Catalina 30 (the real story)

[thomm225]

Can someone give me some accurate information on the Catalina 30? I've heard that it has weak chainplates, that there is a problem that causes the keel to drop somewhat. (Catalina Smile) and that they are not strong enough for serious cruising.

And yet I've also heard that they've sailed everywhere, that it's a 10,000 lb 30' boat, and that there have been almost 6500 of them built! Something is not adding up.

I'll be looking at a 1987 model btw.

[Cotemar]

Don't believe everything you hear.
Catalina 30 is a sweet boat and a great value.
They are very well built. That was the very first boat we owned and learned a lot from her.
1) A Catalina smile is the hull to keel joint that flex’s a little and cracks the non flexible bottom paint.
2) They are one of the best and roomiest 30 foot designs out their

[SkiprJohn]

The Catalina 30 is one of the most popular boats out there. As my friend Martin says, "kind of like the Chevy BelAir of the boat market."
If you want to know something about them just ask a marine surveyor. I don't think they would charge you to ask their opinions about a particular production boat in general.
There might even be a surveyor on the forum that might give you an opinion.
kind regards,

[youmeandthed]

It was the first boat we owned, and for a weekender/ a few weeks a year vacation boat it is probably the best for your buck. It doesn't have the tankage for distance cruising, but the livable space is almost as much as our 36ft boat.

If I was in the market for a boat to keep at a slip and use on weekends or for a few weeks a year I wouldn't hesitate to buy one again.

[Jim Woodall]

I think it's hard to go wrong with a Catalina 30 as a coastal cruiser. For weekends and even a full week to ten days every now and again she is a great boat. The C-30 is well built and is lots of fun to sail. We've done several short (1 - 2 day) offshore legs on our C-30. The C-30 is definitely a coastal cruiser, but comfortable offshore in good to moderate conditions for short passages.

If she surveys well with a reputable surveyor, you will have a very solid, reliable boat. I've owned my '87 for ten years now and sailed her extensively. I am very happy with my C-30.

[Starbuck]

Another satisfied customer of an '87 here.

[Bash]

You're talking about the longest continued production run of any keelboat ever made. Ever.

You don't suppose there's something more than a glitch there?

[Boatguy30]

They aren't the best for "serious" cruising. Have a look at a S2 9.2 for a similar, but much better built boat.

[shorebird]

We shopped specifically for a Catalina 30, since it fit well with the size we wanted, the available inventory, and price. We ended up with a Hunter 31, however, since we liked the layout and the teak and holly sole. I have seen as many as 8 Catalina 30s docked in a row at a local marina. The numbers tell the story. Great mid-size coastal cruiser.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Can someone give me some accurate information on the Catalina 30?

As others have stated, the Catalina 30 had the longest production run of any sailboat. It was entered into the sailing hall of fame in 2001. IMHO, it is one of the best all-around boats ever designed and built because it is a cost point that let a lot of people get into sailing that otherwise would have been priced out of the market.

It was built in 3 models, named Mark I (1974 to 1986), Mark II (1986 to 1993) and the Mark III (1994 to 1997). (These years will become important to answering one of your questions below) A new design, the Mark IV was supposed to be put on the market in 1997 but instead it was put on the market in 1998 as the C310. Some didn't like the non-traditional layout of the C310. Later the C309 was put on the market to get back to the traditional layout of the C30.

As others have said, it's a great coastal cruiser (although there are many different definitions of coastal cruising). But many people have pushed this. Here is a blog for a guy who sailed his to New Zealand from the west coast. We plan to sail our C310 down to the Caribbean.

You will not find a boat with a better support group. There are Catalina owners associations in just about every major port. An International Catalina 30 Owners Association. And an extremely helpful forum at Catalinaowners.com. Oh, and a source for factory direct replacement parts from Catalina Direct.

I've heard that it has weak chainplates, that there is a problem that causes the keel to drop somewhat. (Catalina Smile) and that they are not strong enough for serious cruising.

I have never really heard of a specific Catalina chainplate issue. But the older C30s are nearing 40 years old. If you don't have a good regular maintenance program, you will have issues with any chainplates. This would likely include new chainplates in just about any boat but the time you get to 20-40 years old.

The Catalina Smile is the result of using wood for a keel stub that was encapsulated in fiberglass. The keel bolts then pass through the wooden stub. Over time the bolts loosen and small amounts of water are allowed in to the wood. As a result the wood rots and the keel starts to sink. Hence the Catalina Smile. Hey, they were part of the pioneer group of fiberglass builders and you learn things along the way. By the Mark II's they realized this mistake and fixed it.

There are two other known problems with early C30s: the mast compression post block and the "trailer hitch" wiring. The mast compression post block is similar to keel stub issue. Here is the basics of the fix. The "trailer hitch" wiring issue was just using a cheap part to save money that ended up not being a good decision. Here is a good write up of the fix for that. I believe both of these were fixed by 1989 to 1990.

And yet I've also heard that they've sailed everywhere, that it's a 10,000 lb 30' boat, and that there have been almost 6500 of them built! Something is not adding up.

There is a lot of production boat bashing that happens. Sure, we would all love to have an expensive, custom built boat. But most of us can't afford a boat like that and would be left at the dock if only custom boats were available. There are certainly some corners cut in production boats. Some aren't that big of a deal, others can be major problems.

I'll be looking at a 1987 model btw.

So an 1987 model would be an Mark II. That means it wouldn't have the Catalina Smile issue but could have the mast compression post block and wire harness issues. Those are two things to look at along with the general condition of the boat.

Remember that there will always be air-chair or dock-queen sailors telling you a boat can't do something or that something is wrong with a particular model. Ultimately it is up to you to decide what your boat and, more importantly, you are capable of doing. Generally the boats are far more capable than the sailors and if the sailor is that capable the condition of the boat is more important than the make and model of the boat.

Good luck and fair winds,

Jesse

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

Remember that there will always be air-chair or dock-queen sailors telling you a boat can't do something or that something is wrong with a particular model. Ultimately it is up to you to decide what your boat and, more importantly, you are capable of doing. Generally the boats are far more capable than the sailors and if the sailor is that capable the condition of the boat is more important than the make and model of the boat.

Good luck and fair winds,

Jesse

Great answer!

I've noticed a trend that most people who trash a particular boat haven't owned that boat. Likewise for people who praise particular boats. The fact is that many are just repeating what they've heard others say, or maybe they judged it after they looked one over for 20 minutes.

The minimum criteria for weighing in on these discussions should be owning one for a few years.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Great answer!

I've noticed a trend that most people who trash a particular boat haven't owned that boat. Likewise for people who praise particular boats. The fact is that many are just repeating what they've heard others say, or maybe they judged it after they looked one over for 20 minutes.

The minimum criteria for weighing in on these discussions should be owning one for a few years.

Or at least been aboard and sailed one.

kind regards,

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Or at least been aboard and sailed one.

kind regards,

No, that would be the criteria for answering a question about going on board and sailing one.

If someone is asking about owning one, I think I'd stick to prior owners.

[jgbrown]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

No, that would be the criteria for answering a question about going on board and sailing one.

If someone is asking about owning one, I think I'd stick to prior owners.

I don't own one, but I live on one, does that qualify me?
I'll say it's not a favorite... the layout and space looks good, but it's actually fairly uncomfortable, and the build quality in many areas I find lacking.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by jgbrown

I don't own one, but I live on one, does that qualify me?
I'll say it's not a favorite... the layout and space looks good, but it's actually fairly uncomfortable, and the build quality in many areas I find lacking.

Could you please elaborate?