Don White wrote:

The guy I used to crew with called tonight. Now he's checking out a
1967 Cal 34 from a neighbouring province.
The former Florida sailboat is listed as a 'project boat'.
I tried to talk him out of it, but the boat is listed dirt cheap. He
figures we'll get a work crew together and make this boat seaworthy.
I did my best to turn him away...he knows nothing about re-furbishing
an older boat and he's making noises aboute putting me in charge of
the project. Since I've never re-furbished an old boat myself, I'm
going to have to give him a wakeup call. Luckly, there's another
friend of his who John will listen to.
In the meantime, anyone familiar with the Cal 34?

I've sailed lots on a Cal 34 owned by some friends, who eventually sailed it
around the world. Like most Lapworth boats it was a great sailor, particularly
in the light air and lumpy seas of its home waters (southern CA). But its
balanced hull and simple rig make it easy, safe, and robust in a blow too.

Others have given some good insights and comparisons (to Ericson, etc.). I
second these thoughts, but I think the Cal is a better boat than some of these
posts might lead you to believe. It was better built than average in its day,
and any problems now would be due to age -- other boats of that vintage are
likely to be worse. Actually I think the Cal 34 is one of the better sailboat
buys around today. The 2-27 is a popular PHRF racer, and almost as expensive.
One can get a 34, a very similar but much larger boat, for just a little more.

BTW, while I'd prefer a diesel too, there's nothing wrong with an Atomic 4 in
good condition. Plus they're often relatively cheap to fix.

Matt O.