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Old 26-04-2016, 22:38   #16
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Re: Catalina 30

I absolutely love my Catalina 30. it's a great boat for what it is - a boat for a long weekend in at Catalina. It sails well in light to moderate winds, it's stable, gobs of space below, decent cockpit, and it was cheap cheap cheap. Been out twice in the last two weeks in small craft advisories, it was fine.

What it's not? A long distance cruiser. Like everybody else said: The companionway is too big. The scuppers are too small. You could easily beef up the hull-deck joint with thru bolts but the shoebox joint doesn't add any longitudinal strength. Bulkheads aren't tabbed. Rudder tubes wear out. A biggie: tankage is tiny. On mine I have 25 gal of fresh water and 15 gal of fuel. I'm not goin to Hawaii on that. I often have to refuel when I just go to Catalina - or bring a jerry jug.

So on my dock there are 4 Catalina 30s. That's ONE dock in Dana Point. They're a great boat for socal. There's one 27' Pacific Seacraft. Terrible boat for the predominately light winds of socal. But I'd never cross an ocean in a C-30 and I would in that Pacific Seacraft.
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Old 27-04-2016, 02:19   #17
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Re: Catalina 30

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Originally Posted by jeepbluetj View Post
I absolutely love my Catalina 30. it's a great boat for what it is - a boat for a long weekend in at Catalina. It sails well in light to moderate winds, it's stable, gobs of space below, decent cockpit, and it was cheap cheap cheap. Been out twice in the last two weeks in small craft advisories, it was fine.

What it's not? A long distance cruiser. Like everybody else said: The companionway is too big. The scuppers are too small. You could easily beef up the hull-deck joint with thru bolts but the shoebox joint doesn't add any longitudinal strength. Bulkheads aren't tabbed. Rudder tubes wear out. A biggie: tankage is tiny. On mine I have 25 gal of fresh water and 15 gal of fuel. I'm not goin to Hawaii on that. I often have to refuel when I just go to Catalina - or bring a jerry jug.

So on my dock there are 4 Catalina 30s. That's ONE dock in Dana Point. They're a great boat for socal. There's one 27' Pacific Seacraft. Terrible boat for the predominately light winds of socal. But I'd never cross an ocean in a C-30 and I would in that Pacific Seacraft.
Caribbean is a little different. The longest passage going east might be one overnight. The weather is very predictable. I am sketching various companion mods. and eventually I will install something that will make it safer.
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Old 08-03-2017, 05:46   #18
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Re: Catalina 30 Prop

i have repowered my Catalina 30 with a rebuilt M18 and need to replace my prop. I have a 1" shaft and want a 3 blade fixed prop. I have a 2.61:1 transmission. I know the diameter should be 13" but would a 11" pitch be too much?
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Old 08-03-2017, 19:17   #19
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Re: Catalina 30

Oil can is a terminology used when you see the hull in the area of the chain plates sunken in because of the amount of tensioning on the rig. Some of this happens in boats where the spreader are made short so tgat you can sheet in an overlspping genoa.
Newer boats are built with a wide spreader base as in the old days but with a much taller rig and non overlapping headsails.
This was common in boats built in the 70's and 80's.
The Catalina 30 has a very strong fiberglass cabin top at the mast steo area. This is the same as havinh a set if spreaders indide the boat. I know that mine does not "oil can". I went out this past week with 29-20 knots of breeze and gusting higher.
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Old 07-11-2017, 21:09   #20
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Re: Catalina 30

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Originally Posted by Randyonr3 View Post
I had two grips about the 30.. one was the floor inside.. built to keep headroom but low in the water, the floor is slanted, and I twisted my ankle coming out of the v-berth...
I love my 30, but the slanted floor was treacherous. Fixing that problem with real non-skid was a very high priority.Click image for larger version

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Old 08-11-2017, 08:20   #21
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Re: Catalina 30

When I built my custom 31 footer, an option was a concave cabin floor, that way when heeled, it supposedly felt flatter. I was on one boat with it for a half hour, that was enough for me! You spend 90% of the time at anchor and I felt it was hard on the ankles and uncomfortable.
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Old 08-11-2017, 08:35   #22
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Re: Catalina 30

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Originally Posted by kingfish View Post
...What is your opinion on my catalina 30 as a world cruiser...
Don't be foolish.
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Old 08-11-2017, 08:49   #23
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Re: Catalina 30

