Okay, fun seekers, after a year of diligent research my choice for a coastal Carolina cruiser, based in Oriental NC (after Southport decided their stuff don't stink) in the 30 foot range, I decided a Catalina 30 was my best target. However a friend's Irwin 30 is now for sell. Completely refitted in 2005 with new Beta and all related components, standing rigging, hill and deck refinished... a COMPLETE refit inside and out with full documentation via photos and detail description. My sailing will be mostly solo in the Oriental sailing grounds with occasional runs out to Morehead City and up/down Carolina coast. My question: If in comparable condition, which is the better boat for this area. I do plan to do some club type racing if I can find a group that's not too anal. So, Catalina 30 or Irwin 30?
Catalina vs Irwin
- Thread starter TanzerTom
- Start date
This opinion has nothing to do with Oriental, but everything to do with the boat. You know the work that has gone into the Irwin and he has already done the heavy lifting. Personally, I think that knowledge is worth enough to push the scale heavily on the Irwin side. No bias against the great C30, just what you know vs what you don't. As far as racing, any PHRF adjustment will take care of any speed differential... either way. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply. I included the area to avoid the blue water vs cheap plastic horsecrap. I know some Irwins had some "issues" and the Catalina is a known quantity. I agree condition is everything and this Irwin has been essentially rebuilt inside and out. One concern I have is that the Irwin's cockpit drains into the bilge and there is no easy fix. Dead pump battery in a heavy rain!?!?! Have never sailed the Catalina and just wonder how that wide hull will pound in the short chop you get on large, fairly shallow sounds.
Surely your gonna sail the cat 30 to help you decide if u serious buyer and an owner wants to sell they will let ya go out in it my current boat scheduled sail met seller he gave us keys with $100 deposit let me sail around all weekend I found 5 things wrong offered him $5000 less than he ask he aggreed bout by current boat
Very, very few sellers would agree to that. I know I never would.
Typically there will be a sea trial once an offer has been made and accepted. But this just confirms that the basic operations of boat (e.g., rigging, engine, steering, etc.) are functional. You will not be able to tell a great deal about the boat's handling in a variety of different conditions. For that you would have to sail the boat over a period of time or at least get honest feedback from owners who are willing to be candid about the strengths and weaknesses of the design. The Catalina 30 list through Yahoo has some really good people on it and I think they will give a fair assessment of the boat.
Exactly. You're not setting foot alone on my boat until it's your boat.
our son once owned a boat with a similar drain to the bilge. It was a simple matter to install a transom thruhull and connect it to the drain fitting. I don't think that should be a serious consideration.
Thanks for giving me credit on taking a test sail (sea trial seems a bit... well, you know). And you are right. I've been researching this for over two years but find very very little commentary about overall sailing characteristics, and handling in different situations. Racing sailors are all over this... but not cruisers. The main discussion on most sites is how to fix something that broke.
You are right about this. But the simple truth is that MOST production cruisers of similar vintage and size sail similarly. Rare to find a boat with a huge vice. Racers might take note of minor things. But most people will not notice any difference that they would prescribe as being better or worse.
Right on with knowing what you know! The Irwin will be hard to turn down for that very reason. Coming from racing one design catamarans (Isotope and NACRA) then to a Tanzer 26 and a San Juan 24, I enjoy the FEEL of the boat. With a wheel instead of a tiller, this Irwin has never excited me, but no cruise likely will... I cannot get my dream boat, a Contessa 32, so the last while has been spent exploring best alternative compromises. I had settled on finding a cat 30 until this Erwin came along.
Yeah, I guess I knew this and just needed to see it confirmed by others. The Irwin is in too good condition to walk away from and you have confirmed my thoughts that there is likely not much performance difference... the double wide cat 30 behavior in chop was a concern. The Irwin has handled short chop fairly well. Guess the key thing is I do know this boat. Others will be a crap shoot or survey costs not reasonable for the price range I'm looking in.
If you are planning to insure the boat, you have no choice but to have it minimally surveyed.
I've noticed 3 models of 30-ft Irwins: Irwin 30, Irwin 30 Competition, 30 Irwin Citation. I noticed the last as the model with wheel steering; so, is that your boat?
It depends. I had our 1989 Hunter 30 surveyed and I was told by Boat US that they didn't need the survey. They never asked for it so I never gave them a copy. If the survey is just for insurance, ask if you need it before you spend the money. I do know there are several insurance companies who don't ask for a survey.
Ken
Fair points, but I'll likely just have liability. In this age and price range, most insurance would just total the boat. Besides, with the Irwin, there is not much a survey would tell me I don't already know.
boat us let me do a self survey I took pictures of the inside outside the engine and engine compartment elec systems and batteries the rigging and filled out a form and everything was cool