Catalina 315 specifications

May 31, 2004
16
- - Victoria
I’m a tall guy interested in buying a Catalina 315. But I have no access to a 315 in my area. Before going any further in my search it would be very helpful to know the following:
-the dimensions of the forward berth (especially the length)
-the headroom available under both the factory supplied bimini and the boom with mainsail deployed

Any information on the following questions would also be appreciated:
-Is there room for a second water tank and a second house battery?
-What size are the propane tanks?
-The brand, wattage and chain size of the optional windlass

cheers
JohnL
 
Aug 21, 2019
156
Catalina 315 18 Grosse Pointe Park, MI
Hi John, I purchased a 315 last Summer and am very excited about going on trips with her.

-Tomorrow I will be going down to see her (weather permitting), I'll bring a tape measure to get you that V-berth length.
-Since my Bimini is down I cannot tell you how much head room it has for you. I am 5'10" and I do not bump my head.
-I have no clue about the extra water tank. I imagine it would difficult to add though.
-The battery compartment exactly fits 2 group 4D batteries. I plan to replace them with 3 group 31s (2 for the house, one for starting)
-I think it came with a 10lb propane tank, There is room for 2 tanks in the special compartment for then at the stern. I will check that tomorrow too.
-I do have the windlass, I will look at that too.

I can tell you I am enjoying owning it!

Stephen
 
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Aug 21, 2019
156
Catalina 315 18 Grosse Pointe Park, MI
Hi Again John,

-I measure the V-birth as 75" long and 72" wide at the widest.
-The breaker on the windlass is for 70 amps
-The Windlass itself is a Quick Genius 600/D with lots of 1/4 HT chain. Which a bit of Googling, you can find technical information.

I hope you find this information useful.

Stephen
 
May 31, 2004
16
- - Victoria
Thank you Stephen for the help. But what a bummer. A Sail magazine review that I just came across describes the forward berth length as 6’10”. As I’m almost 6’3” that was great news. The measurement you presented not so much. I’ve been squeezing into too short berths for much of the last 45 years of sailboat ownership and it doesn’t get easier. Especially if you are occasionally sharing the foot space with a 5’8” spouse

Another slightly confounding fact is that virtually all of the recent vintage 315s presently on the market have wing keels. Out here in the Pacific Northwest, thin water is not a problem so fin keels are the rule.

We have had 2 Catalinas in the past, a 320 and 34. Maybe I’ll have to return to a 34 despite the fact that I love the design of the 315.

Thanks Sawyer but I saw the specs on this site and none of the info I sought was on the list. Not surprising since I can’t find it anywhere else.

and a question: how many 315 owners take part in this forum?

cheers
John
 

JRT

.
Feb 14, 2017
2,034
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
So I'll ask, why not the 310? The forward berth is an actual Queen size length mattress, the width is pretty close too, but does have some reductions hugging the hull sides.
 
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Aug 21, 2019
156
Catalina 315 18 Grosse Pointe Park, MI
I measured the distance on the mattress itself. It is possible that Sail magazine measured to the aft edge of the bulkhead. That would explain the discrepancy. In any case in the body of the article is this quote:
"...although the V-berth is a bit tight in the toes for a six-footer like me." and also under Cons it says: "V-berth tight at foot ." So I suspect that the measurement of 6'10" is....optimistic.

I feel your pain about trying to find the right boat for your particular situation. I went through that last season. There just is just not a wide selection of sailboats, built in this century, in the 30 to 35 foot range to choose from. The wing keel works great here on shallow Lake St Clair. But, if I sailed where you do, I would probably want the fin keel too. I have yet to take my 315 on a long cruise, but I have really enjoyed her on day sails so far.

There are 18 people listed in the C310/315 group with 315s

I hope whatever boat you settle on works great for you.
 
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May 31, 2004
16
- - Victoria
Very good question JRT. The 310 centre line berth solves the sleeping issue. I followed the thread about your purchase but couldn’t find some of the other height information of us to a person who is just under 6’3”: e.g. headroom in cabin, hrad room under the boom and stock bimini. Any input gratefully received.
 

JRT

.
Feb 14, 2017
2,034
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Under the boom and my bimini I think ypu should be fine. Cabin not so sure, I'm 5' 10" and I think there is only a few inches above my head. I'll see if I can check tomorrow or Saturday. The queen birth sold it to my wife BTW.
 

JRT

.
Feb 14, 2017
2,034
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Measured 6' 2" in my 310 on center. At 5'10" I'm comfortable around the cabin and head with no issues.
 
May 31, 2004
16
- - Victoria
Thanks again for all the input. We finally got aboard a 315 yesterday. It is one beautiful boat. We put in the centre cushion and climbed into the forward berth. No problem. It is only 6’4” from bulkhead to bulkhead but since I’m not allowed to sleep straight out on my back anyway (alienate spouse through snoring or die from sleep apnea...fabulous options) the berth works out really well. And the real mattresses are wonderful. The headroom is only 6’2” throughout the saloon but I normally walk around with a slight stoop from 45 years on sailboats under 35 feet. The boom clears my head even when the boom is lying on the bimini so I also dodge the concussion option, and I have just enough room under the bimini itself. One interesting note. Unless you are sitting on the coaming when sailing, all your visibility is through the dodger windows. In PNW waters, filled with drift wood and floating kelp beds, that could be an issue in the rain.

The headroom and visibility issues aside, we loved the boat. Brilliant design, beautiful lines, lots of storage and an infinitely stronger build than comparable Jeanneaus and Dufours. The placement of the winches and the capacity to slide around the seats when tacking make it great boat for singlehanding. Great anchor locker and a double bow roller. Is the latter standard? Not much room for a second water tank but you can carry a load of extra water jugs in the two big cockpit lockers. What’s not to love?

