Catalina 350 International Association

Hello Great Group!

I am new to the forum and am actively searching for a boat. We have come to really like the 350 and have found one somewhat locally. Obviously - it is a big purchase and commitment (at least for us) so mulling over all the options and issues before pulling the trigger.

We have had sailboats in the past. They were a bit smaller than the 35. One issue that was always a bother was the uncomfortable nature of the sleeping. So this time around really want comfort as we want to be able to spend weeks traveling around and poor sleeping makes us grumpy.

So we were really drawn to the cabins on the 350. We are not thrilled with the price tag but are considering it anyway. Obviously lots of reasons to love the 350. We have always had yanmar engines in the past so fairly unfamiliar with universal. Also the boat we looked at did not have a generator, inverter or cabin fans.

Any and all ideas or suggestions are welcome and appreciated. We want to get back on the water just want to make the best decision. We know there are always compromises so thought additional expert input would be helpful. Thanks in advance!

We looked at two 350's. My wife was thrilled with the second and we bought it and have had it for 6 years. We still love it. If you want the comforts for the weekend cruises, then just buy it, take out a mortgage if you have to. You can always add the generator, fans, and inverter, and most likely a few more things, like solar panes, and you'll have some new equipment on the boat. You'll love it. Captains, and spouses/partners have a hard time departing from their 350''s. They are in demand so scoup it up before someone else takes it.

No worries on the engine. The westerbeke M35b is a quiet (for a diesel), smooth running, and bulletproof engine. It's a marinized Kubota. The 350 is a great boat. Good luck on your search.