I am looking not purchasing a 1980 Catalina 30 and wanted to know general thoughts about that boats value and reliability. Has a rebuilt Atomic 4 engine- what is the consensus re the engine's reliability and value as well? Saw the boat last weekend and was love at first sight.
1980 Catalina 30
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If you want a fair assessment of the Atomic 4 engine you should post your inquiry on the Moyer Marine forum. The guys over there actually own and use Atomic 4's. That's who you need to talk to.
I have an Atomic 4, wouldn't dream of repowering ever and estimate I paid $5K less for my boat because of it. It's capable of moving the boat easily at hull speed with smooth quiet power. When running the engine in the slip, neighbors walking by mistake the water discharge out the exhaust for bilge pump operation. They can't even hear the engine running.
It will be interesting (predictable?) to see what the rest of the responses are.
edit: I rewrote that last sentence 5 times to take the edge off what I was really thinking.
I have an Atomic 4, wouldn't dream of repowering ever and estimate I paid $5K less for my boat because of it. It's capable of moving the boat easily at hull speed with smooth quiet power. When running the engine in the slip, neighbors walking by mistake the water discharge out the exhaust for bilge pump operation. They can't even hear the engine running.
It will be interesting (predictable?) to see what the rest of the responses are.
edit: I rewrote that last sentence 5 times to take the edge off what I was really thinking.
1981 Catalina 30
I have had my Catalina for 25 years and on my second Atomic 4. Rebuilt the first raw water cooled engine and enjoyed 17 years of reliable and solid service. On my second Atomic rebuild now and have no problems. The Atomic and Catalina 30 combination is quiet and quick.
I have had my Catalina for 25 years and on my second Atomic 4. Rebuilt the first raw water cooled engine and enjoyed 17 years of reliable and solid service. On my second Atomic rebuild now and have no problems. The Atomic and Catalina 30 combination is quiet and quick.
Go to the: Catalina 30 International Association website and there you can research everything on the 30 including printing out the original sales brochure, all specs, parts manual and a ton of other useful stuff. If you price compare you can go to Boattrader or Yachttrader and type in Catalina 30, 1980 model and a price range of $1 to $50000 and you will see all 1980 models across the country for sale and take an average price.
No big deal on the Atomic 4........most if not all sailboat manufacturers switched over to diesel for safety (no volatile vapors) back in the 80's and continue on today. The Atomic 4 is a great engine. Its simple, dependable and reliable. Just make sure your ventiliation and blower is all in order.
Over 8500 Catalina 30 hulls have been manufactured over the decades. To this day, the 30 represents the best bang for the buck in room, performance and construction. You cannot go wrong with the Catalina 30 on community support. Many vendors online (Catalinaowners, Catalina Direct, etc) to provide parts and if you can join the 30 Association you receive Mainsheet magazine for additional information, details and upgrades.
Sort of like joining the Mustang or Corvettes Club of America!!:dance:
Great boat. Just make sure you get a SURVEY, understand the weaknesses and strengths of each model (Mark I, Mark II and Mark III), be prepared to make upgrades and improvements and enjoy the hell out of it.
Not recommended for transpacific nor transatlantic crossings!
Good luck
Bob
1988 Mark II
Breezin II
No big deal on the Atomic 4........most if not all sailboat manufacturers switched over to diesel for safety (no volatile vapors) back in the 80's and continue on today. The Atomic 4 is a great engine. Its simple, dependable and reliable. Just make sure your ventiliation and blower is all in order.
Over 8500 Catalina 30 hulls have been manufactured over the decades. To this day, the 30 represents the best bang for the buck in room, performance and construction. You cannot go wrong with the Catalina 30 on community support. Many vendors online (Catalinaowners, Catalina Direct, etc) to provide parts and if you can join the 30 Association you receive Mainsheet magazine for additional information, details and upgrades.
Sort of like joining the Mustang or Corvettes Club of America!!:dance:
Great boat. Just make sure you get a SURVEY, understand the weaknesses and strengths of each model (Mark I, Mark II and Mark III), be prepared to make upgrades and improvements and enjoy the hell out of it.
Not recommended for transpacific nor transatlantic crossings!
Good luck
Bob
1988 Mark II
Breezin II
Points all well taken except:
And wouldn't the Coasties have banned them (propane stoves or gas engines)?? They're big on safety.
I'd suggest the switch had to do with market trends rather than a concern with safety regarding volatile vapors. If volatile vapors were really the issue there wouldn't be propane stoves on boats either.
