1996 Catalina 36' (10.97 m) 36
New Bern, North Carolina, United States
DRAGONFLY
DRAGONFLY — 1996 Catalina 36 MkII New Bern, North Carolina Exceptional Condition • Shoal-Draft Wing Keel • Tall Rig • Air Conditioning • Outstanding Maintenance Some boats simply show the difference between ownership and stewardship. DRAGONFLY is one of those boats.
Flag of Registry: United States
- Sloop
- Sail
- Used
- Diesel
- Fiberglass Hull
- HIN/IMO: CTYR1522G596
| FEATURES: |
|---|
| Bottom Paint 2025 |
| MaxProp Folding Propeller |
| 16000 BTU A/C |
| Garmin Chartplotter |
| Autopilot |
| Notable Upgrades: Consistent upgrades and updates provide a crisp clean well equipped cruiser. |
Incredibly clean and well maintained!
$ 59,900 USD
€ 52,270 Euros
$ 83,818 CAD
£ 44,792 GBP
Description
This 1996 Catalina 36 MkII has been exceptionally well cared for, and the cleanliness is immediately apparent—from the interior joinery and upholstery to the machinery, systems and deck equipment. She presents as a boat that has been maintained consistently rather than hurriedly prepared for sale.
DRAGONFLY combines the attributes that helped make the Catalina 36 one of America’s most successful cruising sailboats: an easily handled sailplan, comfortable two-cabin interior, generous storage, large cockpit, walk-through transom and excellent cruising accommodations. Her shoal-draft wing keel draws approximately 4'5", making her particularly well suited to the Chesapeake, Pamlico Sound, ICW, Bahamas and other shallow-water cruising grounds.
This is also the desirable Tall Rig version, providing additional sail area for improved light-air performance.
The Catalina 36 MkII was introduced in 1994 as an evolution of the very successful Catalina 36, incorporating a larger cockpit, walk-through transom and revised interior and deck arrangement. The design earned Cruising World’s 1995 Boat of the Year award for Best Value – Midsize Cruiser, recognition that helps explain why the model remains so popular on the brokerage market three decades later.
For someone looking for a clean, proven, comfortable cruising sailboat without taking on a major restoration project, DRAGONFLY deserves serious consideration.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Exceptional overall cleanliness and condition
- 1996 Catalina 36 MkII Tall Rig
- Shoal-draft wing keel — approximately 4'5" draft
- September 2025 bottom paint
- Hull cleaned and waxed
- Universal M35 diesel — approximately 2,000 hours
- PYI Max-Prop 3-blade auto-feathering propeller
- 16,000 BTU Dometic reverse-cycle air conditioning / heat
- Majestic UFO X Omnidirectional TV antenna with preamp / ROKU flatscreen TV
- 2015 full-batten mainsail
- Schaefer 2000 roller-furling genoa
- Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 74-series chartplotter
- AIS/GPS-equipped Standard Horizon VHF
- Autopilot
- Raymarine depth instrumentation
- Electric anchor windlass
- Four new 6V Duracell house batteries — 2026
- High-output Balmar alternator
- Heart Freedom inverter/charger
- Adler Barbour refrigeration
- Large two-cabin interior
- Walk-through transom and swim platform
- Well-maintained Persian Green canvas package
- Current owner since approximately 2012
- No reported collision, fire, flooding or lightning-strike history
- Located in New Bern, NC
WHY THE CATALINA 36 MkII?
The Catalina 36 became one of the company’s defining models because it occupies a particularly useful middle ground: large enough for genuine extended cruising, yet manageable enough for a couple to sail without a large crew.
Catalina introduced the MkII in 1994, retaining the proven concept while revising the deck, cockpit, transom and accommodations. Catalina records show that the MkII received a Cruising World Boat of the Year award in March 1995, while Cruising World lists it specifically as the 1995 Best Value Midsize Cruiser.
The MkII's larger cockpit, walk-through transom and improved aft accommodations made an already successful design even more cruising friendly. Catalina's own specifications list the wing-keel model at approximately 14,100 lb displacement, 6,600 lb ballast and only 4'5" draft.
That combination remains especially attractive for East Coast sailors.
