Over the last few months sailing and reading Sail magazines. I have noticed that under the yacht brokers adds you can find Hunters,Beneteau and most other brans but it's hard to find any Catalina's. It's hard to think that over the years, sailors will not give up their Catalina's or is it that the others have a shorter life span before it starts costing money to repair and keep afloat? Any comments.
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Catalinas are just right
Catalina does seem to make boats that are reasonably well built and the designs seem well-suited to many people's needs. We have owned our C-310 for just over a year now. This is the first boat that we've owned, we are having the time of our lives. Before we purchased, I found an article in Practical Sailor, comparing Catalina 310, Hunter 31 and Beneteau 321. We had sailed Beneteau 311 and 331 and found them to be good boats. This article convinced us to look at the C-310. We haven't looked back since. There was an interesting observation made in this article: Catalina ownners seemed to more inclined to take the boat our for sailing and to maintain the boats themselves. Hunter owners seemed to be more inclined to have parties aboard and to whip out the credit card for maintenance. The Beneteau owners seemed to be somewhere in between. It does seem to fit what we see in our marina.
Catalina does seem to make boats that are reasonably well built and the designs seem well-suited to many people's needs. We have owned our C-310 for just over a year now. This is the first boat that we've owned, we are having the time of our lives. Before we purchased, I found an article in Practical Sailor, comparing Catalina 310, Hunter 31 and Beneteau 321. We had sailed Beneteau 311 and 331 and found them to be good boats. This article convinced us to look at the C-310. We haven't looked back since. There was an interesting observation made in this article: Catalina ownners seemed to more inclined to take the boat our for sailing and to maintain the boats themselves. Hunter owners seemed to be more inclined to have parties aboard and to whip out the credit card for maintenance. The Beneteau owners seemed to be somewhere in between. It does seem to fit what we see in our marina.
C309 review
Just opened the August edition of Cruising World magazine and read the review of the Catalina 309. They kept comparing it to the Catalina 30, which they said it replaced. The article noted several improvements over the C30. These articles are funny. They clamed the use of automotive style blade fuses, used in the electrical distribution panel, instead of circuit breakers is an improvement? Not one mention was made of the C310 even though it’s identical in size to the C309 and preceded it by 5 years, and in my opinion is a better boat. Its as if the C310 didn’t exist. These reviews tend to read like the newest boat is automatically the best, and superior to preceding boats. New car reviews do the same thing. The blatent intent to hype the new products and fire up interest in very apparent. Anyway, I’m getting exited about our upcoming two week cruise in our “old C310”.
Just opened the August edition of Cruising World magazine and read the review of the Catalina 309. They kept comparing it to the Catalina 30, which they said it replaced. The article noted several improvements over the C30. These articles are funny. They clamed the use of automotive style blade fuses, used in the electrical distribution panel, instead of circuit breakers is an improvement? Not one mention was made of the C310 even though it’s identical in size to the C309 and preceded it by 5 years, and in my opinion is a better boat. Its as if the C310 didn’t exist. These reviews tend to read like the newest boat is automatically the best, and superior to preceding boats. New car reviews do the same thing. The blatent intent to hype the new products and fire up interest in very apparent. Anyway, I’m getting exited about our upcoming two week cruise in our “old C310”.
Jon, there is some info in the archives...
that talk about the 309 when it was first introduced. It utilizes the 310 hull, and that is where the similarity ends (for the most part). It is a good value for the money (coming in at about $10,000.00 less than the 310, and with an inmast Main as standard). I checked the boat out recently and it is nice inside (and is set up just like the C-30)...sure seems like there is a lot more room than our 310 (hull #312), however I'd thought I'd read that some of the tanks are smaller. The deck hardware is not as nice as the 310, nor is the pedestal (although I think it also comes with a collapsable wheel)...oh well, we still love our 310!
that talk about the 309 when it was first introduced. It utilizes the 310 hull, and that is where the similarity ends (for the most part). It is a good value for the money (coming in at about $10,000.00 less than the 310, and with an inmast Main as standard). I checked the boat out recently and it is nice inside (and is set up just like the C-30)...sure seems like there is a lot more room than our 310 (hull #312), however I'd thought I'd read that some of the tanks are smaller. The deck hardware is not as nice as the 310, nor is the pedestal (although I think it also comes with a collapsable wheel)...oh well, we still love our 310!
Archives
I know. I think I wrote some of those initial posts on the C309. I have not seen the boat in person, but I think basically they went backwards a little as far as design on the enlarged functional areas vs seating area below, that was the concept for the C310. I still much prefer the C310 in most every way, but to each their own. But back to the Cruising World magazine review. I just thought it was an extreme example of a sales advertisement disguised as a review/test. I wondered about the comparisons to the original C30, with nothing about the C310. Maybe a comparison to the C310 would not look as favorable for the C309. The article did mention some construction details from Gerry Douglas, like the fact that, as in all modern Catalinas, no wood was used in the structural systems. The athwartship and longitudinal structural members were high density structural foam encased in fiberglass . A stainless steel athwartship beam supports the mast (under the compression post?) I’m not aware if that’s the case with my C310.
I know. I think I wrote some of those initial posts on the C309. I have not seen the boat in person, but I think basically they went backwards a little as far as design on the enlarged functional areas vs seating area below, that was the concept for the C310. I still much prefer the C310 in most every way, but to each their own. But back to the Cruising World magazine review. I just thought it was an extreme example of a sales advertisement disguised as a review/test. I wondered about the comparisons to the original C30, with nothing about the C310. Maybe a comparison to the C310 would not look as favorable for the C309. The article did mention some construction details from Gerry Douglas, like the fact that, as in all modern Catalinas, no wood was used in the structural systems. The athwartship and longitudinal structural members were high density structural foam encased in fiberglass . A stainless steel athwartship beam supports the mast (under the compression post?) I’m not aware if that’s the case with my C310.
Agree with you on the 309
We saw the 309 at the Miami Boat Show and it is an updated C-30 interior in a 310 hull. We noticed that the automotive fuses on the panel that would ordinarily be the location for breakers. At least the fuses are readily available. The boat did seem like a price point concept. Since owning a 310 for a year, it is really hard to go back to the small V-berth.
We saw the 309 at the Miami Boat Show and it is an updated C-30 interior in a 310 hull. We noticed that the automotive fuses on the panel that would ordinarily be the location for breakers. At least the fuses are readily available. The boat did seem like a price point concept. Since owning a 310 for a year, it is really hard to go back to the small V-berth.
Catalina Yachts
We bought our C36 new in 1993 and still sail her today. We have no plans to sell until we are through sailing (I am 63). I stll want to go to Alaska, and circumnavigate Vancouver Island. Before our C36 we owned a C25 (fin keel)for 7 years, and the next owners of our C25 kept her another 7 years. Nearly all of the people we know who own Catalinas keep them.
We bought our C36 new in 1993 and still sail her today. We have no plans to sell until we are through sailing (I am 63). I stll want to go to Alaska, and circumnavigate Vancouver Island. Before our C36 we owned a C25 (fin keel)for 7 years, and the next owners of our C25 kept her another 7 years. Nearly all of the people we know who own Catalinas keep them.
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