Catalina 30 Question? Bottom Integrety by Year?

[Darrelweb]

I have deceided to purchase a used Catalina 30 for the obvious reasons of "lots of room" for what I need.

Question 1: Is there any years of Catalina 30's that have more problems with blisters or bottom defects.

Question 2: What is considered high hours on a diesel engine?

Thank you everyone.

Darrel

 

[jybiom]

My 1977 Catalina 30

has never had a problem with any defects such as blisters. The hull is in excellant condition, as is the rest of the boat. Love it. And yes, my neighbors with other 30's of different manufacture marvel at the room in my 30. in my opinion a 30 TRBS is the best. Engine hrs? My yanmar single cyl. works great and is 31 years young. Keep the oil changed and filter the fuel. Great fun.

 

[Dean]

My bottom was blistered!

My 85C30tall rig, was loaded with blisters. Back in the day the theory was to keep slathering on the bottom paint, even before it was worn off properly. A sandblast job (paid for by a different perspective buyer) removed all the old paint revealing a bunch of blisters. BUT I am/was capable of the repair with some help/advice/coaching from the boatyard guy, I made the repairs for about %500.00 instead of $1500.00 for them to do it. Now the science is in the epoxy coatings to actually prevent water intrusion. So I am actually better than new. You may as well plan on spending some money on the bottom no matter what, unless the owner has just done it. Peace of Mind, the most important part of the boat needs to be right.

Buy it and do what ever it takes!! We love ours. Dean

 

[Don Guillette]

Blisters

Darrel: The diesel engines in sailboats, if properly taken care of, will outlast you and your children. You really can't kill them from use. The old Atomic4 are the same way.

On blisters: They are helpful to the seller. In other words, you can use them to beat down the price. With the money you save, put it into boat stuff that you'll need. I had a 1981 C30 which had some blisters. Not very big ones but they were there. I never really bothered too much with them as they are more cosmetic than everything. I have never heard of a C30, or any boat for that matter, sinking due to blisters but I know a lot of guys that were paranoid about them. They would scrape and fill every last one they could find and after they finished more would appear.

Do a search on boat blisters and then talk to some old timers who work in the boats yards near you to get their opinion. Don't talk to the yard boss because he'll sell you a bottom job!!

 

[Bob]

More prevalent in fresh water

Darrel,


If your using the vessel in freshwater, blisters are more common due to density and permeability. I had a Hunter 25.5 that I pulled out of a Georgia lake and counted no less than 868 blisters!!! Ouch! The cost to repair ran the gamut based on what each yard's policy and practice was for repair. Some go the distance and a bit overboard with lengthy heat drying in a tent, others promote gelcoat peeling, while the majority, "pop, drain, dry and fill". I researched blister repair and talked to a lot of yard folks before making the investment in a good grinder, dremel drill, palm sander and other equipment. I repaired all the blisters and was very proud of the results, but based on the angles (oh my aching back), the dust, the expoxy mess and the sanding, its was an absoulte pain in the butt!!!! Still the savings was in the thousands and the experience precious.

When I bought my 1988 Catalina Mark II I had to repair only seven blisters and went about it like a pro. They were still a point of price negotiation.

No vessel is immune from osmotic blistering, even the high end brands and barrier coated boats. What is critical is what you see during the out-of-water inspection. You can negotiate the cost of repair with the owner as previously mentioned; however, during the survey the owner learns he is now plagued with a blister issue that will be surely aggrevating that can and will impact the selling price.

As for the diesel hours? Many say 5,000 hours is a good marker for a rebuild. Repowering the Catalina 30 with a new diesel can be very expensive, especially if you go to the three cylinder Universal or Yanmar motor. If your looking at an older vessel, most probably they will have a gas powered Atomic 4, which was as dependable as a Chevy, easy to maintain and repair. They are tough engines. Make sure that with any Catalina 30 you look at that you have a marine engine mechanic check it out thoroughly. The cost of that service can save you thousands in the long term. If the engine is nearing a rebuild or replacement, this equates to thousands saved in the negotiation price. Your better to search for an older boat that was recently re-powered. The Catalina 30 is a great vessel with has a tremendous support network.

Good luck in your searches

Bob
Breezin II
1988 Mark II

 

[John]

Gelcoat Blisters Don't Matter!!!!

Everybody should read this article.

 

[sailorkev]

Blisters!

Outstanding article, and thank you so much for posting this! My boat has no blisters as far as I know, but now I can rest easier and not worry about the future. Thanks again!

 

[Bob]

Blister Stigma

Very interesting article indeed, but for the great multitude of sailors blisters are negative and literally a "pox" on their vessel. So when someone says, "blisters", that stigma rears its ugly head and the vessel is suddenly tainted! I agree that gelcoat peeling or removal of gelboat in general is not warranted when it comes to blister repair. I have seen 30+ footers with thousands of blisters and each one was laboriously drained, dried, filled and sanded. The repair is a tedious procedure, but done right can get that hull in like new condition. Their is no cheap or quick way to repair a blistered hull. I would like to know what this, "starch like substance" really is that succombs to degradation through osmotic forces. This according to the author was the force behind blister formation. Either way, no matter how you slice it, I personnally could not relax knowing the hull beneath me is loaded with blisters, nor would I purchased a vessel that was poxed without the seller taking some financial responsibility for the repair. For me the acceptance of a blistered hull would be analagous with a deck full of rusted fittings!

My 2-cents

Bob