Catalina 309 or 310?

jsalley · Jul 17, 2009

sigbear said:
I will be looking to purchase a used 2005+ Catalina 309 or 310 in the spring of 2010.

In looking at the speck for these boats they are virtually the same. Both boats are:
LOA 31"
LWL 26.6
Beam 11'6"
Draft 4'4"

Thats where the similarities end. The 310 is 500lbs. heavier, 400 of that is in the keel and the engine is 26 HP for the 310 and 21 for the 309 and from what I have read the 310 has larger gear on deck.

I know the 310 interior was designed for a cruising couple, but other than that, how do they differ in construction strength, sailability,etc.?

Donny

Donny --

Both boats are produced from the same hull mold, so are identical from that aspect. As you're aware, the cabin layouts are vastly different and the decks are slightly different. Rigs are similar - at least when comparing the 310 with in-mast furling, since all 309's have that feature. The 309 is a replacement for the old Catalina 30, and has the same general interior layout as the 30 it replaced. It is built to a somewhat lower price point than the 310, which mainly shows in the finish amenities in the interior - fewer lockers with more open shelving, etc. The lower-horsepower Yanmar in the 309 is actually a far improved engine than the vibration-prone Universal in the 310 - it has a better torque profile, and performs just as well under power as the Universal. The deck gear on both boats is essentially the same; I haven't found anything to be undersized on my 309. The 309 has a larger and (IMHO) more comfortable cockpit. Not surprisingly, both boats sail similarly if similarly rigged.

Although it has been officially discontinued, I'm told that Catalina will one-off a 310 since they still produce the hull for the 309, so in that respect it's still in production (sort of). Comes down to personal preference and available boat bucks.

GKuffner · Jul 17, 2009

I would support all of what John said regarding the similarities and differences between the C310 and C309. In addition I would add that one of the benefits of the C309 layout is the very large cockpit locker. The storage opportunities that it affords the owner are tremendous. All in all it comes down to your assessment of the trade-offs. I feel that for my type of sailing, the larger salon was a major point in the C309s favor. I am also quite amazed with the engines accessibility and performance. I have never found it to be lacking in power and I feel a larger displacement engine would only consume more fuel.

If you are a couple who want to spent their time on extended cruises or if you feel that you need the larger forward v-berth, I think that you'd swing towards the C310. If on the other hand you mainly day sail or take shorter cruises and want to take advantage of the larger salon and benefits of the cockpit storage locker to keep things tidy, the C309 is for you.

I have sailed on both boats and they are both very solid. I wouldn't put too much priority on Catalina's displacement stats. My boat is listed at something like 10400lbs yet when it was lifted by the crane for launch the very bare boat came in at 12600 lbs with out the mast and an empty water tank. I would expect something similar for the C310.
They both standup well to heavy weather providing you trim your sails properly and i consistently get the boat to exceed 7k in 18k+ of wind.

Good luck with your decision

Gary
C309 Glory Days
#136

Catalina 309 or 310?

sigbear

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jsalley

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GKuffner

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