Data Sheet
HIN/IMO: CTYR1522G596
LOA: 37' 9'' (11.51 Meters)
Type: Sail- Used
Year: 1996
Beam: 11' 11''
Draft Max: 4' 6''
Draft Min: 4' 6''
Cabins: 2
Sleeps: 6
V Berths: 1
Double Berths: 1
Heads: 1
Convertibles: 1
Fuel Type: Diesel
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Hull Finish: White
Hull Shape: Monohull
Air Conditioning: Yes
Tower: No
Bridge Clearance: 53'
Fuel Tank: 25 Gallons (94.64 Liters)
Fresh Water: 83 Gallons (314.19 Liters)
Holding Tank: 17 Gallons (64.35 Liters)
Displacement: 14100 lbs
Designer: Gerry Douglas
Builder: Catalina
Multimedia
Engines
Engine 1
- Engine Make: Universal
- Engine Model: MB35
- Engine Year: 1996
- Engine Type: Inboard
- Drive Type: Direct
- Power HP: 30.00
- Power KW: 22.37
- Fuel Type: Diesel
- Hours: 2000.00
- Engine Location: Middle
Full Details
Equipment and Upgrades
RECENT UPGRADES & MAINTENANCE
DRAGONFLY's maintenance history is one of her strongest selling points.
2026
- Four Duracell 6V house batteries installed
- Engine raw-water pump impeller replaced
2025
- Bottom painted September 2025
- Hull cleaned and waxed
- New LP Bottle
- Maintenance notes indicate additional paint work in late 2025
2024
- Fuel tank cleaned and rebuilt as required
- Inspection/access plates added to fuel tank
- Dodger clear-vinyl windows replaced
2021
- Dedicated starting battery installed
- Fire extinguishers updated
2020
- Electric bilge pump replaced
2018
- Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 74-series chartplotter
- Standard Horizon Matrix AIS/GPS GX2200-series VHF
- RAM remote-station microphone
- Raymarine i50 depth instrument
2015
- Full-batten mainsail replaced
- Forward V-berth mattress replaced with memory-foam-topped mattress
- Captain's cockpit cushion replaced
Earlier documented maintenance
- Fuel pump replaced — 2011
- Lifelines replaced — 2009
- Major canvas package replaced — 2009
The cumulative picture is more important than any individual upgrade: this boat has received steady care across mechanical, electrical, sail, canvas and cosmetic systems.
DESIGN & SPECIFICATIONS
Builder: Catalina Yachts
Model: Catalina 36 MkII
Year: 1996
Hull: Fiberglass
Rig: Tall Rig masthead sloop
Keel: Shoal-draft wing keel
LOA: 36'4"
Approx. overall length: 37'9"
LWL: 30'3"
Beam: 11'11"
Draft: approximately 4'5"
Displacement: approximately 14,100 lb
Ballast: approximately 6,600 lb
Bridge Clearance: approximately 53'
Fuel: approximately 25 gallons
Fresh Water: approximately 83 gallons per owner information
Holding: approximately 17 gallons
Catalina's original MkII documentation lists the wing-keel version at 14,100 lb displacement, 6,600 lb ballast and 4'5" draft.
ENGINE & PROPULSION
DRAGONFLY is powered by the proven Universal M35 four-cylinder freshwater-cooled diesel, a very common and well-supported installation in Catalina cruising boats of this era.
- Universal M35 diesel
- Approximately 30 hp
- Approximately 2,000 engine hours
- Freshwater cooling with heat exchanger
- Direct-drive transmission
- PYI Max-Prop auto-feathering 3-blade propeller
- Balmar high-output alternator and regulator
- Dripless stuffing box
- Cockpit engine controls
- Engine/electric hot-water heating
- Spare original alternator
- Manual and electric bilge pumps
- Bilge exhaust blower
The Max-Prop is a meaningful cruising upgrade, reducing drag under sail while retaining excellent maneuvering characteristics under power.
SAILS & RIGGING
DRAGONFLY is equipped with the desirable Tall Rig, offering more sail area than the standard rig and particularly useful performance in the lighter-air conditions frequently encountered on the Chesapeake and sounds of North Carolina.
- Aluminum keel-stepped mast
- Tall Rig
- 2015 full-batten mainsail
- Multiple reef points
- Schaefer 2000 headsail furling system
- Genoa
- Inboard and outboard genoa tracks
- Halyards led aft
- Rope clutches
- Garhauer solid boom vang
- Adjustable spring-line/genoa-track hardware
- Single-line mainsail reefing led aft
- Lewmar 30ST halyard/sheet winches
- Lewmar 48ST primary genoa winches
The Catalina factory tall-rig specification increased rated sail area from approximately 555 sq. ft. to 601 sq. ft.
ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION
DRAGONFLY carries a practical navigation package suitable for coastal and ICW cruising.
- Garmin echoMAP CHIRP 74-series chartplotter
- Standard Horizon Matrix GX2200-series VHF
- Integrated AIS/GPS capability
- RAM remote microphone
- Autopilot with corded remote control
- Raymarine/Raytheon wind instrumentation
- Raymarine/Raytheon speed/log instrumentation
- Raymarine i50 depth gauge
- Pedestal-mounted Ritchie compass
- Sony stereo
- Four speakers
- Atomic clock
Some legacy instruments remain aboard in addition to the newer electronics.
ELECTRICAL
A substantial house battery bank and high-output charging system make DRAGONFLY well suited to cruising.
- 12V DC / 115V AC electrical system
- 30-amp shore-power service
- Four 6V Duracell house batteries — 2026
- Series/parallel house-bank configuration
- Dedicated starting battery
- Balmar 90-amp alternator
- Balmar voltage regulator
- Heart Freedom inverter/charger
- Two shore-power cords
- Cabin lighting
- Reading lights
- Cabin fans
AIR CONDITIONING & COMFORT
A particularly valuable feature for a North Carolina boat is DRAGONFLY's Dometic EnviroComfort reverse-cycle heat pump, installed in 2013.
- 16,000 BTU air conditioning
- Reverse-cycle heat
- Shore-powered climate control
- Cabin fans
- Hot-and-cold pressure water
- Engine/electric hot-water system
This makes her equally comfortable for summer weekends aboard, shoulder-season cruising or use as a marina-based getaway.
ACCOMMODATIONS
One of the reasons the Catalina 36 remains popular is its unusually useful interior.
DRAGONFLY features a two-stateroom layout with a large salon, allowing a couple to cruise very comfortably while retaining excellent accommodations for guests.
Forward Cabin
The spacious V-berth includes:
- Large double berth
- Memory-foam-topped mattress replaced in 2015
- Hanging locker
- Storage
- Private access to the head
Salon
The salon provides excellent gathering and dining space.
- Large U-shaped convertible dinette to port
- Extensive storage beneath
- Starboard settee
- Convertible game/coffee table
- Abundant cabinetry
- Navigation station
- Swivel nav seat
- Excellent natural light and ventilation
Aft Cabin
Aft of the navigation area is a private stateroom featuring:
- Large double berth
- Privacy door
- Standing headroom near the entry
- Hanging locker
- Storage
HEAD
The head compartment is located forward and provides convenient access from both the main cabin and forward stateroom.
- Manual marine toilet
- Holding tank
- Deck pump-out
- Vanity
- Corian sink and countertops
- Hot-and-cold pressure water
- Shower wand on sink faucet
- Storage cabinetry
GALLEY
The large L-shaped galley is positioned conveniently at the foot of the companionway—a particularly good arrangement underway because the cook remains connected to both cockpit and salon.
Equipment includes:
- Adler Barbour 12V refrigerator/freezer
- Two-burner propane stove with oven
- Corian-style molded countertop
- Double stainless-steel sinks
- Hot-and-cold pressure water
- Foot pump for icebox discharge
- Large dry-storage locker
- Microwave oven
- Extensive cabinetry and storage
- Good task lighting
COCKPIT & CANVAS
The MkII cockpit is one of the design's most useful improvements, with good seating, a walk-through transom and excellent access to the water.
DRAGONFLY's Persian Green canvas package includes:
- Bimini
- Dodger
- Connector
- Mainsail cover
- Headsail UV cover
- Wheel/pedestal cover
- Custom cockpit sunshade
- White side curtains
- Cockpit cushions
- Two reclining cockpit cushions
- Dodger side rails and aft grabrail
- Clear-vinyl dodger windows replaced in 2024
The cockpit also includes:
- Folding leather-wrapped wheel
- Teak cockpit table
- Magma stainless-steel propane grill
- Stern rail seating
- Walk-through transom
- Swim platform
- Transom hot/cold shower
- Outboard motor bracket
DECK & GROUND TACKLE
- White fiberglass hull
- White fiberglass deck with molded nonskid
- Bow pulpit
- Stern rails with catbird seats
- Walk-through transom
- Swim platform
- Electric anchor windlass
- Bruce anchor with chain and rode
- Danforth secondary anchor with chain and rode
- Dock lines
- Fenders
- Adjustable boat hooks
Owner intake notes indicate approximately 90 feet of chain plus 100 feet of rode associated with the primary ground tackle; prospective buyers should verify exact inventory during inspection.
