1984 Beneteau First 32 - Good coastal cruiser?

[EnglishBayer]

Heya Cruisers!

We’re a family of four, buying our first coastal cruiser. We’ve been racing in English Bay in Vancouver, Canada for the last couple of seasons and are keen to spend Summers cruising the Gulf Islands and up the West Coast.

We have moorage for under 32’ and our budget is ~$40k.

We’re looking at a 1984 Beneteau First 32 (listed for $25k). Does anyone have experience with this boat? We’ll get it surveyed, but are there any particular areas of weakness we should pay attention to? Will ask about the iron keel…

We’re also looking at an ‘86 Catalina 30 tall rig (listed for $40k).

Any reasons we should pursue one over the other?

Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts, advice and feedback!

[psk125]

The two boats are quite different. If you enjoy racing, the performance of the Beneteau will be attractive. It will also be quite capable of cruising the Gulf Islands. It does not have the cruising amenities: tankage, stowage space... that the Catalina provides. The numbers are interesting. The Catalina, two feet shorter, weighs a ton more than the Beneteau. The Catalina has 450 square feet of sail to push its 10,000 pounds through the water. The Beneteau has fifty more square feet of sail and weighs a ton less than the Catalina. Which would be more fun to sail on those light-air NW coast summer days? Below, the Catalina will look HUGE. The cockpit is also HUGE. On the Beneteau the spaces are more snug - better to deal with rough passages than with quiet marina stays. The choice depends upon what type of sailing you want to do.

[Rumrace]

The Beneteau First has go fast in its blood. Seacocks. Rigging sails condition motor hours fuel tank and filter condition are things you have to think about to take those burdens off the price. A sitting diesel and fuel system is only as good as it was stored. At that age id be surprised if the factory’s seacocks were not replaced.
I’m not sure if it was Hunter or Catalina who used chopper gun to build up hulls back then. Both companies make good boats today. Beneteau over 100 years.
A new hull has been introduced for First 53, and 36. Both unique. The speed the 53 makes will have the Benni Bashers talking for ages. A Beneteau 36 First costs more than their 380 Cruiser and the same as their 40’ cruiser. You can upgrade a Beneteau Oceanis with the First taller mast and keel options. In many cases the Oceanis and First share model hulls.

[Tetepare]

What psk125 said. And said quite well.

The B is an easier boat to sail well. In the right winds the C30TR with the 150 will smoke the B32, but the B will point far better and most of the time be faster.

So you want sailing speed & precision, or you want comfort? We cruised our C30TR with four on board, and no problems. I think a B32 would have been a bit tight.

And (I wish we could sticky this) with the C30 you have catalinadirect.com so it's easy to locate replacement parts and get them fast. #1 reason to pick Catalina over other brands.

[sinnerman]

$ 40K for a 1986 Cat30 sounds high even in Canadian dollars. It would have to be in perfect shape to demand this price. Of course, the Canadian market may be different than the US market..

The Cat30 was designed as a coastal cruiser.

The Tall Rig (TR) is the better configuration. More sail area, faster and the bowsprit moves the center of effort of the genoa forward thus reducing weather helm (and improving speed due less rudder drag...)

If it is an 1986, it will probably already have factory modifications that my 1984 was lacking such as a PROPANE (not pressurized alcohol) stove and a STRAIGHT traveler (as opposed to a useless curved one).

As stated, with the Cat 30 you can get parts easily through Catalina Direct. If it has a Universal diesel engine, the engine is originally from Kubota and you can get cheaper parts from the tractor supply houses.

The Catalina 30 is basically a camper with sails. The wider cabin however leads to narrow side decks for going back & forth to the bow.

Things to check on the Catalina:

-The upper shroud chain plates should be removed and checked for crevice corrosion
-Leaky windows
-Blisters in the hull due osmosis (my boat had a lot...)
-Deck leaks under the mast causing compression issues (not that common, but it does exist)
-Keel bolt condition
-Steering play (cables, pedestal / rudder)
-Lifeline/ stanchion condition.

The hull is solid fiberglass and Catalina used a good quality plywood as coring for the decks & inner soles, so sponginess is not an issue.

Cheers.

[canyonbat]

How strict is the 32 ft slip length limitation? Often, sailboats are longer than the classification implies.

[PineyWoodsPete]

Originally Posted by EnglishBayer

Heya Cruisers!

We’re a family of four, buying our first coastal cruiser. We’ve been racing in English Bay in Vancouver, Canada for the last couple of seasons and are keen to spend Summers cruising the Gulf Islands and up the West Coast.

We have moorage for under 32’ and our budget is ~$40k.

We’re looking at a 1984 Beneteau First 32 (listed for $25k). Does anyone have experience with this boat? We’ll get it surveyed, but are there any particular areas of weakness we should pay attention to? Will ask about the iron keel…

We’re also looking at an ‘86 Catalina 30 tall rig (listed for $40k).

Any reasons we should pursue one over the other?

Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts, advice and feedback!

Cruising with a family of four - no contest, the Catalina 30's interior is huge and open with the dinette layout, and a galley fit for a 40 footer, with large, separate berths for the kids. We cruised for a year back in the late 70's with 11 and 14 year old girls on an Endeavour 32 with traditional layout, and it was very cramped. Some old pics of our '84 Catalina - not TR, as Monterey Bay rarely needs more than the normal rig and a furling 130 genny. With the TR it should sail very nicely in lighter winds. $40K does sound pricey though unless new diesel, etc.

A few interior pics if you haven't been in one

[Rumrace]

The Cat has a great interior. Great support from them too.

[PineyWoodsPete]

Originally Posted by Rumrace

The Cat has a great interior. Great support from them too.

Wife and I spent two weeks on our daughter's family's classic '77 S&S Swan 41 tall rig a few years ago (six of us w/ the two teens), having very much the same layout as the Bene: barely room to walk around the central table with mast through it, and the pilot berths P&S squeezing the salon's usable space. Don't think the Bene has pilot berths, but generous storage outboard of the settee. The Swan did have an aft cabin with two small single berths and sloped floors where we (uncomfortably) slept. Obviously designed for the racing crew it is without us!