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catalina 320 vs catalina 34

12K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  wkw 
#1 ·
Hi
We are looking at these 2 boats for coastal crusing in New England. Saw a 2000 320 we liked alot but wife noted lack of storage space. Haven't seen the 34 yet and wondered if they were that different in terms of storage space and whether the 34 had a bigger v berth. Also are they different in terms of sailing ability. Prefer getting the longer keel but so far only seeing the shoal draft keel.

Thanks

Gary
 
#2 · (Edited)
I've got an older 34 and there is a newer 320 at our marina. I went on it one day and was surprised how much smaller the 320 seemed compared to my boat. The V berth looked a lot smaller. I'm 6'1" and wife is 5'7" and we have PLENTY of room in our V berth and the few times we have slept in the aft cabin, we were more than comfortable.

I didn't pay much attention to storage space, so I really can't comment on it.
 
#3 ·
I also have an older C34 ('86) but I've never been on a 320 so I can't compare the two boats. The C34 does have a very nice sized V-berth, I'm also 6'1" and have lots of room to sleep with my 80+ lb dog. I wouldn't say that storage space is really a selling point of the C34 but it's adequate for coastal sailing imo. There are two fairly large lazarettes in the cockpit which give you plenty of space to store fenders, PFDs, etc. Interior storage isn't hugely impressive, forward and aft cabins both have hanging lockers but they're smallish. Plenty of room in the main salon for storing miscellaneous stuff behind the settees.

Where in New England are you? My boat is in Portland and if you're up that way I'd be happy to show you around the boat.
 
#4 ·
The Catalina 34 and 34 MKII have a much larger V birth...huge compared to the Catalina 320....where the Catalina 320 wins is the aft cabin. The aft cabin on the Catalina 320 is much much larger with more head room over the bed. Also, laying farthest aft which is the smallest spot, I can have space under my feet and my arms resting over my head (I'm 5'11")....On the Catalina 34's my feet will rest on the port hull and my head is bent resting on the headboard. This is probably due to the "One Design" specs for the 34. The hull remains unchanged at and below the water line. Another thing I like about the 320 is the thru-deck fixtures and chainplates are isolated from the deck core...I spoke to an engineer at Catalina about this. I don't think this is true for the 34's...also, on the 34, the shroud deck plates are unchanged for decades. They have these tiny plates that hold the sealng compound and then 2 screws on deck holding the rod plate on the underside. This isn't enough deckplate coverage to hold significant sealer with the flex of the rigging. Even on newer 34 MKII's, those two screws seem to crush or dimple the deck and deck core. The plate on deck should be larger and the 2 screws should have a large deck plate too! It's a big deal when water gets to the un-isolated deck core. These are two totally different boats. Best thing to do is spend and hour or more sitting, lying and poking around inside and outside of each. The 34's definitely have more of an "old salt" feel...and maybe built more robust inside the cabin with lots of grab handles and more nooks to cram crap into. Another thing I noticed is the 34's have a more robustly wooden insulated engine compartment...this combined with the universal engine should be quieter than the 320 with the Yanmar and poorly insulated fiberglass housing.
 
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