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
- Magma stainless-steel gas grill
- Teak cockpit table
- Cabin window shades
- Cabin fans
- Reading lights
- Folding helm wheel
- Stove cover/counter board
- Fire extinguishers
- Flares
- Dock lines
- Fenders
- Boat hooks
OWNERSHIP & CONDITION
The current owner has reportedly cared for DRAGONFLY since approximately 2012.
Most importantly, the boat's condition supports the maintenance records. She has the appearance of a vessel that has been routinely cleaned, serviced and attended to rather than allowed to decline between major refits.
Owner intake information reports:
- No collision history
- No fire history
- No flooding/sinking history
- No lightning strike
- No lien/mortgage reported
- State titled
The boat has primarily cruised North Carolina waters.
A CLEAN CATALINA THAT DESERVES A LOOK
There are plenty of Catalina 36s on the brokerage market, but condition varies enormously after thirty years.
DRAGONFLY's advantage is straightforward: she has been cared for.
The combination of her clean interior, maintained systems, Tall Rig, shoal-draft wing keel, Max-Prop, reverse-cycle air conditioning, upgraded electronics, newer house batteries, recent bottom service and extensive maintenance history creates a particularly attractive package for a sailor looking for a capable cruising boat without immediately facing a long refit list.
For cruising North Carolina, the Chesapeake, ICW, Florida or Bahamas, the Catalina 36 MkII remains a very difficult combination of comfort, sailing ability, shallow draft, parts support and value to beat.
DRAGONFLY is clean, well equipped, thoughtfully maintained and ready for her next owner.
Mechanical Disclaimer
Engine and generator hours are as of the date of the original listing and are a representation of what the listing broker is told by the owner and/or actual reading of the engine hour meters. The broker cannot guarantee the true hours. It is the responsibility of the purchaser and/or his agent to verify engine hours, warranties implied or otherwise and major overhauls as well as all other representations noted on the listing brochure.
Disclaimer
The company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change or withdrawal without notice.
Listing MLS by Yachtr.com
Contact Us
For more information about this yacht please contact “Skipper Chip” Johnson.
We look forward to working with you!
S&J Yachts
101 Marina Dr
New Bern North Carolina 28560 USA
Phone: 252-656-0906
Toll Free: 1-888-743-4620
Email: info@sjyachts.com
Website: https://www.sjyachts.com
“Skipper Chip” Johnson
Yacht Broker
101 Marina Dr
New Bern North Carolina 28560 USA
Office: 1-252-656-0906
Toll Free: 1-888-743-4620
Cell: 1-919-279-8468
Email: chipjohnson@sjyachts.com
“Skipper Chip” Johnson
Yacht Broker | S&J Yachts | New Bern, North Carolina
For Skipper Chip Johnson, yacht brokerage is personal.
Chip is more of a boater than a broker, and more of a cruiser than a salesman. His advice comes from decades of owning, maintaining, cruising, delivering, buying, selling and living aboard boats—not simply from studying listings and sales data.
He has owned 29 boats, currently owns four, lived aboard for three years, and has logged approximately 8,000 ocean miles and counting. He is also an experienced delivery skipper who has captained dozens of different boats, up to 72 feet in length.
That breadth of experience gives Chip a perspective few brokers can duplicate. He has operated a wide variety of boats in real-world conditions and understands how design, systems, handling, maintenance and comfort translate from a specification sheet to life underway.
Based at S&J Yachts in New Bern, North Carolina, Chip specializes in cruising sailboats, sailing catamarans, trawlers and cruising powerboats throughout Eastern North Carolina and beyond.
His philosophy is simple:
Know the boat. Know the market. Understand the mission. Communicate clearly. Stay involved until the job is finished.
Cruising and Delivery Experience That Benefits Buyers
Buying a cruising boat is about much more than comparing length, horsepower and equipment lists.
Because Chip has lived aboard, cruised offshore and delivered dozens of boats, he evaluates boats through the eyes of someone who has actually had to operate them, maintain them and live with their design decisions.
How easy is the engine to service?
Can you actually reach the systems that will eventually need repair?
Is the boat comfortable underway?
How does it handle in close quarters?
Can a cruising couple manage it easily?
Does the helm provide good visibility?
