Catalina 34 Mk II Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Catalina Yachts kept the same principal dimensions for the Mk II but substantially modified the hull and deck molds. Most notably, the builder widened the stern considerably, creating a more spacious cockpit and boarding area.

Design and Construction

The Mk II is reported to have exactly the same principal dimensions as the earlier model: an overall length of 34 feet 6 inches, a waterline of 29 feet 10 inches, and a beam of 11 feet 9 inches. In profile, it looks much like the 1986 boat, but the deck and hull molds were substantially revised. The transom grew by more than two feet, opening up the cockpit and boarding area.

The hull is a single-piece solid-fiberglass layup with no core, while the deck has a balsa core. Hull and deck meet in a shoebox joint fastened with flexible adhesive and stainless steel screws. Catalina made considerable use of modular fiberglass liners and structural grids. The builder’s literature described an engineered stub sole structural system with stainless steel tie rods and a molded structural liner.

Older boats have held up well under hard use around the Chesapeake Bay, which speaks to the durability of the basic structure.

Rig, Keels, and Handling

The standard rig carried 528 square feet of sail area. A tall-rig option increased that to 554 square feet and raised the sail-area-to-displacement ratio from 15.6 to 16.4.

Underway, the Catalina 34 sails well on all points and has posted respectable handicap-race results. The one sailing fault noted by experienced testers is that weather helm increases a little more than desired as the wind builds. This is a handling trait rather than a failure, but it affects how the boat feels on a hard beat.

Most sailors surveyed preferred the standard keel over the wing version for all-around performance. Introduced in 1987, the wing keel reduced draft to 4 feet 3 inches. The standard shoal option drew 4 feet 8 inches, while the deep keel drew 5 feet 7 inches.

Accommodations

Below, the layout begins with a V-berth forward. Moving aft, the main saloon has a starboard dinette and a port settee. The galley is aft to starboard, though it provides very little working counter space. A good-sized head compartment sits to port beside the companionway.

The master cabin is aft to starboard, with an athwartship double berth tucked beneath the cockpit. For liveaboard or extended-cruising use, two practical shortcomings stand out: there’s no decent sea berth, and storage space is limited.

Offshore Limitations

Testers considered the rigging and construction a little light for extended offshore work. Along with the shortage of storage for long passages and the lack of a proper sea berth, this makes the boat better suited to coastal cruising than bluewater voyaging. These are design-balance observations drawn from years of owner and reviewer experience, not repair items.

Engines, Upgrades, and Ownership

Most earlier boats had a 23 hp Universal M-25 diesel. Some received the 30 hp Universal M-35, while Yanmar engines appeared in some later models. According to the specification record, the Mk II carries the M-35.

A frequent owner-driven upgrade is a three-blade propeller, fitted to improve motoring performance. With more than 1,400 boats from the model series on the water, parts interchange and owner knowledge are easy to come by.

The Verdict

The Catalina 34 Mk II is a mature, well-supported coastal cruiser. It refined an already popular hull by widening the stern and improving cockpit access without changing the principal dimensions that made the original work. It’s an easy boat to sail and maintain, though not a bluewater voyager by temperament.

Pros