And wouldn't the Coasties have banned them (propane stoves or gas engines)?? They're big on safety.
...........gas sniffers for propane stoves on all vessels should be standard issue for the stoves but they must have relied on the solenoid valves as a safeguard. Either way, gas engines are still big as inboard power on many yachts. You just do not see them on sailboats anymore aside from the old Atomic 4's that are still around.
Moyer's the Man. Also indigo electronics. My C30 is diesel, but my last bot had an A4. I put the indigo electronic ignition on and a new PCV and vapor recovery-- engine ran like a top and it was 40 some years old.
Always run the blower, keep your fuel lines in good shape and safety isn't an issue.
Always run the blower, keep your fuel lines in good shape and safety isn't an issue.
I just answered another similar post inquiry about a 1980 C 30, & U may find this advice helpful: as I also have a 1980 C 30.
I paid around $9500 for mine, & if the boat has never had
any significant upgrades or refit that's about what she's worth.
As a comparison though, My C 30 seller was kinda desperate to sell, being transferred across country. Her loss was my gain as the previous owner has installed new UK Halsey sails, new electrical panel, rebuilt diesel, wheel steering & a host of upgrades. The cabin looked tired, & she needed a haul out, which gave me the ammunition to get the price down. Remember that most boats that have been sitting in a slip for 2-3 years are in need of a haul out to clean & repaint the bottom. You cannot perform a decent haul out & bottom job for less then about a grand. It also makes it a lot easier to determine the condition of the keel join to inspect for the Catalina smile separation crack which is common. Also inspect the condition of the rudder tube & bearing for excessive play or damage from groundings, etc.
I always recommend to new prospective buyers to buy a copy of Don Casey's "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" which has an invaluable lists of items that need to be checked that the novice will never think of. Take a rubber hammer with U to sound out decks for delamination around deck fittings. Take a good flashlight to inspect the engine, trans, bilge post for rot, thru hull fittings & tanks for corrosion. etc. I work as a professional building inspector, & my number one tool are a flashlight & my eyes & ears. Good luck on the hunt, one of my favorite endeavors.
If you are not familiar with sailboats, then by all means hire a surveyor. But they are expensive, & the book I mentioned will help U weed out the bad apples. I personally would not want a boat with tiller steering, as I'm getting older & a 30 ft. boat with a tiller will break your arm trying to steer a beamy boat like a C30 after on hour. I used to have a C 25 with tiller & a C 22 as well, it was tiring. Wheel steering is a huge improvement, but an expensive upgrade. Get a C 30 already upgraded.
Lastly, the Atomic 4 is a venerable & durable engine, but is getting up there in age. (Although so is a 1980 boat!) An Atomic 4 will lower the value of the boat (& raise your insurance premiums) when compared to the same model with a diesel.
But that may get U to the price U need. I know I will take flak for this, but in 30 years of owning & sailing boats there are code words that I avoid like the plague when reading boat ads: "Atomic 4 still runs, classic or original, needs a lil work, fixer upper, or just don't have time to sail her anymore." These have always been code words for "neglected or abused, out of date, never updated since built, money pit."
Sometimes its worth paying a lil more to get a boat in better condition.
I like the old adage that I'd rather sail then sand. That's why I avoid wooden boats & reg. gas engines that are more then 30 years old.
Good luck on the hunt.
I paid around $9500 for mine, & if the boat has never had
any significant upgrades or refit that's about what she's worth.
As a comparison though, My C 30 seller was kinda desperate to sell, being transferred across country. Her loss was my gain as the previous owner has installed new UK Halsey sails, new electrical panel, rebuilt diesel, wheel steering & a host of upgrades. The cabin looked tired, & she needed a haul out, which gave me the ammunition to get the price down. Remember that most boats that have been sitting in a slip for 2-3 years are in need of a haul out to clean & repaint the bottom. You cannot perform a decent haul out & bottom job for less then about a grand. It also makes it a lot easier to determine the condition of the keel join to inspect for the Catalina smile separation crack which is common. Also inspect the condition of the rudder tube & bearing for excessive play or damage from groundings, etc.
I always recommend to new prospective buyers to buy a copy of Don Casey's "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" which has an invaluable lists of items that need to be checked that the novice will never think of. Take a rubber hammer with U to sound out decks for delamination around deck fittings. Take a good flashlight to inspect the engine, trans, bilge post for rot, thru hull fittings & tanks for corrosion. etc. I work as a professional building inspector, & my number one tool are a flashlight & my eyes & ears. Good luck on the hunt, one of my favorite endeavors.
