[tjr3c]

Ottville,
You have received lots of input, from comments on topic comparing Hunters and Catalinas, to off topic comments about Beneteau''s and MacGregors. Let me tell you what I have learned based on several years of study of the big three and some old and new experiences with MacGregors. I owned a Macgregor 22 years ago. It was sturdy for lakes or rivers but it was small of spar and rig and it lacked basic ammenities. Recent outings on a 26 revealed pretty much the same thing. You can press your hand against the hull of a MacGregor 26 and make an indentation. That is not good. The Beneteaus are nice boats and I believe, well made. I followed them for a full year and that revealed some minor and major problems to condider before buying a Bene. Things like metric plumbing and parts and lack of availability or compatibility crop up frequently. A major complaint is the rust that forms on the iron keels. Rust never sleeps. Once it starts, you have to deal with it every year. Catalina uses lead. Lead doesn''t rust. At the NY/NJ boat show, Beneteau didn''t even bring any new boats (they were provided by existing owners). That turned me off. I was leaning toward benes but what does it say when the largest sailboat maker in the world can''t manage to bring a new boat to a major sailboat show? The boats they brought were nice, but they were used and strict restrictions were in place for inspecting them. Who needs that? They lost me as a customer that day. I studied Hunters over a period of two years and liked what I saw initially and especially online. They seem to provide a lot of boat for the money. The reality is this. I went to the NY/NJ boat show to look at Hunters after extensive online study. Pricewise, they seemed to be a great value as compared to Beneteau as far as equipment and ammenities. They were nicely laid out and looked good. I went over to look at the Catalina 32 at the suggestion of the Hunter salesman(who had a used Catlina 32 for sale at his yard), and that was the end of the search. The Catalina 320 and the 310 were much better boats than the comparable sized Hunters. Just walk on board and look at the winches. They are massive on Catalinas and wimpy on Hunters. Look at the masts. The Catalina masts are hefty and massive, ocean going spars, wheras the Hunters are sized for lakes and rivers and bays. In fact, all Catalinas over 30'' are CE rated class "A". That means ocean rated.. Hunters are not. My research of used boats reveals a glut of used Hunters at much lower prices than Catalinas, which hold their higher values much longer. The thickness of the fiberglass on a Catalina as compared to a Hunter is something you can see and feel. There is really no comparison in my humble opinion. Beneteaus are good boats but there are problems that will never go away until they get rid of the iron keels and make plumbing and fittings that are compatible with American chandleries. The Macs are nice, low budget boats that really need to be looked at a different level. As a result of my two year study, I have decided to buy a Catalina. It''s built to withstand ocean going (thats not opinion, thats a fact borne by the CE rating of "A". It''s construction is very sturdy and the company stands behind their product. They hold their higher values on resale much better than Hunters(just check yachtworld.com). They are really over built. They have engines that will get you through and inlet whereas the Hunters are really underpowered., Don''t get me wrong, I almost bought a Hunter based on what I read online. They are a real value. But when I saw the Hunter and the Catalina, there was no doubt as to which was the better made boat. Ray Charles could''ve seen the difference. Tim