Hard Dodger

[Steve Frost]

I was looking at pictures posted on this site, ran across the the pictures of Aloha Spirit stated to be a 1994 MK1 and 1/2.

Out of curiosity I went to Yachtfinders to see if I could fined any 1994 C36's listed to see what this year looked like, I know what the exterior is like but was not sure what changes were made below.

I did not find any listed but, I did run across a later model MKII in the Netherlands. This boat had a hard dodger that looked quite natural. Often these look pretty kluged designs, this one is quite atractive. If I were living in a higher latitudes, this full encloser would look pretty inviting.

Are there any other hard dodgers out there?

[William Matley]

Steve,

The boat is "Spirit of Aloha" and she is a 1993 model 36.

The idea that she is a Mark 1 1/2 comes from my surveyor who stated this in the survey.

In my research of this general time frame of Catalina construction, I have found several interesting changes to the boat and indeed my boat does appear to be a Mark 1 1/2.

The biggest difference I see is in the exterior "sugar scoop" walk through transom. As we all know, Mark 1 pre-1992 models have no walk through transom but it seems to me that Catalina "played" a bit with the look of the "walk through" transom. Maybe experimented is a better way to describe it.

My boat has a more narrow stern while in later models, Catalina seem to add space to the rear cabin by keeping the stern wide before cutting in the built in steps. This is even more pronounced in newer Catalina models.

I have several Catalina's berthed next to me and around me, a 34 footer is right across from me and her butt is flat out "fat" compared to my 36. It is so hard remind myself that my neighbors boat is actually a 34 footer, she that much bigger.

I have looked at the brochures Catalina published, many are available on this web site. I don't have overhead lighting over the dry food storage and sink area (but I added it myself). But the rest of the kitchen and salon area looks the same.

The brochure I refer to has a 11-15-92 date on it and shows a Catalina 36 with a sail number of 1221. This boat clearly has the walk through transom but advertises a 30 hp engine.

My boat is hull number 1252 and it has all of the elements of the 1992 brochure but I have the newer 35 hp engine. Somewhere, sometime, soon after the building of my boat, Catalina announced the Mark 11 model.

Not a big deal but it's fun to see other boats and mine is a Catalina 36 Mark 1 1/2.

[caprice 1050]

Caprice is a 1990, hull number 1050. She has a walk through, scoop like transom. It is my understanding that in the 1990 model year some have the walk through and some don't. Perhaps the change came in the middle of the year.

The M35 engine in Caprice is 30 HP. Some believe that because she has "35" in the engine model number it has 35 HP, but it is 30 HP. Perhaps the M35 motors with more letters after the 35 do have 35 HP, but not the plain ole
M35.

Mike

[Steve Frost]

We now have a better understanding about the 1990-1994 C36. Also a bit more about the vageries of the Universal M35.

All good info but, How about them Dodgers, Ya know the hard ones?

[cillman]

Steve - A couple C34's in our fleet have these: http://www.tartarooga.com/ You might contact Performance Yachts in Bellingham (http://www.performance-yachts.com) to talk about what their customers think of them.

[Steve Frost]

Craig

Thanks, I have seen the hardtop dodger like the ones shown on the link you provided. I did consider one of these when I put the Dodger on my boat. They are a nice hard lid, they can be put on existing dodgers and I opted for fabric based on price. When mine is due for replacement I may consider this type of hard top again.

The one I mentioned that was on the boat in Scadanavia was a true hard dodger, a structural house built on the top of the cabin. A big commitment and this may limit the buyers in warm areas but could an asset in higher latitudes. Again I was impressed by how natural this one looked.