Considering a Catalina 30

[Roadking Larry]

I've been bit by the "bigger boat bug".
Looking at an '80 Catalina 30. Preliminary look see is promising. The boat appears generally well kept, clean and dry inside.
I'll need to do a deep inspect and see the A4 run and get a ride on it before I consider having a pro survey done.
Any hidden and/or common problems with this vintage of Catalina 30s to look for?

My current boat, Cal 2-27 has the Atomic 4 and I've kind of gotten fond of the little iron beastie. If properly maintained they are a solid engine so that isn't a negative for me.

 

[kimelmore]

there are 165 Catalina 30's listed on yachtworld as of today. Take your time. Lots of fish in the sea. They are a great boat. I had one for 10 yrs and still miss it somewhat as it was easy to single hand. Not so with the newer bigger boat.

 

[AlastairLC]

Had a Catalina 30 on the coast of Maine for several years. Great boat! Loved it! Make sure you check out the condition of the keel bolts. Have the boat lifted out and look for the "Catalina smile".
-Alastair.

 

[Joe]

Larry.... check out the international Catalina 30 owner's website. In the technical library you'll find a lot of info about upgrades and retrofits.
A boat that has been maintained will have had most of the know issues addressed already.... some of them are: replacing the wooden spreaders, replacing all gate valves and glassed in pipe through hulls..... etc. Check the chain plates also....

 

[Roadking Larry]

Thanks for the pointers. Any more?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Any more?

There's a very good Yahoo group, too. They made a mere 6,000 of these things, so maybe, just maybe, they figured it all out by now. Great boats.

 

[Jackdaw]

With them going for around $20K, remember that professional moving one to your lake will add 20% to that number. Factor that in if you're looking at one that is already on your lake.

Nothing wrong with Atomic 4s.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Very popular boats in our club. A diesel would be thriftier. I like Joe's suggestion to visit the Catalina owners site

 

[mortyd]

keep in mind you are looking at an early boat and over the course of manufacture catalina made many changes -some small, some big - and in our opinion all of them good.

 

[JohnVTX]

Compression at Mast base

 

[Roadking Larry]

With them going for around $20K, remember that professional moving one to your lake will add 20% to that number. Factor that in if you're looking at one that is already on your lake.

Nothing wrong with Atomic 4s.

This one is only 2 docks over so that is a plus.
I've been pretty happy with the A4 in my '76 Cal 2-27. I'd feel perfectly at home doing a complete overhaul of one in my garage if I needed to.
One thing about the marina I'm at is that we don't tend to do a lot of motoring 10-15 minutes out of the slip and we're raising sails, engines don't get a lot of hours here.
Thanks for the comments, now, more research and soul searching.

 

[BillyK]

i second compression at the mast base as well as rotted compression block in the bilge under the sole.. This is the block that transfers the mast compression down through the beam in the salon to the floor.. then below the floor (sole) there is a block that transfers that compression from the sole to the bottom of the bilge.. these seem to always rot out.. i took care of it myself as well as building a new bulkhead but it was not a fun job at all...

 

[Justin_NSA]

Just this past weekend, a comment from an owner about Catalina 30 rudders came up. It was said that in order to keep cost down, Catalina used 'glassed in lateral rods attached to the post that can rust away if water gets inside the rudder. You might want to see how solid the rudder feels with the wheel held fast.

 

[Roadking Larry]

Man this "bigger boatitis" is exhausting. Seems the couple that have the 30 I looked at is on the fence about selling and once the reality of not having their boat set in they started getting cold feet.
That's when the ADBD (attention deficit boatitis disorder) kicked in. While perusing sale ads in the local area I found a Seawind MKII slipped at another lake that was interesting, still a contender but maybe not. When I mentioned that I was looking at a boat at that marina to some friends of mine who have a boat there they let me know their Catalina 30 MKII is for sale because they have their eye on a "blue water boat". That marina is 9 minutes farther away from where my current boat is located.
Still liking the Catalina 30, seems to suit my wants pretty well.
I hate shopping.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I hate shopping.

But you'll LOVE owning one!

 

[BillyK]

But you'll LOVE owning one!

I enjoyed the hunt.. consider it a learning activity. I got to see some of the worst boats on the planet along with some of the best.. it helped me to set my own personal expectations and where i should give a little to get a little somewhere else on the boat.

 

[Roadking Larry]

This is my third go around since Spring of 2013. The first two were educational as heck.
I'd really be pretty content with my Cal 2-27. I spent way more on it getting it to the way I want it than I'll ever recoup in a sale, Somebody will get a nicely set up boat for quite a bit less than I have in it.
The wife isn't comfortable on the Cal, About every time I change course she manages to have her knee right where the tiller needs to be and she isn't a fan of heeling so... "We're gonna need a bigger boat".
I looked at an Allied Seawind MKII ketch (32') last weekend, Slightly better condition than the boat in "Capt. Ron" but good recent Yanmar 30 and sailed great with full main and 150% genoa in wind that would have had me reefed and with only a scrap of jib and white knuckles on the tiller and mainsheet in my Cal.
Lots of potential.
It took a couple of days to reconcile that "what it could be" is a long way from where it is Just a little too crusty. Same for another Cat 30 that is my slip neighbor, the boat hasn't left the slip in at least two years, the wads of sail hanging out of the sail cover are turning green (we've tucked them back in several times) and the guy is firm at $21K.
Current target of interest is a Catalina 30 MK II at another lake but if I buy it I'd probably stay at that marina at least for a while, gonna go look at it Saturday and probably go for a sail.

 

[JRT]

I think a ketch sounds cool! We looked a bunch too and it was an experience to say the least. I almost went to the panhandle to tow back a Precision 23 way over our original 'fun budget' because everything on the lakes here was bit more work then we wanted. I'm still learning but if you post your Cal up for sale would love to see it. We are having fun on the O'Day for sure but would like something a bit bigger down the road and maybe stand up head room for me at 5' 11"

 

[AlastairLC]

she isn't a fan of heeling

A bigger boat is going to heel too, Larry. Better make sure it has a good reefing setup.
Cheers! Alastair.

 

[Roadking Larry]

Oh, I know that . But, it would take a little bit more breeze to put the rail in the water on a Cat 30 than my Cal 2-27 thus increasing sailing opportunities where the Admiral isn't complaining about being heeled over....as much. Another plus it would be more comfortable taking the grandkids out.