Pretty much everything we know about sailing, boats, engines, anchoring, cruising, electronics, plumbing, electrical wiring, carpentry and maintenance, we have learned from Hideaway. Which is why Catalina 34 sailboats will always have a special place in our hearts.
But this is it. It’s time. And I’m trying really hard not to get sentimental about this. It’s like picking up and moving to a new country – it was an amazing experience, we soaked up and learned everything we could and now it’s time to move on to new experiences…and, in this case, a bigger boat.
That is how I am trying to think of selling Hideaway. Not like we’re breaking up with a mentor who’s inspired us to go out and live life to the fullest. But rather like we’ve outgrown our amazing instructor. Now we need a new teacher to reach the dizzying heights of our next ambition: circumnavigate the world.
Hideaway was our teacher for 8 amazing years. She took us from being aimless land-lubbers to confident, ocean-crossing sailors. And we took her from being a shy weekend sailor to a bold, fully kitted-out live-aboard cruiser, sailing her from New York to the Bahamas to the Dominican Republic to the US Virgin Islands, then down through the BVI’s to St. Barths and St. Maarten, where she is now docked and for sale at Island Water World Marina.
So without further sentimentality, here it is. The official FOR SALE sign for our boat.
The big question is, could Hideaway be your next great mentor? Think about that as you read over the specs…
Let’s start with our contact info:
If you like what you read, or you have questions, you can message me through Turf to Surf’s Facebook Page or you can email me directly at tasha (at) turftosurf.com
Boat Overview
Make: Catalina (monohull)
Model: Mark I
Year: 1986
LOA: 34′ 6″
Price: $44,000
Comfortably docked at Highbourne Cay Marina in the Bahamas.
Specs
Keel: Fin
Engine: 23 hp Universal M-25 xp
Hideaway had her hull sanded and new anti-fouling applied in Luperon, D.R.
Dimensions
LOA: 34′ 6″
Beam: 11′ 9″
LWL: 29′ 10″
Draft: 5′ 6″
Displacement: 11,950 lbs
Engine
Total Power: 23 hp
Brand: Universal
Model: M-25 xp
Type: Inboard
Fuel: Diesel
The first step in solving any engine problem: open her up and stare.
Tanks
Fresh water tanks (2): 70 gallons
Hot water tank: 7 gallons
Fuel tank: 23 gallons
Holding tank: 27 gallons
Accommodations
Through diligent testing of both the boat and our passengers’ rum tolerance, we have found that you can fit 10 people on board for a comfortable day sail. But beware that red wine will be spilled on the gel coat, you will have to unclog a head and someone will fall overboard. Just sayin’.
On longer journeys and overnight passages, we have found that this boat is perfectly sized for two couples and two cats to sleep comfortably on board without breaking things, clogging the head or falling overboard.
Also, the interior woodwork is in great condition while the interior seating is large enough to fit 10 people eating mac-n-cheese while doing shots of tequila.
We fell in love with the Catalina 34 almost entirely because of its comfortable interior.
Table lowers and converts into a full bed for guests or calm sleeping when underway.
Galley
The comfortable, L-shaped galley is perfect for filleting your fresh catch of the day and frying it on the two portable GasOne burners. We ripped out the dangerous alcohol stove soon after we moved on board and installed a custom-built wood cupboard in its place. It was either that or burn down the boat with the flick of a match. We chose the former.
The newly-installed refrigeration plate in the cool box provides you with delightfully cold beer to drink while you contemplate how lucky you are to be out sailing on this bargain of a cruiser.
Cooking is much more fun when you remove the risk of burning down your boat.
When you’re not cooking, everything stows away neatly in the galley cupboards.
The custom-built cupboards in the galley were installed in 2012.
Sails and canvas
We bought this boat in 2008 from a sailor who installed a roller-furler mainsail so he could sail the boat single-handedly without putting down his cocktail. Both the mainsail and the roller-furler 135% genoa are in very good condition, the mainsail having been bought in 2012 and the genoa in 2011. They’re also easy to reef single-handedly (though you might need to put down your cocktail for a minute or two) and all the rigging runs back to the cockpit.
