1989 Catalina 30 Recommended Points for Pre-Inspection

[Klaussic]

Try www.Sailboatlistings.com
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BTW: Funny you sent me that particular link of that 1989 Catalina 30 On Sailboatlistings.com. That’s the boat I was looking for earlier. But when I finally got in touch with the owner, he said that the boat is already sold. And he did several attempts to delete that post but it turned out to be unsuccessful. In fact, it is still posted.

 

[Manete]

Easiest visual inspection are the motor mounts. Look for corrosion. Is these are corroded to the point you can't see making adjustments by backing the nuts, then you are looking at short of $1,000 in parts just for the four mounts. If the boat is out of the water look to see if the shaft is brass (original OEM) or stainless steel as well as any play in the cutlass bearing. This little endeavor, for which I knew of before purchasing an otherwise fantastic '94 boat cost me $3,200 to include labor, a portion of which I negotiated off the asking price. All this is normal wear and tear on boats of this age. It's just a matter of when it gets taken care of - before or after sale...

 

[BillyK]

Catalina stopped putting wood in the keel shoe during 1988, targetting '88 and newer avoids that problem. IMHO, if you want to know if a boat has been really well maintained, look at the engine and the bilge, they don't lie.

my 1990 had a wood mast step in the bilge.. it was one of the first things i had to replace after purchase since it essentially had turned into mud and the surveyor missed it.

 

[BillyK]

Here's my prior boat.. its still listed on yachtworld.. 1990 Catalina 30 Cruiser for sale - YachtWorld

all the things that go bad i replaced, mast step, water heater, fuel tank, trans, battery charger, exhaust elbow, etc..... Engine is in excellent shape.. probably one of the best examples of a 30 on the east coast right now.

 

[Klaussic]

Easiest visual inspection are the motor mounts. Look for corrosion. Is these are corroded to the point you can't see making adjustments by backing the nuts, then you are looking at short of $1,000 in parts just for the four mounts. If the boat is out of the water look to see if the shaft is brass (original OEM) or stainless steel as well as any play in the cutlass bearing. This little endeavor, for which I knew of before purchasing an otherwise fantastic '94 boat cost me $3,200 to include labor, a portion of which I negotiated off the asking price. All this is normal wear and tear on boats of this age. It's just a matter of when it gets taken care of - before or after sale...

Many thanks for the hint. I have started looking closer at motor mounts after you have mentioned it. Every buck put in an old boat is really hard to get back once you sell it.

 

[Klaussic]

my 1990 had a wood mast step in the bilge.. it was one of the first things i had to replace after purchase since it essentially had turned into mud and the surveyor missed it.

I am sort of terrified about mast support structure. Most boats from the 80ies, even 90ies May have some issues in the mast support area (deck integrity, compression post, mast step, cross beam, etc). Make me think to opt for a newer boat where I can have direct influence in the maintenance process. But one can never be sure about anything when it comes to boats. A big hole where you throw your money in, lol. Many thanks for your comment!

 

[Klaussic]

Here's my prior boat.. its still listed on yachtworld.. 1990 Catalina 30 Cruiser for sale - YachtWorld

all the things that go bad i replaced, mast step, water heater, fuel tank, trans, battery charger, exhaust elbow, etc..... Engine is in excellent shape.. probably one of the best examples of a 30 on the east coast right now.

Thanks for the info. Must be a good boat, but am trying to stay within a 250 - 500 Nm max sailing distance to New Orleans. East Coast is a little too far out. Much obliged!

 

[dmax]

"Catalina stopped putting wood in the keel shoe during 1988, targetting '88 and newer avoids that problem. "

"my 1990 had a wood mast step in the bilge.. it was one of the first things i had to replace after purchase since it essentially had turned into mud and the surveyor missed it."

All Catalina 30's have a wooden block under the mast compression post made out of oak and this can rot. What I was referring to is the use of plywood as a filler between the floor of the bilge and the surface the keel attaches to on the outside of the hull, known as the keel shoe or stub. When it rots, it's a pretty big job to repair as the bilge floor needs to be removed etc.

 

[ontherocks83]

Easiest visual inspection are the motor mounts. Look for corrosion. Is these are corroded to the point you can't see making adjustments by backing the nuts, then you are looking at short of $1,000 in parts just for the four mounts. If the boat is out of the water look to see if the shaft is brass (original OEM) or stainless steel as well as any play in the cutlass bearing. This little endeavor, for which I knew of before purchasing an otherwise fantastic '94 boat cost me $3,200 to include labor, a portion of which I negotiated off the asking price. All this is normal wear and tear on boats of this age. It's just a matter of when it gets taken care of - before or after sale...

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I don't remember if these were the exact size but I ordered these for my boat. Definitely ways to save money. Also if you have a bit of know how, you can save oodles in labor.

With that being said I am "finishing" up a refit on my Catalina 30 I bought this past fall and have sunk a large sum of money into it. I could have gotten a way with spending a lot less, but I am refitting it with the idea that I will own it for 10 years or more, so I didn't want to skimp and I added the systems in that I wanted.