-but coastal NZ sailing its brilliant -just saying !!
Sea kindly. This is a subject that many boat reviewers often fail to discuss. It is perhaps the most required characteristic of any ocean crossing sailboat. A sea kindly boat will suffer less damage and abuse its crew less than than flat bottomed pounders. Many much older boats from the CCA era were of such design. If the boat was sound and had an easy motion at sea I would have no problem sailing a Cat 36 across an ocean. But I have never sailed on one. I did sail a lot on a Cat 38 but that boat was an S&S design if I recall correctly and from a different era. It was a comfortable boat in a wide variety of conditions.
Catalinas were designed primarily for the waters off Southern Ca. They excel at coastal cruising the Channel Islands. However, they will also be found cruising all over the world. Not a lot of tankage for long trips but the hull, keel and rigging strength is quite adequate to hold together in heavy weather. You never hear of these boats losing their keels. They sail well and point high. They can definitely do blue water safely if set up properly. The "Catalina Hall Of Fame" has many 36s that have done some serious offshore sailing. Having sailed our C30 for over 10 yrs and our C36 for 6 yrs in S Ca, I can say that although they look similar, the 36 is a much stronger and more capable boat. For these waters there is not a better boat for the money, however, if I were to plan extended offshore sailing, particularly Tradewind passages, I would look for something with more tankage, stowage and better tracking ability downwind. You don't need a tank to sail offshore.
Love your channel! I would really love to hear your thoughts on the Catalina 350. Thank you!
That was a really good yarn. Keep 'em coming!
I'm considering a Mk I. Thanks for the info
I think a better question is: "Would you cross the *Pacific* in this boat?"
hmmm, i guess I would consider it given the right time of year and a good weather window. it wouldn't be my first choice by any stretch
As many have said in the comments loads have crossed oceans in Beneteau and other production boats but for real assurance I would want an integral keel and skeg hung rudder. Older boats such as a Tayana are geared for this but in new boats they are impossible to find
I have seen many mentions of Endeavors but never a real dedicated show on them, would love to see one.
He's got an episode on Endeavor.
I almost bought one but I couldn’t find a live aboard slip in San Diego.
If you could go back in time, and buy a different boat other than Lady K which one would you choose?
That's a great question Russell. I have been wondering the same thing. Looking forward to an answer, or maybe even a video from him addressing this exact question.
Can you do a video on the Cal 40?
I’m going to be buying a boat very soon to travel the world I was wondering your thoughts on Hans Christian.
Hans Christians are solid sailors with beautiful aesthetics. Even the smaller ones can be taken around. One fellow did three consecutive circumnavigations.
While I was at a marina in east Florida four years ago, my two next slip neighbors were both 90s Catalinas 36 Mark IIs. One, original owner. Both had factory installed control lines led aft and winches. Love the lines, and the cabin layout, including that aft cabin, was great. One of them went from Florida to Bermuda, and back a few times. The walkthrough transom was another nice feature. I would say, low end blue water, but and excellent island hopper. Wish I had one.
How about Nordic 37?
I'm looking for a boat that can get me to the Azores, Northern Europe/Scandinavia and back through the Caribbean.
I completed my Sail Canada Intermediate Cruising course on a Catalina 36 out of Granville Island. It was a 5 day liveaboard course cruising in the Strait of Georgia with a total of 5 people on board.
This has become my minimum standard (if budget allows) when boat hunting to have the aft cabin.
I really like these episodes, you should consider doing a series on some of your favorite locations to sail.
Maybe it's a certain island in the Bahamas or maybe some famous routes In the Pacific.
Kinda curious to hear what you think of the Pearson vanguard. I have a 1965 model and think she handles beautifully on blue water. I know they are famous for circumnavigation but I sometimes question the rig when facing 30 foot or higher swells
i've seen catalina 28's that have crossed to bimini no problem. hell, even a macgregor 26x has made the crossing. just need to pick a good weather window.
Australian build clansman 30 🤟 love the videos!!!! Keep up the amazing work
How about florida or usvi. I own now as of a few weeks ago. Selling a hunter Cherubini 37, for a Catalina 36 mk 2. My plans are too set sail in January ans not come back for @ 5 months . What’s ur questions ans thoughts.
What do you think of a c&c redwing30? Capable? Not sure it’s ready for blue water
We just crossed the Gulf Stream, West Palm Beach, Florida to West End, Bahamas in our 2020 Corsair 880 Sport Trimaran, with no issues and the Corsair is only 29 feet long, so anything is possible......
