[Bluesmoods]

Ok .. Just whwn I thought I have heard it all.. This has all been most interesting.

To the individual who questioned the seaworthiness of the Catalina 350 at the Annapolis show .. Here are your answers.

I own a very early hull number 350. I keep it an an ocean port and only take the boat off shore sometinmes on long journeys, overnight, port to port.

Have I been many miles off shore with winds in excess of 35 kts? (thunderstorms included) Yes.. How did the boat perform? No complaints.. Very well indeed.

Have I been in ocean conditions with swells in sxcess of 7''? Yes. How did the boat perform? No complaints again.. Very well.

Have I had the rail in the water? yes.. in and out doing 7.8 knots.

Have I and others slept while underway miles out in the ocean with 4''-6'' swells..? Yes, Pretty darn comfortably too.

I could go on but I think you all get the point.

Now, is the Catalina 350 anywhere near the boat a C&C 121 or C&C 110 is? No... I knew that getting into it. The one C&C 99 that seems to sail in the same "ocean circles" that I do leaves me in his wake at all points of sail. The C&C is a different boat and maybe even appeals to a different boater. Maybe someday I will be able to afford one but in the interim, the Catalina 350 has proven itself to me time and time again to be to be a very safe, dependable boat that offers it''s owners pretty good saling performance and a lot of boat for the dollar off shore, in the bay, in the lake or at the dock.

To the person who started this at the very top: The Catalina 350 will provide you with a lot of features and creature comforts included in the price of the boat. It is a good boat.

C&C is a stronger, faster and better built vessel. It also seems to have greater value down stream. It will not give you the same living accomodation boat for boat that the 350 will.