And for that island destination you want to sit on deck and watch the sunset off the coast of, there is a custom-made canvas dodger and cockpit awning (2011) with a 125 watt Solbian flexible solar panel on the roof of the dodger. The cockpit and helm also have custom-fitted vinyl cushions for you and your guests to stretch out on.
The best thing about the roller-furler set up is how easy it is to reef.
This removable panel will keep your batteries topped up (when there’s sun and your fridge and computer are off).
Both guests and cats are comfortable in the cushiony cockpit.
Electronics and navigation
Thanks to the Garmin GPS 7″ chart plotter we installed on Hideaway’s helm in 2014, you don’t have to chart your routes with a sextant, pencil, by licking your finger and holding it up in the wind, or whatever archaic methods you’d be left to without this amazing piece of technology. You also have the benefits of the 2012-installed Raymarine instruments and autopilot.
And — Ryan’s personal favorite — there is a stereo control at the helm which changes tunes on your iPod, stations on the radio and the volume. And it glows with a blue light, which I think is the sole reason Ryan bought the thing.
When you’re out there on the water in this new-to-you Catalina 34, if you ever see a crazy-looking couple waving excitedly at you from a 44-foot catamaran glowing blue from every angle with flashing disco lights radiating off the mast, that’s probably us. You should totally wave back.
Electrical and mechanical
The solar panel is great for a regular trickle into your batteries. But when you are powering 2 Macbooks and charging 3 iPads, half a dozen iPhones, a GoPro and more cameras than I can count, you need a Honda 2000i portable generator to keep you going. And in our case, we need it for about 4 hours every two days. For you, who knows? Either way, the generator comes with the boat, so you’re covered.
You also have 3 new batteries and a new starter battery (2014) as well as a 2012-installed Xantrex battery monitor so you can obsessively check the boat’s power level while you charge your laptop.
You won’t have any trouble with Hideaway’s Universal diesel engine, so long as you maintain her and learn where all her parts are. For example, if you don’t change the filter in your fuel pump for 7 years because you didn’t know there was a filter in your fuel pump, your engine just might stop working. But then you’ll take apart your fuel pump, discover there is a gunky filter in there, buy a new one and voila! That engine will start up and run like nothing ever went wrong.
Of course, I’m only speaking hypothetically. I mean what idiot doesn’t know there’s a filter in the fuel pump? *cough*
You absolutely need this if you’re going cruising. You’re welcome.
Deck and hull
The best cruising tool on board Hideaway is the Rocna 20 (44 lb) anchor on the bow, the 90 feet of heavy chain and 100 feet of rode. And there is a solid backup anchor on board — a 22 lb Danforth with rode, which we’ve never needed. We have never dragged with our Rocna and we always get a good, worry-free night’s sleep, which has made getting out of bed to do boat work that much easier.
In 2012, we also replaced all the plastic thru-hulls in the boat with copper thru-hulls, knowing we were planning to sail long distances and wanting to reduce the possibility of finding ourselves sinking because we naively trusted some 20-year-old pieces of plastic. Just, no.
If you have cats or kids, then you’ll appreciate the netting we put up on the lifelines to keep felines, crew and sunglasses where they belong while underway: on board. If you don’t like the netting…or your cats, it’s easy enough to remove it and expose the stainless steel lifelines.
Life on anchor is made more comfortable and less stressful with the Rocna 20.
The foredeck is the perfect space for gutting fish and cleaning off the remains.
Charlie looks angry because we’ve spoiled her plans to sneak away for a swim.
Boat Inventory
As we’re moving on to a brand new boat in France, there isn’t much we can take with us. So we’ve removed all our personal effects from Hideaway, and left all the boat-related items that have enhanced our cruising lives over the last few years on board for you to use, enjoy, give away or trade for rum.
So, lucky you! Here’s all the stuff we’ve left for you:
Tender
8′ Mercury inflatable dinghy
3.5 hp Mercury outboard engine
The advantage of this dinghy and engine is they’re small and light enough to lift on board by hand.