Ok so what's the general opinion on power vs sail? Larger power to be "blue water" capable vs sail? Although I follow your channel, and really enjoy your vids, my dream is to motor through the Bahamas on a 35-45' powerboat, for weeks/months every winter in retirement.
You ever see the movie, "Dunkirk?" I fell in love with the starring boat... I have a Catalina 36, but if I were to get a motorboat, I'd look for something like that.... a motorboat, which you can sail if your engine cannot start. In the movie the boat is " is a "motorsailer" which, as you'd expect, is a motorboat with a mast which can be sailed. They're kind of rare, but very cool. Although in the movie, her sail was never raised.
Great episode ❤
Thanks for watching!
Totally agree with you. I'd be willing to take one as far as the Turks and Caicos, maybe even as far as the BVIs. And once I was there, I'd probably start talking to myself about how I might as well carry on to Sint Marteen for a case of Guavaberry Liqueur, and gee, St. John's isn't that much farther, and Martinique and Guadaloupe not much further than that, and before I'd know it I'd be in Grenada wondering what happened.
But while I'd probably be perfectly happy to lose four months sailing a Catalina 36 down to the Windward Islands, I wouldn't spend one week sailing from Norfolk to Bermuda at gunpoint. A whole lot can happen in seven days and hundreds of miles from shore....
I’ll be setting sail come January from Destin florida. To. Usvi. St. John , and have no worries about (making it). On my 1997 Catalina 36 mk 2. Looking forward to it. I would like to speak to some people who have made this passage .
Another great job. Do you know what insurance company offers sea rescue coverage_ Thanks
Great episode. I'd appreciate your thoughts on a Catalina 445...
How about an episode about the old Newport 30 MKII? Love to hear what you have to say about the old Gary Mull design and the following version by the house design team
What do you think about the Catalina 380? Feels like a 42 and is quite a bit heavier than the 36. Falls very close on that line as well I think.
I would.
But only after I became very familiar with the boat.
I would have a robust steering vane system, with a lot of spare parts, and a bullet proof roller furler for the jib. I would think nothing of going up one size bigger than the size recommend.
If I didn't reinforce the hull and rigging, I would sail very conservatively, like some of the voyagers I am following on RUclips. I would avoid putting extra stress on the hull any way I could. And I would pick my crossing time very carefully.
By reading about ocean voyagers for decades, I have learned that the most important part of the boat is the tiller nut. And no. I don't mean a piece of metal.
If I decided to keep the boat, I would probably reinforce it. Just about everyone I watch has moved the chain plates to the side of the hull, if they weren't there already. This is a move I would certainly copy.
coastal cruising and island hopping would we great, give me the Catalina 38 S&S for offshore and making an ocean crossing. all of their holding tanks are really small for the task
I would cruise it across an ocean but it is too small for anymore than one person, over 40 ft for ocean sailing for me. fine build quality and amenities. good boat
could ya do an Irwin 38cc , general info before i buy one
What about a pearson 36, like sailing uma did?
Thank you for your videos. The Cat 36 is on my short list. My wife and I will be moving aboard and sailing the Bahamas down to the BVI’s and up the east coast. I have also been strongly considering the Cat 42/425. How would you compare these two vessels for my listed sailing grounds? Thanks again!
I sailed a 1985 36 Catalina for around 2 years. It was NOT my boat but we sailed it every day and did do some cruising with it like west coast of Florida down to the keys and dry Tortugas. It was a great boat for that. I sailed it to get my experience i needed to get my boat and I don't thank we ever had to fix her she just worked very well. She only drew 5 feet so I don't know where you got that 6 foot draft from we rean her around almost every day. She was tide bound and until we had hight tide she was not going out the Chanel so we know exactly what she drew. I loved her but we did not want to sail her in any kind of weather. For that reason we were stuck in the dry Tortugas for 7 days longer than expected. But other than that its was a great sailboat.
There is a wing keel version with a draft of about 4.5. I own one and love it.
I love this channel, very informative. One suggestion - use a little less jargon (like 'IOR') to make it more accessible to beginners, OR consider explaining the terms with captions on the screen or in the description box.
Can you do a show on a Nicholson 35, are you acquainted with them? Thanks
Having skippered a Catalina 36 on many occasions off the coast of Southern California with trips to the Catalina islands, I have to say that I would not blue water this boat. I never got the feeling it (especially the standing rigging) would hold up to the kind of beating it would take during a crossing. I have to say the boat was comfortable and enjoyable (if a little slow) but also a really good value for the money. My father had bought a Catalina 30 back in '83 and single-handed her on Lake Erie. If you lumped these in with Hunter and Newport at the time, Catalina was the clear winner.