Is there enough storage for extended cruising?
Are the systems practical and reliable, or unnecessarily complicated?
How will the boat behave when the weather is no longer perfect?
What will this boat really be like to own two years from now?
Those are the kinds of questions that come from time underway.
Having captained many different makes and models also gives Chip an unusually broad basis for comparison. He has experienced firsthand how boats of different sizes, hull forms, propulsion systems and layouts behave outside the marina. That experience helps buyers distinguish between features that look impressive in a listing and features that genuinely make a boat safer, easier to handle or more enjoyable to cruise.
Chip spends time understanding how a buyer actually intends to use a boat—their cruising plans, experience, budget, maintenance expectations and priorities—before helping narrow the search.
Sometimes that means looking at a lot of boats.
That's perfectly fine.
The goal isn't simply to buy a boat. It's to find the right boat.
Chip helps buyers evaluate design, equipment, condition, market value and ownership considerations, then guides them through offers, surveys, sea trials, negotiations and closing.
The “Easy Button” After the Sale
For many buyers, the transaction is only the beginning.
Chip often provides new-owner training, owner-assisted deliveries and training trips designed to help clients become comfortable with their new boat in real-world conditions.
That can include docking and close-quarters maneuvering, systems operation, anchoring, navigation, route planning, engine checks, basic troubleshooting and practical cruising routines. Rather than simply handing over the keys, Chip helps owners build confidence with the boat they just purchased.
For clients who want an even simpler transition, Chip can also arrange to deliver the boat directly to their home slip, with delivery services available along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
The concept is simple:
Find the perfect boat. Buy it. Learn it. Bring it home.
In many ways, Chip tries to make the yacht-buying process feel like an “Easy Button.” His goal is not merely to help a client close on their dream boat, but to make sure they are comfortable, confident and safe operating it once the paperwork is finished.
For some owners, the delivery itself becomes the best training opportunity. An owner-assisted delivery provides hours or days aboard the new boat with an experienced skipper, allowing the owner to learn systems, handling and cruising routines while actually making the trip home.
By the time the boat reaches its new slip, the goal is for the owner to feel that it is truly their boat—not just something they purchased.
An Owner's Perspective for Sellers
Owning 29 boats also means Chip understands the seller's side of the equation.
Selling a boat is rarely just a financial transaction. Boats carry memories, adventures, friendships and sometimes years of personal work.
Chip understands both the emotional connection owners have with their boats and the practical realities of preparing one for market.
For sellers, he combines that boating experience with an aggressive modern marketing approach. Every listing is treated as an individual marketing project rather than simply another boat added to an MLS.
That includes studying the competitive market, developing the right pricing strategy, identifying what makes the boat special, creating compelling photography and video, writing detailed listing content, promoting through the major yacht marketplaces and social media, and continually evaluating listing performance.
His objective is straightforward:
Create maximum exposure, generate qualified interest, and position the boat to achieve the best realistic combination of selling price and time on market.
And because Chip understands boats from an owner's and skipper's perspective, he can often recognize construction details, upgrades, maintenance decisions and cruising features that deserve more attention than they receive in a conventional listing.
Hands-On From Listing to Closing
Chip's involvement doesn't end when an offer arrives.
He routinely helps coordinate showings, negotiations, surveys, haul-outs, sea trials, contractors, documentation, marina logistics and closing details.
His delivery and skippering experience is particularly useful during sea trials and surveys, where understanding vessel systems, handling characteristics and onboard operation can help buyers and sellers navigate the process more effectively.
That hands-on approach is especially valuable for absentee owners or buyers purchasing a boat from outside the area.
Chip has also developed a broad network of surveyors, technicians, boatyards, marinas, captains and other marine professionals throughout Eastern North Carolina—relationships that can be extremely useful before, during and after a transaction.
A Broker Who Still Loves Boating
Despite spending much of his professional life around boats, Chip still owns four of them.
That probably says everything.
He genuinely enjoys boats, marinas, cruising communities and the people who choose to spend their lives around the water.
His clients often describe him as knowledgeable, patient, responsive and willing to go the extra mile. Many former clients eventually become boating friends.
Whether you're preparing to sell a yacht you've loved for years, looking for your first cruising boat, or searching for the boat that will take you on your next adventure, Chip brings something to the conversation that can't be learned entirely from sales reports:
the perspective of an owner, cruiser and skipper who actually lives the boating life.
Why make the water wait?
Go boating now.