Catalina 36

Summary

The Catalina 36 is a family of American sailboats that was designed by Frank Butler and Gerry Douglas for cruising and first built in 1982. A Mark II version was introduced in 1994 and produced until 2005.[1][2][3][4]

Catalina 36 Mark II
Catalina 36 Mark II
Development
DesignerFrank Butler and Gerry Douglas
LocationUnited States
Year1994
Builder(s)Catalina Yachts
RoleCruiser
NameCatalina 36 Mark II
Boat
Displacement15,000 lb (6,804 kg)
Draft5.83 ft (1.78 m)
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionFiberglass
LOA35.58 ft (10.84 m)
LWL30.25 ft (9.22 m)
Beam11.92 ft (3.63 m)
Engine typeUniversal 35 hp (26 kW) diesel engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board typefin keel
Ballast6,000 lb (2,722 kg)
Rudder(s)internally-mounted spade-type rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
I foretriangle height44.75 ft (13.64 m)
J foretriangle base14.33 ft (4.37 m)
P mainsail luff39.00 ft (11.89 m)
E mainsail foot12.00 ft (3.66 m)
Sails
SailplanMasthead sloop
Mainsail area234.00 sq ft (21.739 m2)
Jib/genoa area320.63 sq ft (29.788 m2)
Total sail area554.63 sq ft (51.527 m2)

The design was replaced in the line by the Catalina 375 in 2008.[2]

Production edit

The design was built by Catalina Yachts in the United States, with 2305 built in total, but it is now out of production.[1][5][6]

Design edit

The Catalina 36 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a raised reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel and a fixed fin keel or wing keel. All fin keel models displace 15,000 lb (6,804 kg) and carry 6,000 lb (2,722 kg) of ballast, while wing keel models displace 14,100 lb (6,396 kg).[1][2]

Both models offered an optional tall rig for sailing in areas with light winds. The tall rig is approximately 2.0 ft (0.61 m) higher that the standard rig.[1][2]

Variants edit

Catalina 36
This model was designed by Frank Butler and introduced in 1982. A total of 1766 examples were produced. The boat has a draft of 5.30 ft (1.62 m) with the standard fin keel and 4.17 ft (1.27 m) with the optional shoal draft wing keel. The boat is fitted with an inboard engine. The fuel tank holds 25 U.S. gallons (95 L; 21 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 75 U.S. gallons (280 L; 62 imp gal).[1]
 
A 1983 Catalina 36
 
A 1983 Catalina 36 (right), with a Catalina 36 Mark II (left)
 
Catalina 36 Mark II showing the walk-through transom
 
Catalina 36 Mark II with spinnaker flying
Catalina 36 Mark II
This model was designed by Frank Butler and Gerry Douglas, introduced in 1994 and was produced until 2005. The Mark II uses the same hull design and rig, but has a larger cockpit, different cabin ports, a walk-through transom and a new deck and interior design. The boat has a draft of 5.83 ft (1.78 m) with the standard fin keel and 4.52 ft (1.38 m) with the optional shoal draft wing keel. The boat is fitted with a Universal diesel engine of 35 hp (26 kW). The fuel tank holds 25 U.S. gallons (95 L; 21 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 75 U.S. gallons (280 L; 62 imp gal).[2]

Operational history edit

A 2012 review by naval architect Jack Hornor wrote, "With nearly 3,000 boats sold over the first 26 years, the Catalina 36 is arguably the most popular sailboat of this size ever built ... All things considered, the pros certainly outweigh the cons for anyone looking for an affordable cruising boat in the 36-foot size range."[7]

In a 2015 review of the Mark II in Sailing magazine, writer Bob Pingel stated, "the Catalina 36 hits a sweet spot among weekend cruisers. It’s big enough to be comfortable and capable, but small enough to easily manage it shorthanded and it comes at an approachable price."[8]

Jake Firth of Sailing Today did a review of the Mark II. He praised the cockpit size, cabin and the handling, but faulted the high prices the used boats fetch, the lack of cabin top winches and lack of accessible stowage. He wrote, "there’s the common concern that anything built in volume is likely to be cheap and nasty with poor standards of fit, finish and standard equipment. Well, I had a good poke around Katie, Derek Savage’s 2006 C-36 MkII, and though some of the plywood hidden inside drawers and the like wasn’t the closest grained, best quality stuff I’ve ever seen, the bits that really cost and matter, like deck hardware and rigging, appeared to be of ample size and reasonable quality."[9]

See also edit

Similar sailboats

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Browning, Randy (2019). "Catalina 36 sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e Browning, Randy (2019). "Catalina 36 Mk II sailboat specifications and details". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  3. ^ Browning, Randy (2019). "Frank V. Butler". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  4. ^ Browning, Randy (2019). "Gerry Douglas". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  5. ^ Browning, Randy (2019). "Catalina Yachts". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  6. ^ Perry, Robert H. (2019). "Catalina 375". Sailing Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  7. ^ Hornor, Jack (October 2012). "Catalina 36". Boat US. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  8. ^ Pingel, Bob (23 November 2015). "Retrofits: Catalina 36 MkII". Sailing Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  9. ^ Frith, Jake. "Catalina 36 MKII". Sailing Today. Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2019.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Catalina 36 at Wikimedia Commons