The Catalina 36 is a family of American sailboats that was designed by Frank Butler and Gerry Douglas for cruising and first built in 1982.

[1][2] A 2012 review by naval architect Jack Hornor wrote, "With nearly 3,000 boats sold over the first 26 years, the Catalina 36 is arguably the most popular sailboat of this size ever built ... All things considered, the pros certainly outweigh the cons for anyone looking for an affordable cruising boat in the 36-foot size range.

"[7] In a 2015 review of the Mark II in Sailing magazine, writer Bob Pingel stated, "the Catalina 36 hits a sweet spot among weekend cruisers.

It’s big enough to be comfortable and capable, but small enough to easily manage it shorthanded and it comes at an approachable price.

Well, I had a good poke around Katie, Derek Savage’s 2006 C-36 MkII, and though some of the plywood hidden inside drawers and the like wasn’t the closest grained, best quality stuff I’ve ever seen, the bits that really cost and matter, like deck hardware and rigging, appeared to be of ample size and reasonable quality.