V-Berth (or in forward storage)
Wind scoop
Various-length mooring lines
Dinghy cover
4 new orange life jackets
Rogue Wave WiFi Booster
Engine oil pads
No-see-um netting
Custom mosquito netting for hatches and boat openings
20 spare GasOne cannisters
5 in-line water filters
8 primary fuel filters
6 secondary fuel filters
Unopened Turks & Caicos courtesy flag
4 oil filters
Bed linens
Head
Belmar 80 amp alternator with ARS-5 regulator
First-aid kit
Hair drier
The new hot water heater makes showering in here so much nicer, as well.
Galley
Soda stream
Toaster
Breadmaker
2 GasOne portable stoves
1 wok
Various cups, plates and bowls
Magic bullet (blender)
French press
Thermos
Various sharp knifes
Collapsible tea kettle
Measuring cups / spoons
Chopping boards
Bulkhead-mounted paper towel holder
2012 Raritan hot water heater 1700 series
Who needs an oven when this machine makes bread and pizza dough?
Sailing Books
Cruising Guide to Northern Bahamas
Cruising Guide to Southern Bahamas
Cruising Guide to the Exumas
Plain Sailing: A Manual of Sail Trim
Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands
The Long Way by Bernard Moitessier
The Cost-conscious Cruiser by Larry and Lin Pardy
Two on the Isle by Rob White
Wanderer by Hayden
Fast Track to Cruising by Steve and Doris Colgate
Saloon storage
Spare propeller
Flare set
Flashlights
Nav Station Storage
Winch handles
Emergency tiller
Emergency bilge pump rod
In 2012, we upgraded our nav toys with a new VHF, WiFi booster, additional DC-electric ports, Xantrex battery monitor and a fancy stereo.
Whole Boat
LED lighting installed in 2012
Caframo fans installed in 2012
2012 never-used life sling
2014 new fresh-water pump
2012 new sump pump
2015 new batteries x 3 + starter battery
Dinghy hooks for hanging dinghy on stern
Cobb portable grill w/ accessories
This genius piece of engineering — the Cobb charcoal grill — stays cool on all sides and can cook pizza, among other foods.
Back Berth
Water storage (25 gallons of jugs)
Complete set of boat manuals
Replacement auto-pilot drive belt
Spare bilge pump and float
Spare fuel pump filter
Spare fuel pump
Paper charts: Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Exumas & Ragged Islands, Near Bahamas, Far Bahamas, Long Island Sound, Hudson River & New York Harbor, New Jersey Coast
Honda 2000i generator & power cord
2 Pigtails: a 50 amp to 30 amp adaptor & a 30 amp to 50 amp adaptor
Canvas awning for cockpit w/ support pole
Foredeck canvas awning/sunshade/rain collector
Fishing kit with lures
Dinghy oars
Boat hook
His/Hers snorkeling sets
Tools/Parts (in saloon storage)
Spare fuel pump
Spare fan belt
Bolt cutters
Spare bilge pump
Tool set
Wrench set
Power dremel tool
Electric connections kit
Sail repair kit
Large gear-puller
Thank you for sharing!
If you’ve managed to get all the way here without clicking away, chances are you’re interested in buying a boat. Or maybe you have a friend who’s interested in buying a boat. If that’s the case, we would love it if you could share this and let them know we are very motivated to sell. Hell, we got places to be! Mainly, France, where we need to pick up our new boat.
So, help us out and spread the word far and wide about Hideaway needing a new home. We really appreciate it.
Thanks everyone! And stay tuned for our upcoming adventures on board the new boat! [Ryan has scolded me here for inappropriately bragging about the new boat in the same post where I’m announcing our separation from our old boat. I guess it’s like bringing along your new girlfriend when you tell your wife you’re going to divorce her… or something like that.]
I don’t know, so I’m just going to end this here and leave you with this thought…
The post Hideaway, our Catalina 34, is FOR SALE appeared first on Turf to Surf.