Do you think an Island Packet 31 would make a better blue water sailboat than a Catalina 36?
Would be nice if you could zoom in on IOR boats and the design.
I own Marionette wich is an 46ft IOR boat. And i love the history. In every harbour i visite there will be someone who knows her. And as a result you get the most amazing story’s.
I would like to see something on a Irwin 30 Citation 1977
Interesting as always. Have you made an episode on a CS 36..?
I have not but it seems to be in very high demand. I will.
Great video!!!
Tim: you mentioned you wouldnt cross an ocean on your boat not a catalina 36 but would you cross on an alberg 30 your dream boat as you mentioned?
36' no problem. COVID lockdowns got me stuck in Guatemala. I took a crew position on a Catalina 32'.
140 miles from Florida the winds were sustained 30 knots dead on the nose. Not a single wave less than 10'.
We heaved to for 24 hours. Never once felt like we were on the edge of safety. Made 80 miles after that, then had to heave to again for 12 hours before getting into Panama City on Mother's Day.
No doubt a Catalina 32 is much more a blue water boat than a Lagoon 450!
Biggest short coming is tankage for fuel...easy problem to deal with.
Bang for the buck, Catalina checks the right boxes.
Why would you not do the Atlantic on your boat ?? I am just starting to fix up a recently purchased 1968 Hughes 38' with the intention of doing Horn, Hope, & Lewllan none stop, ala Vendee from Vancouver Island
Hey. The 38 is awesome! My friend Jay has one and I think I would do it on the 38. But the 35 and 38 are very, very different boats. The 38 is a significant t step up in the way of speed and capability. I'd love a 38!
Love to see an episode about the Pacific seacraft 37... is it "Bluewater" 🤔
Spoiler alert: yes. Engine access leaves something to be desired, though.
1981 Stewart 36.8 Boston boat-works Mark Lindsay Sailboat
82
If you do another video that mentions cruising The Bahamas, please mention that The Bahamas on Nov 9, 2021 for vaccinated cruisers, ended the requirement for getting a negative covid-19 test every 5 days while island hopping. That previous requirement for inter-island travel would have been burdensome and expensive.
I always hate the guys on forums who answer the "blue water" question, with "depends on the condition of the boat and the skill of the sailor". Yes, we know that already dude. We know that a skilled sailor can sail a San Juan 21 across the Pacific. What people are asking, is a boat, properly equipped, capable of an ocean crossing without a major disaster under normal conditions?
Erickson 35 MKII thoughts??
cat 36' most definitely would go blue water with it. just need to mind the weather window time frame.
Do one on the Catalina 30 🐙🐙🐙
You are reasonable about all this. The Catalina 36 is a very livable boat for limited use, which in reality, is what most people do anyway. It has limited tankage, but overall a very pleasant boat. I have a "Bluewater boat" but it involves tradeoffs. With a keel-stepped mast, heavy solid fiberglass construction, overbuilt by most standards, great tankage, external chain plates and a full keel, she is not made for easy close in maneuverability and at 37 ft LOA, she weights about 20,000. Skookums were made to cross oceans, but not a great choice for a coastal cruiser.
Video on bilge keel Vivacity 20s and their cousins
Would you blue water an Albin Vega ??
we know it can but would you . I have one and I’m thinking how much are you really going to be crossing oceans
Title-blue water sailboat-Catalina? Hmmm. Bit of a contradiction. While it’s true, a not so great sailor, could probably take a true blue water vessel across a rough ocean, and survive. The reverse is also true great sailor can take a non-Bluewater sailboat across the ocean, proven by many sailors including Eric ans Sven. Sven builds and takes these tiny little sailboats across the ocean, and Eric Aanderaa takes a small sailboat through crazy North seas during storms. ( incredible channel for intense sailing)
I’ve been searching for a good boat for the last year, and would like to find a boat that was built much stronger than I’ll ever put it through. I like overbuilt, not “ just enough so it works” Recently watched a video on Kraken boats- and I think the owners name is Bill ( he’s in all the videos). Somewhere he has a list of the eight or nine criteria that would make up a true blue sailing boat
1. An integrated Keel-no Bolt-on keels. Hull and keel one piece
To me this makes sense
2. Full skeg hung hung Rudder. Protect your steering!!!!
And you’ll have to research his videos to get the rest of his list
Something that I’m curious about -are there any unsinkable boats out there ? like a Boston whaler ?These boats cannot be sunk but you can’t take that across the ocean it’s too small (maybe Sven could , lol)
why aren’t sailboats made this way ? Unsinkable?
so in the worst possible conditions , you’ve lost your sails, your mast broke off , you could at least secure your hatches go down below and ride out the roller coaster storm in your submarine unsinkable boat .
seems to make sense .