If you are not familiar with sailboats, then by all means hire a surveyor. But they are expensive, & the book I mentioned will help U weed out the bad apples. I personally would not want a boat with tiller steering, as I'm getting older & a 30 ft. boat with a tiller will break your arm trying to steer a beamy boat like a C30 after on hour. I used to have a C 25 with tiller & a C 22 as well, it was tiring. Wheel steering is a huge improvement, but an expensive upgrade. Get a C 30 already upgraded.
Lastly, the Atomic 4 is a venerable & durable engine, but is getting up there in age. (Although so is a 1980 boat!) An Atomic 4 will lower the value of the boat (& raise your insurance premiums) when compared to the same model with a diesel.
But that may get U to the price U need. I know I will take flak for this, but in 30 years of owning & sailing boats there are code words that I avoid like the plague when reading boat ads: "Atomic 4 still runs, classic or original, needs a lil work, fixer upper, or just don't have time to sail her anymore." These have always been code words for "neglected or abused, out of date, never updated since built, money pit."
Sometimes its worth paying a lil more to get a boat in better condition.
I like the old adage that I'd rather sail then sand. That's why I avoid wooden boats & reg. gas engines that are more then 30 years old.
Good luck on the hunt.
if my insurance is higher with an atomic 4 engine i don't see it. regular maintenance keeps the engine running. as my 1976 boat gets older you need to keep up with maintnenance- but all boats need work!
i paid what i could afford for the boat at the time and went thru my "to do" list- updating as i could afford new parts and equipment- even a newer 1993 boat Catalina 30 is 20 years old now?
i paid what i could afford for the boat at the time and went thru my "to do" list- updating as i could afford new parts and equipment- even a newer 1993 boat Catalina 30 is 20 years old now?
I agree that all boats need maintenance whether old or new. That's how older boats like ours made it to being old. But the first thing that any insurance agent has ever asked me about my sailboats is does it have an inboard or outboard engine & is it reg. gas or diesel. My premium lists there in black & white a discount for having a diesel engine, & my U.S. C G. License discount. I use Allstate who have been consistently cheaper when insuring my boats, but not with all other things, like cars, etc. I've heard from friends that there are insurers who don't even want to insure boats that are more then 30 years old, but I hope that's not true, as my 1980 is now 33 years old!
just got my new policy from boat/us $225 for the season- don't recall if that includes winter haulout requirement. would it be less than that with a diesel?
I have a 1981 with a Universal 5411 diesel (also known as a 2 banger) that was the first replacement after the A4. The 5411 is a remarkably simple and reliable little engine. In heavy tides and wind for long (60-70 mile) slogs this has been just fine regarding power for me- thought a bit loud. However, some complain about the 5411 being underpowered and higher HP diesels were introduced in successive model years. In contrast, the A4 seems as good or better by report than the 5411 regarding noise (never does one hear "quiet" as a descriptor for a 2 cylinder diesel) and I have never seen a post lamenting the A4 as being underpowered. The insurance rates A4 vs 5411 seem more or less the same +/-100. More likely related to replacement value and location.
The real risk is the pressurized alcohol stoves of that era. We bought our boat about 6 years ago and after a couple of years I took apart the top part of the stove and replaced it with an Origo nonpressurized 2 burner stove (fits where the old burners were, looks great, and works well). I kept the pressurized oven for cinnamon buns and keeping electronics when boat is docked. Highly recommend this-but that is for a different post.
The M1 boats are a good old boat. They almost always have some water intrusion to the decks and will frequently have blisters and the catalina smile, but unless structural issues identified, these can be remediated relatively easily (and if it doesn't work on the first go-it's an old boat that didn't cost too much-try again). They have quite a bit of wood to keep up, but once cleaned up are quite nice, fairly simple and fun to sail.
R/L
The real risk is the pressurized alcohol stoves of that era. We bought our boat about 6 years ago and after a couple of years I took apart the top part of the stove and replaced it with an Origo nonpressurized 2 burner stove (fits where the old burners were, looks great, and works well). I kept the pressurized oven for cinnamon buns and keeping electronics when boat is docked. Highly recommend this-but that is for a different post.
The M1 boats are a good old boat. They almost always have some water intrusion to the decks and will frequently have blisters and the catalina smile, but unless structural issues identified, these can be remediated relatively easily (and if it doesn't work on the first go-it's an old boat that didn't cost too much-try again). They have quite a bit of wood to keep up, but once cleaned up are quite nice, fairly simple and fun to sail.
R/L
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