Towing a Catalina C30 1983

Sep 28, 2025
26
Catalina C 30 MK1 1983 Stockton Lake Missouri
I have a Toyota Tundra 5.7 v8, 4 wheel with 12,000 pound towing package. Trailer is Tri-axle haven’t weighed it yet but it looks heavy and will hold a 34”
Can I tow it down a 4 lane Interstate highway?
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,387
Catalina 1999 C36 MKII #1787 Coyote Point Marina, CA.
Your vehicle can handle the towing, BUT you can tow no more than 8 feet wide load. Need permit for wider loads.
 
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Jan 19, 2010
1,315
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
You'll need to verify the trailer's capacity. If the trailer and boat exceed that number your would be in violation of law and if stopped cited and impounded. A give away to overloaded vehicle is excessive tongue weight loading up the tow vehicle's suspension.
 
Apr 5, 2009
3,176
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Given that the dry weight of a C30 is 10,400lbs, you do not have an excess amount of capacity. I know of several who have towed with 1-ton pickups. You also need to add in the weight of the trailer, and it could not be more than 1000lbs and I would find that surprising if it has the needed capacity.

That said, most axles on a triple axle trailer are 5,000lb each so it likely would have 15,000lb capacity. If it has the other possible axle, it would be 3 x 3,500 = 10,500lbs which would not be enough.
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
1,240
Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
A C-30 is 10,500 lbs., the trailer is probably 1500 lbs, maybe more. You would be at the maximum or over, not where you want to be if towing for any distance. For the highway, I would hire a professional.
 
Sep 28, 2025
26
Catalina C 30 MK1 1983 Stockton Lake Missouri
Sailboatdata.com gives the displacement a 10,200 lb.
Going to leave the mast at the marina it’s over 300lb.
Here is what Sailboatdata.com says about:
“DISPLACEMENT: If you weigh the boat on a scale, that is her actual displacement. It is the weight of sea water that she will displace when she is afloat. Many designers figure displacement when half loaded with stores, liquids and crew. Some report light displacement which is the weight of the hull and permanent equipment but with empty tanks. Light displacement does not include stores, removable equipment (ex. Sails) or crew.”

But I don’t if that is Light displacement in the sailboat date calculation.
I was hoping to find some one who has towed a C30 and put it on a scale.
 
Apr 5, 2009
3,176
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
That 10,200lb is the weight of the bare boat as it left the factory (assuming a Mk1). They never changed the displacement from what it was listed as in 1975 and the Mk2 boats were all much heavier out the door. The last time I had mine transported, it weighed in at 15,000lbs. That was with most of the stuff I could take out, removed.
 
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Sep 28, 2025
26
Catalina C 30 MK1 1983 Stockton Lake Missouri
Hayden,
Thank, that is what I was afraid of.
I couldn’t decide if they’d skewed the displacement to get the S# up or down.
S#=3.972*(10^(-DLR/526+(0.691*(LOG(SA/ D)-1)^0.8))
 
Apr 5, 2009
3,176
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Hayden,
Thank, that is what I was afraid of.
I couldn’t decide if they’d skewed the displacement to get the S# up or down.
S#=3.972*(10^(-DLR/526+(0.691*(LOG(SA/ D)-1)^0.8))
I am not sure if they skewed it or not. To the best of my knowledge, the early Mk1 boats came from the factory pretty close to 10,300. The problem was that they kept adding stuff to them but never adjusted the spec. You will find that many of the serious racers of C30 are Mk1's. They are lighter.
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
1,240
Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
It seems like pretty much every boat weighs more when put on a scale than what the factory says, and often by a lot - I don't recall anyone reporting theirs was lighter.
 
Sep 28, 2025
26
Catalina C 30 MK1 1983 Stockton Lake Missouri
I have given up on using my truck to haul this boat too many variables and too close to the limits that it can haul. No sense in putting my self and others at risk to save a buck.

Thanks
 
Sep 28, 2025
26
Catalina C 30 MK1 1983 Stockton Lake Missouri
I didn't mean to say any thing malevolent about Frank Butler or Catalina yacht organization.
He was and they are giants in the field of yacht design.
For some reason I thought the naval architecture ratios S# was used in the sailboat handicap systems like ORC, IRC, or PHRF it is not. The SA/D ratio is what is used. Sail Area/(volume of displacement)^0.667.
Must have been a short between the headphones.
 
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