I imagine the cost would be too high for most. But shouldn’t safety be the number one priority? Your life is worth more than that.
In my search I was looking for something comfortable to live in, and travel. however I’ve re-defined my search criteria and now I’ve started looking at older boats. Many of them have been over built or built with the proper materials and seem stronger built ? ( if they are in good shape 30-50 years after construction-should say something about the quality )
Can Lady K do an episode of some good older boats? I have difficulty sorting out the nicer newer fluffy stuff (Jenneau’s or beneteaus) and overlook the 40 year old (Tayana?) hard to sort out which is a better deal for the money.
Great channel Lady K. Love your material. (Need some more sailing vids, when’s your next big trip?).
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
This is also my view.. I think most will cross the Atlantic on a good weather passage, but on a rough weather passage, I totally agree with Bill in the above mentioned Kraken video, Skeg protected rudder, integrated keel, centre cockpit for crew safety. His boats are outta my league but his guidelines sure help. Oh, so to answer the question, no I would not.
I recently purchased a Pearson 386 and absolutely love it. Next couple of years I plan to sail it all around Lake Ontario with the goal of going to the Caribbean and some day get to the Mediterranean. I do believe she could handle it.
I ownwd a C30 and crewed on a C36 on Lake Ontario which had the same Westerbeke 3 cyl. I personally found the engine in the 36 to be under-powered when in foul weather
exactly ... same thoughts here. She was also fitted with a 3 blade cruising prop and still not adequate in rough seas. Otherwise no other issues.
People have crossed oceans in a bath tub.That being said no I wouldn't cross an ocean in that boat.But pick a good weather window you can cross the Gulf Stream and on to many islands.
Thanks for the information. Good to know when trying to keep things safe.
I'm current, I think. Cheers.
How about covering Rivals? The Rival 34 won the OSTAR in 1976.
We have a Hunter 37.5 (in small part to you Hunter video) which slightly exceeds some of the notes you make about the C36. Love the boat and plan to take her South next year but Blue Water she is not. Big storms, tall seas and the like are not the issue. Surviving a full speed collision with a semi submerged shipping container is. These types of boats can survive storms (not comfortably) but can not take a hit.
Hi Noob here!
It would be very helpful if you put full form of abbreviations on screen
Catalac 10M :-) Solid, skinny cat built in the UK for the North Sea
Like to see something on an Irwin dirty citation 1977
How about a Corbin 39 or Valent 40 or now 42, I live on a Corbin that I built, for 25 years, traveled the world retired Submarines sailor
Although robustly manufactured (plenty 'O glass, solid joints, etc...) the rigging & lack of engineering below the H2O line would deeply concern me. Heck, enough wind will knock this little weekend cruiser on its ass and do damage on the way over. Now, you can add rigging strength, add big winches aft on deck to add safety, but- it lacks proper design for a genuine crossing. Jes 1 man's opinion- I suggest you get another! But, I'd love to have it in the Caribbean for a season or two- it would be a blast to sail around the islands...
Interesting video. Good question too.
My answer is no and this is why.
Pthe two things I look at carefully are the capsize, and comfort ratio. 20-30 is considered coastal crusing and the Catalina is very low at 23+ on the comfort ratio and above 2 on the capsize formula.
Your Hughes 35 much better suited in both areas at 28+ and 1.81.
My Colombia 10.7 is 29+ and 1.87 and I plan on crossing oceans with her.
You also mentioned the Amel 54.
I was surprised to find this boat is only slightly better suited than yours and mine and doesn't technically make the cut either but as you mentioned Brian had be doing it for years.
If I ever upgrade I'll go for a CSY 44. You turned me on to this boat and it's well within the bluewater 30-40 range. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I want one someday.
Love you chanel, I watch every video!
Actually, most Catalina 36 MKII's are closer to 20,000 lbs. Also, the wing keel version on the 36 only has a draft of 4'3".
Weather Windows? Elaborate please.
The time to sail when wind and weather are favorable.
Oh I thought it was about the structural strength of the windows on the boat and how they hold up to the open ocean. . .
Airways learn something, thanks!
im about to buy one, and ill definately cross the ocean with her
I wouldn’t cross oceans with a Catalina 36 I would feel more comfortable sailing a island packet on long passages