Catalina 34
Built 1985–? by Catalina Yachts
About the Catalina 34
Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.
- Built
- 1985–?
- Builder
- Catalina Yachts
- Designer
- Frank Butler
- Length
- 34.5 ft
- Waterline
- 29.83 ft
- Beam
- 11.75 ft
- Draft
- 5.58 ft
- Displacement
- 11,950 lb
- Ballast
- 5,000 lb
- Hull / keel
- fin keel
- Rig
- sloop
- Propulsion
- inboard
- Stern thruster
- none
- Steering
- pedestal cable · Edson
Sources disagree on number built — left blank rather than guessed.
Deck is plywood-cored (not balsa) per Practical Sailor. 1985–86: deck-stepped mast, Universal 25 (21 hp); 1987–90: keel-stepped mast, Universal 25XP (23 hp); 1990–91: walk-through transom, Universal M35 (30 hp). Standard (5.58 ft) and shoal (4.67 ft) keels, wing keel (4.25 ft) from about 1990; tall rig available. Mark II has a larger cockpit. Later boats got a longer rudder to cure weather helm. Owners association: M-35 option 1990–94, then M-35XP, then M-35B (35 hp) in the Mark II; Mark II launched at hull #1295 (1995); builder history dates the Mark II introduction to February 1996. Original brochure confirms 11,950 lb, 5,000 lb ballast, 5 ft 7 in draft. Hull construction (solid vs cored) not stated in sources read; deck is plywood-cored.
Known problems for this model
-
Cylinder head cracking on early Universal 25 (alternator mount) engine
Pre-1988 boats should have the upgraded alternator mount that came with the Universal 25XP; without it, vibration can crack the cylinder head. Vibration with a two-blade prop is a common complaint.practical-sailor.com
-
Rudder bearing slop steering
Slop in the rudder bearing is one of the more serious complaints on older boats; Practical Sailor suggests dropping the rudder and keel for inspection on 20-plus-year-old hulls before offshore use.practical-sailor.com
-
Leaky ports on pre-1988 hulls deck
Ports on pre-1988 boats are a known leak source.practical-sailor.com
-
Messy original wiring electrical
Owners of older boats complain about untidy factory wiring.practical-sailor.com
Engines & parts
Universal M-25 / M-25XP / M-25XPB parts: good
Factory standard engine — you entered “Universal M-25”
Marinized Kubota blocks with plenty of parts support: the M-25 is based on the Kubota D850 and the M-25XP on the Kubota D950 (B7200 tractor engine), so many internal parts can be bought through Kubota/tractor channels for far less than marine prices. Kubota dealers need the block model/serial, which is often painted over, so cross-referencing can be hit or miss. Some marine parts (e.g., gear case cover) are no longer made.
Parts sources: Westerbeke / Universal (factory parts store), Kubota USA parts lookup
Common problems (2)
-
Discontinued marine parts and Kubota cross-reference engine
Owners struggle to cross Universal part numbers to Kubota numbers and find certain covers and marine-specific parts discontinued.forums.sailboatowners.com · ericsonyachts.org
-
Repower fit questions engine
Owners of older Catalina 30s ask whether an M-25XP drops in; it generally fits but couplers and mounts may differ.facebook.com
Universal M-35 / M-35B parts: limited
Factory standard engine — you entered “Universal M-35”
Kubota-based like other M-series; Westerbeke still lists some M-35B parts, but owners of early-1980s M-35s ask about parts availability.
Parts sources: Westerbeke / Universal (factory parts store)
Steering
Edson — Pedestal chain-and-wire steering parts: good
Edson (New Bedford, MA) still sells service parts: chain-and-wire kits, sprockets, idlers, pull-pull conduit steering and internal pedestal parts, and keeps steering data sheets by boat model, many decades old.
Parts sources: Edson Marine (service parts)
Common problems (3)
-
Old or slack steering wire steering
Edson advises replacing steering wire about every five years, checking tension with the wheel locked, and inspecting under load annually; owners often find decades-old stiff wire.usna.edu · youtube.com
-
Lubrication and fastener checks steering
Chain, wire, sheaves and pedestal bearings need regular oiling or greasing, and clevis/cotter pins and bolts should be checked monthly to avoid failures.usna.edu
-
Replacing engine control cables in the pedestal steering
Swapping throttle/shift cables inside an Edson pedestal is a common owner job requiring removal of the wheel shaft sprocket pin.forums.sailboatowners.com
Edson — Traditional geared steerers (worm / rack-and-pinion) parts: good
Edson says its traditional wheels and geared steerers are still available, now built with modern materials; rack-and-pinion steerers are offered for transom-hung and inboard rudders.
Parts sources: Edson Marine (traditional steerers)
Model sources (7)
sailboatdata.com · practical-sailor.com · catalinadirect.com · c34.org · catalinayachts.com · catalinayachts.com · catalinayachts.com
Other Catalina models
- Catalina 22 1969–?
- Catalina 25 1976–?
- Catalina 27 1970–1991
- Catalina 30 1974–2008
- Catalina 320 1993–?
- Catalina 36 1982–?
- Catalina 380 1996–?
- Catalina 400 1994–?
- Catalina 42 1989–2011
Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.