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Hi all
I have Posed this question to numerous people, and peoples opinions on this are as varied as the colors in the rainbow. Here it is. What is your opinion on my catalina 30 as a world cruiser. Now, You all dont know me from adam so let me breifly descibe my cruising style. I am a minamelist (spelling?) I dont like useing electricity. I am perfectly happy useing my ice box for my fridge, and I plan on doing a long cruise singlehanded. with no time frame, Even now that I live at the marina I still spend less on monthly expences than most peoples electric bill. I do not need gizmos or tv, Just a good book and blue water and I am as happy as a clam. My boat is in great condition, and each day I am getting to be a proficient sailor. And my plans for leaving will only happen when I am very confident in my ability to sail.
I said breif and it went long, All in all Id just like to here your opinions.
Cheers
Dustin
It isn't. Nice boat for local sailing, maybe the E. Carribean if you are adventurous. Roomy for it's length. But it's not a "world cruiser". Too lightly built. For the money you can get something sturdy. Google Catalina "smile".
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Old 08-11-2017, 09:00   #24
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Re: Catalina 30

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Originally Posted by Terra Nova View Post
Don't be foolish.
You do realize the question was asked 13 years ago.

OTOH sometimes it's more telling that a question is asked, rather than the answer. If you have to ask, the answer is no.
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Old 08-11-2017, 09:24   #25
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Re: Catalina 30

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The hull is known to ... what?


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Oil-can
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Old 09-11-2017, 08:44   #26
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Re: Catalina 30

Interesting thread -- many of the customary caveats; however, since we recently acquired a Oday-30 and I've crawled all over her with many of the same "findings" (am still looking for something that might be a structural bulkhead other than the piece of plywood near the mast), I'm wondering how folks actually set theirs up for sailing out of sight of land. I doubt many folks are doing total rebuilds and I've not heard of a big surge of Cats or Odays (whatever) being lost in the Bermuda triangle (or some such), so I have to assume they are picky about where they sail -- and reef early. After the rather cozy confines of our B24, my wife was pleased as punch with the extra space, but I was startled to find that I could open the boat up from nav-station to transom with just a screwdriver -- in about three minutes -- can't do that on a B24 (and Paul Coble, the designer, never seem happy with the quality of his Bristol/Sailstar-24 for offshore trekking).

I've lived aboard a much larger boat that supposedly wasn't fit for transoceanic sailing (only to meet several couples over recent years who had done just that, and apperantly without drama) and poured over many tomes over the years and can easily identify many of the apparent liabilities of the recreational-scantlings employed by our Odays and several others of that era -- still folks do it, although I'd guess they stay away from the southern capes, so how about learned advice from those who actual trek in these sailing-RVs.
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Old 09-11-2017, 18:23   #27
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Re: Catalina 30

While it is a fact that the C30 is built as a coastal cruiser, it is totally possible to cross oceans with it. It will not be the most comfortable 30 ft boat out there but 97% of the time you will have a great time and 3% of the time you will have a miserable time. It is up to you to decide what to optimize for. We're you to get a traditional blue water boat, 97% of the time you will miss the space and comfort of the C30.

Practically speaking, the condition of key gear is far more important than the design of the boat. A friend of a friend took part in Ostar 2017 in the "perfect" bluewater boat, a Luffe 37, 3 years old, and the keel fell off so they had to abandon the boat. Granted that was in F10 conditions. Most of is will never encounter such seas.

As others have said, you need to focus on a few key systems: rigging, chain plates, engine. Make sure these are in good condition, replace where necessary. Not that expensive. Be mindful of problems with the boat such as the big hatch, the slanted floor and the potential to round up and adjust your sailing (reef early) to match the conditions. Learn to live with the constant creaking of the hull and furniture in bigger waves. If you get a catastrophic failure (keel, hull to deck joint or the rudder post), then use your liferaft. If you are not comfortable with the odds, then spend the money on a bigger boat. Tankage in my opinion is no longer an issue as you can have a watermaker or two. You can may be add a second diesel tank or bladder.

Lastly, test the boat extensively when closer to shore. Here in Socal, you have to wait for a good storm to develop but I use every opportunity to test my boat. Only need to go out 100-200 nm out and you can time your 3-4 day trips to coincide with bad weather, progressively worse, as your confidence develops.

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Old 09-11-2017, 19:22   #28
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Re: Catalina 30

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pizzazz View Post
...it is totally possible to cross oceans with it...
Oh come on!
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Old 09-11-2017, 20:08   #29
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Re: Catalina 30

I know of one which sailed over to Hawaii, and a friend delivered it back to the mainland. Not the fasted return in history, but no drama. A lot of blue water capability is in the sailor.
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Old 09-11-2017, 22:30   #30
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Re: Catalina 30

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Oh come on!
Well, TN it IS possible, 'cause it has been done. That fact does not make it a wise choice, but your unsupported blanket dismissal is a bit OTT in my opinion.

I too would be looking at a different boat for offshore use, one without the known flaws in the well loved Catalina 30 design/build. But a simple look at the vessels in distant anchorages shows that there are lots of folks crossing oceans, or parts of oceans in boats not designed for that service... despite the opinions of internet pundits.

Jim
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