As I'm soon to be a published authority on boats and boat buying, I
think I'll do the group a service and teach you all a bit about boats
and "quality." 99% of what you know is wrong, based on hearsay and
rarely relevant to actual sailing.

Catalina vs. Tartan
About the same quality. This is NOT to say that the Tartan doesn't have
an edge in fit and finish or that the plumbing specs are a bit higher.
They are. But in the REAL WORLD of how almost all of us use our boats,
the Catalina does everything the Tartan does. In fact, for just about
ANYONE, the Catalina will offer a more comfortable boat for the family.
The sad fact is that Tartan needs some serious marketing to push their
pretty hulls. They need to create an illusion of quality when their
boats are truly matched or even outmatched by lower cost high volume
builders. Stepping aboard a Tartan 34 a few months ago, I found it to
be edging on awful for living space. Fit and finish, in spite of the
rep was no better than my old C&C 32. It was a whole lot less fun to
sail than the 35s5. So why buy it? So you can tell your friends you own
a Tartan?

Beneteau 35s5 vs. Swan 36
Yep. That's right. I dare! The Swan 36 is a beautiful boat. Stepping
aboard a rather tired example I could see why people love them.
Beautiful, fast and a sweet interior. Sadly, the interior had no place
for a tall person to sleep. The head was tiny. Designed as a family
boat, there was still a lack of innovation in her living spaces. Did
you know that Swan built the 36 hull in the same manner as the 35s5 and
even the deck/hull joint is the same? Both the Swan and 35s5 are quick
boats. For the coastal cruiser the Swan 36 offered nothing but less
comfort underway compared to the 35s5, unless name dropping is more
important to you.

Nordica 30 vs. Island Packet 35
Yup...I dare again. If any of you actually looked into the Nordica,
you'd know that she's strictly a low end boat, costing much less than
her competition. As noted by a certain owner, her interior is not well
fit. Still, for many thousands less than the IP 35 you'll have a boat
pretty much capable of the same cruising.

Now...what most of the numbnuts here don't realize is that my 35s5 was
more expensive than the Tartan and Sabres of her day. She was built and
designed to be UP-market of them. And certainly well up-market of
Catalina and Pearson. Does that make her a "better" boat? Hell no.
She's only better if she fits your needs. If you're over 6 feet tall, a
Swan 36 isn't better than a Hunter 37 for cruising, no way no how
(Though I'd pick neither). If you can't see that, then you're just
caught up in the name game. Pay for differences that MATTER or you're
just another victim of marketing.
Folks like Doug and Sloco can read all the magazines they want, but
when you've interviewed more than 20 surveyors you start to get a sense
that most issues of production boat quality are based on marketing and
word of mouth that may not fairly represent the facts. Case in point:
Virtually EVERY surveyor scoffed at the idea of a Island Packet being
"better" built than a Catalina. "Better for what?" Came the inevitable
response. The Catalina can go anywhere, just like the IP, and might get
you there in better shape too.

RB
35s5
NY