Now if I could only find a well equipped recent vintage 315 with a fin keel we could make a move. Every boat being advertised at the moment has a wing keel. Does anyone know how many of these beauties Catalina has produced?
 
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Aug 21, 2019
156
Catalina 315 18 Grosse Pointe Park, MI
Just want to say, I am very glad I purchased my c315. But, you are right about the visibility through the dodger. Also, my 315 has only a single anchor roller. Personally, I cannot compare this boat against a similar Beneteau, Jeanneau, etc. My previous boat was a Com-Pac 27, a totally different sort of sailboat.

Mostly, what I found was that there were few choices and most of the boats on offer were not worth purchasing. I actually had one boat broker tell me that I was unreasonable because of my concern, with a particular Beneteau, that the engine hour meter was not functioning. In other words, there was no way of knowing how many hours were on the engine. This same boat also had a hole 3" in the fiberglass, in the companionway covered with duct tape. Another boat I saw had its instruments fried by a lightning strike. The transparent plastic was actually melted! Looking for a new boat was hardly better. The Dufour dealer wanted me to fly across country to meet him at the Annapolis Boat show. One problem, the boat I was interested in would not be there! So, why would I go there?

When I did finally see a boat, in great condition, C315, not too old in the size range I was looking for I jumped at it. I am sure you have similar stories to tell.

Best of luck!
 
May 31, 2004
16
- - Victoria
I found out the answer to my own question. Somewhere over 70 315s out there. It’s a sad reality but smaller cruising boats are falling out of favour.

And I have a couple of other questions that you might be able to answer Stephen...if we can’t coax other 315 owners into this thread. First, does the shower drain have its own pump and thru hull? Are the freshwater tank and pump under the forward berth? Has anyone located reasonably priced fitted sheets for the forward berth? Finally, I’ve been told by a broker that later versions of the 315 have a double anchor bow roller and stern rails that run right up to the entry gate on both sides. Is that true?

spring is coming...
 
Aug 21, 2019
156
Catalina 315 18 Grosse Pointe Park, MI
It is snowy here today in Grosse Pointe, so I am answering you from memory and my handy owner's manual.

-The shower drain does have a seperate drain pump and switch in the head to activate it. The plumbing diagram does show a thru-hull under the head attached to it.

-The diagram also shows that the tank is under the forward berth. But the freshwater pump is just aft of the head.

-Lucky me, a few sets of fitted sheets came with the boat. They do advertise them on the Catalina Yacht Store (Catalina Yachts Store) for over $200 a set. As for reasonably priced ones, you tell me when you find them.

Mine is the only c315 I have ever seen. It is a 2013, hull #18. So, if there has been changes, I really do not know anything about them. Generally, in my experience, boat brokers seem an undependable source of information.

I think that sailing, in general, is falling out of favor. When I first moved here, the Tuesday night races that my club sponsors, had well over 100 boats participating. Now, we get about half that. The first time I went to the boat show here, at Metro Beach, there were quite a few sailboat manufacturers represented. Various local boat brokers brought sailboats they hoped to sell. Just about five years ago, there was a Jeanneau that really taxed my self control! The last time I went, two years ago, there were no sailboats at all. (except for plastic Hobies)

These days, regular people work long hours and have no time for sailing. Those are the ones that might buy smaller cruisers. A real shame too, The Great Lakes has fantastic sailing. I can actually see a another country (Canada) from my dock!





Scan_20200226.jpg
The shower
 
Nov 16, 2012
1,037
Catalina 310, 2000, #31 31 Santa Cruz
And I have a couple of other questions that you might be able to answer Stephen. Has anyone located reasonably priced fitted sheets for the forward berth?
I modified two sets of queen sheets to fit our C310. It was pretty easy to do. Hardest part was accurately measuring the mattress so the bottom sheet would fit nicely.
 
May 31, 2004
16
- - Victoria
Thanks Stephen. Very helpful information and drawing. I have tried to find the 315 owners manual online without success. We had brief access to a 2018 boat last weekend but as far as I know it’s the only one on Vancouver Island

It’s a pity that your experience with reduced involvement in sailing by younger and older folks is evident around here as well. Young folks have less money and older folks less energy. It’s also not irrelevant that new 32 ft boats can cost up to $200,000 US. if we find one we can then worry about the price of fitted sheets Or, as Rob recommends, adapting Queen sheets.
 

JRT

.
Feb 14, 2017
2,034
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
I think it is because the Catalina International Association groups the 310 and the 315 together. Maybe the sub-forum should be updated to say 310/315, but I'm a nobody so I would default to the proper leadership.

 
Aug 21, 2019
156
Catalina 315 18 Grosse Pointe Park, MI
I think it is because the Catalina International Association groups the 310 and the 315 together. Maybe the sub-forum should be updated to say 310/315, but I'm a nobody so I would default to the proper leadership.

I agree it would be nice if the forum was called 310/315, that would avoid confusion. In fact, I would also group the c309 there too. The 309 and 315 are very similar boats.
 
Oct 3, 2011
825
Anam Cara Catalina 310 Hull #155 155 Lake Erie/Catawba Island
The 310/315 Association was grouped by Catalina a couple of years ago, we had no say so.
It is nice that Catalina Direct has FINALLY added 310 to their search line up.
Also here at SBO you can get parts.
We have taken others advice because my wife got tired of messing with the sheets for a queen size bed to buy fitted sheets, after that purchase she states they were NOT worth the money, they may stay in place a little better but not for the price/quality difference!!!:angry::banghead:
But I have also noticed that as an organization we have fewer percentage wise 315 owners belonging than 310 owners but Curt Sawyer is our treasurer and he could address that better.
 
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