30-40 Ft Boat

[km2x]

My wife and I are researching the next boat for us... Currently we have a catalina 27 which was a great first boat. The downsides for us is a comfortable double berth(since we are not tiny) and more room for the kids. I have looked at catalina 34's and like the layout as well as the columbia 10.7M. I would like to know any opinions on other boats. Price range is 20-45K give or take. Let me know. Thanks.

KM2X

[BarryL]

Hello,

For that price range, you are going to have to be flexible.
Some boats you could consider are Catalina 36 (the first ones)
O'day 34 or 35, Newport 33, C&C 34 (but check for wet hulls),
and some older Tartan 34 or 33.

Good luck,
Barry

[PBzeer]

Planned use is always (or should be) a consideration in buying a boat. For instance, if you just plan on day sailing mainly, with the occasional night on the hook, then tankage and power are not as big of factors. If you plan to spend quite a bit of time away from the dock though, then they become considerations. As well as storage.

Where you plan to sail is also something to keep in mind. Obviously, you don't need an offshore boat for an inland lake. Is draft a consideration for your area?

These are the kinds of question you need to ask yourself when looking. Then you can go to somewhere like Boat Search here, or Yachtworld and input your parameters for size and price, and start to see what suits you best. Then, you can ask about specific boats.

Good luck with your search

[sailingdog]

Contessa 32s are another good choice...and exceptionally seaworthy...but not so good a choice if you just want a daysailer. They're really designed for passagemaking. Probably not a great choice if you're going to use it as a floating condo either.

[Faster]

Contessa 32s are pretty, well built boats alright, but don't have an awful lot more accomodation than the Cat 27, so may not address the original poster's criteria.

[km2x]

We sail primarily on Lake Superior with weekend and occasional weeklong outings. Tankage and fuel should not be an issue but accommodations are an issue. I still want something I can sail around the buoys a little bit within a club racing format.
I like the layout of the C34 but I am looking at other options that could satisfy this aspect.
The contessa 32 is a great passage maker but that is really not what I am looking for. We are looking for a comfortable boat that sails well but has great space.
KM2X

[CBinRI]

You ould certainly find a late seventies/early eighties C&C 34 or 36 in that price range. We have been very happy with our 36 and feel that we got a lot of boat for the money with good handling and performance.

cncphotoalbum.com is a good resource.

[butlers]

We went through the same exercise a few years ago and purchased a 1990 Catalina 34...best thing we have ever done! The layout is excellent, both on the water and on the hook, the v-berth area is huge, and there is ample storage for a family outting of 3 to 5 days. Take a serious look at the C34. As for racing, there are quite a few C34's doing it...take a look at Fleet One in the SF Bay. Hope this helps.

[winddancer88]

We were looking at the same range of boats and chose a Catalina 34 too. Great boat, sails and lives larger than her length. Good coastal cruiser. It's on the high end of your price range though, as 1986 was the first production year for this boat. If you want to keep it under 45k, check out an older Catalina 36.

[sailingdog]

The C&C 38 is has huge amounts of room below, and is very comfortable even for three or four people over a weekend or week sail. Anything longer, I think it'd be a bit tight. Fairly easy to single-hand if you've got it setup properly.