Capt Rob has taken a bit if flak as a result of posting the above
statement. I think the reason is that we are using terms like "go
offshore" pretty loosely since they can mean different things to
different people.


Dan, while this is true and obvious, Jeff is not interested in that.
He's simply trolling. Of course a Hunter 34 can go offshore. And of
course it's not going to ride like a Block Island 40 or a Pearson
Wanderer for that matter. Jeff is only looking to attack me because I
gave him hell on Alt.sailing.asa and now I'm here posting normally. His
comment about a bunch of clowns laughing at the Hunter boats is all you
need to hear. Utter nonsense. I've heard a lot of bad stuff about
almost every make...even Swan. But the sheer and vast numbers of
popular brands like Hunter makes for many more negative stories than
companies which built fewer hulls. Even funnier, Jeff thinks we need to
hear his story about laughing sailors, but my client's experience
shouldn't be heard because I haven't sailed in big seas.
I spoke to Shaun off this group...he was curious about why the broker
on the 34 wasn't responding. I think they are worried he's a scammer.
We get a lot of phoney overseas queries on boats...almost always fakes.
He says there aren't any boats where he is that can offer what the H34
does at the price. Perhaps THAT is what needs to be examined more
closely....?


Robert
35s5
NY

The
biggest problems we encountered with the Catalina were the lack of
tankage and storage.




The most common complaint about the Catalina 27 and 30 for bigger
weather is the oversized companionway hatch. You really need to keep it
secured. I knew one fellow who had a one piece slab of lexan held in
place with SS pins on his C27. He had sailed the 27 to Florida from
City Island several times.

This is my Beneteau 35s5....next summer she'll finally get some short
trips in, the 1st to Block Island and the second to Martha's Vineyard.
I can't wait for Spring!
http://hometown.aol.com/bobsprit/index.html




Robert
35s5
NY

Capt. Rob wrote:
The most common complaint about the Catalina 27 and 30 for bigger
weather is the oversized companionway hatch.

A good point and something shared by most of the coastal cruiser
production boats. Though we never got pooped in the Catalina, there
were a couple of times we secured the lower 2 hatch boards in place
"just in case".

The heaviest weather we ever sailed it in was one night while crossing
the Sea of Cortez to San Carlos over on the mainland side. We were told
they were measuring 40+ knots in the protected harbor and I can vouch
for the fact that it was blowing like snot out on the Sea. Perhaps my
most vivid memory from that night was the spray blowing off the tops of
the waves hitting the back of the hood of my foulies and sounding like
firecrackers going off right behind my ears. We had the wind and waves
a little forward of the beam, a triple reefed main and just a scrap of
jib rolled out. The boat (and us) came through it like a champ. About
dawn, the wind died as though someone threw a switch somewhere and we
wound up motoring into San Carlos's beautiful harbor.

Your 35s5 looks like a fun boat. We just completed a 2 year tour of the
Pacific (Mex. Central America, Ecuador, Galapagos, Fr. Poly., Tonga,
Hawaii and back to Calif.) 2 weeks ago in our Tayana. I'm way overdue
updating the photo site, but if you're interested, check out
http://triciajean192.home.comcast.net. The photo of us underway at the
top of the site was taken off the coast of Guatemala by our friends
Frank & Shirley on Windsong, an Islander Freeport (38', I think) that
also had that oversize companionway hatch that so many boats have. They
had been wandering around Baja, the Mexican mainland and Central America
for several years when we met them. The last email I received from them,
that had gone through the Panama Canal and were going to be heading for
the Carribean.

oly., Tonga,
Hawaii and back to Calif.) 2 weeks ago in our Tayana. I'm way overdue
updating the photo site, but if you're interested, check out




Dan....awesome!!! You've had some real adventures. I'm a big fan of the
Tayana boats. For a while, and for no practical reason, I considered
buying the pilot house version of the Tayana 37. I've got a thing for
the looking of PH boats, though your boat is equally beautiful. A
friend currently owns a blue-hulled Tayana 48 DS...but I much prefer
the older designs.



Robert
35s5
NY