first cruiser. 1974 C&C 30 vs. 1978 catalina 27

[Robert C]

I will not have a boat with an inboard gas engine. Period. I would buy the C&C, and then put a yanmar diesel in it. If the time comes to resell, 30' is the magic number to hold a price and to generate interest.

[Cheechako]

This boat on Annapolis CL is loaded, newer Kubota diesel too. Make him an offer he cant refuse!
Columbia 8.7 (29ft) 1977 Sailboat AND slip until March OBO

[Classicsailboat]

Here's another take on this, boats need good ventilation or they become very humid and the head stinks especially in warmer climes, remember that on these small boats you are basically camping on water, to think you could live like that for any length of time is dreaming. Think this through and be realistic.

[dgz3]

Given comparable condition and equipment, I would chose the bigger boat, hands down. The Atomic Four wouldn't bother me at all. Consider that 90% of boats on the water around the world are gasoline powered. Very, very, few of them blow up. That boat's 42 years old and hasn't blown up yet, right?
Propane blows boats up, too. And just about every cruiser out there has enough of it on board to blow up ten boats.
And gas tends to be cheaper than diesel, even if you do burn more of it. Get a fume detector if you're worried about it. Chances are, you carry gas in jugs anyway for your dink. With a little creative plumbing you can get rid of the jugs. There's something to be said for the convenience and flexibility of both motors running the same fuel.
Provided the Atomic is in good condition and running well, that is. They are easy to work on, parts are still available, often from NAPA, and they make good power (30 hp). Exhaust is cleaner, too. The EPA identifies 44 known carcinogenic compounds in diesel exhaust. Think about that next time you're motoring down wind....
Definitely harder to sell, though, due to the diesel preference most people have.
Check out Moyermarine.com. They have and know everything about them.
But....I'd offer the seller half that price. In cash. In your pocket. No bargaining. Show it to them. If they say no, WALK AWAY and then wait for the call!
There are THOUSANDS of boats in that range for sale. The season up there is on the wane. And it doesn't take many months of dockage and storage to eat up the difference between asking price and offered price. Believe me, he doesn't want to own that boat for another season!

[wannacat]

The C&C is definitely better built, stiffer and a better sailer! I've had an Atomic 4 for 39 years and overheated her a few times with no problems and still burns hardly any oil. Get the electronic ignition kit from Moyer Marine to get rid of the points etc. and it'll run like a dream! The guy on the parts counter will walk you right through the procedure for the install, their great to deal with!
The C&C does have a cored deck though and if the stanchions are deck mounted you have to watch for cracking and water damage around them. I moved mine to the outside rail on my 27 and refilled the deck where required. The Yanmar will be way pricier on replacement parts than the Atomic. I know as I have 2 - 2GM20F's in my other boat. As mentioned, in 2 years or so you might even make another trade. Get out and enjoy, the learning curve will increase immediately!

[Adrian NAMT]

Very good boat with undesirable engine (C & C) versus acceptable boat (for coastal cruising) and a desirable engine (Catalina)?

If you want to sail well and keep the boat go C & C. In a year or two you can swap the Atom for a Dieselized Atom, or better.

If you are happy with just OK sailing performance and plan to sell the boat in a year or two, go Catalina coz the market favours diesel over gas.

My vote is for the C & C

[Classicsailboat]

There is a c/c 33,1975,500hr Diesel engine,radar,etc available for about $10k