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Bob Knott
My 2 Cents
Well first off I own a Hunter 380 so I'm prejudiced, but I have nothing bad to say about the Catalina. It costs more, and I already had a Hunter 280 to trade, and a Hunter dealer will give you more on a trade for a Hunter than a Catalina dealer will. Also the Catalina dealer is a 1 1/4hr car ride away and the Hunter/Beneteau dealer is 3 miles away so the choice was clear. The real diciding facto for me was the Hunter Customer Service department. Whenever you have a problem they help solve it. No passing the buck, they stand behind their product and come through. I can't list all the times I've called Eddie Breedan, the head of their Customer Service department, but it's be more than 10 or 20 over the course of two different boats, and he's always come through for me. Visit your dealer, see what fits your families needs, wants and desires. Buy close to home when feasible, and enjoy the hell out of whatever you buy and don't look back! Thing Spring Bob Knott H380 PS the H380 is a great boat, no regrets!
Well first off I own a Hunter 380 so I'm prejudiced, but I have nothing bad to say about the Catalina. It costs more, and I already had a Hunter 280 to trade, and a Hunter dealer will give you more on a trade for a Hunter than a Catalina dealer will. Also the Catalina dealer is a 1 1/4hr car ride away and the Hunter/Beneteau dealer is 3 miles away so the choice was clear. The real diciding facto for me was the Hunter Customer Service department. Whenever you have a problem they help solve it. No passing the buck, they stand behind their product and come through. I can't list all the times I've called Eddie Breedan, the head of their Customer Service department, but it's be more than 10 or 20 over the course of two different boats, and he's always come through for me. Visit your dealer, see what fits your families needs, wants and desires. Buy close to home when feasible, and enjoy the hell out of whatever you buy and don't look back! Thing Spring Bob Knott H380 PS the H380 is a great boat, no regrets!
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Jay Hill
Don't own either, but...
...2 more cents is better than none. I just saw both at a local boat show and the Hunter is the clear winner. Everything from gear to cabin sole is higher quality material. I was actually shocked at some of the materials used on the Catalina; I found four panels that had formica veneer over particle board. That would last about 2 months in the Texas heat. Engine access, storage, fittings, controls, nav station, etc. all better on the Hunter. Then again, I think it was quite a bit more expensive. After talking to roughly 100 sailors at the show that compared the two (I had a booth at the show) the Hunter won the opinions unanimously. (Even current Catalina and Benteau owners pick the Hunter 380 over Catalina 380 and Beneteau 381 at the show.) I also think resale is better on the Hunters. Two of my clients traded up at the show and got great prices for their boats.
...2 more cents is better than none. I just saw both at a local boat show and the Hunter is the clear winner. Everything from gear to cabin sole is higher quality material. I was actually shocked at some of the materials used on the Catalina; I found four panels that had formica veneer over particle board. That would last about 2 months in the Texas heat. Engine access, storage, fittings, controls, nav station, etc. all better on the Hunter. Then again, I think it was quite a bit more expensive. After talking to roughly 100 sailors at the show that compared the two (I had a booth at the show) the Hunter won the opinions unanimously. (Even current Catalina and Benteau owners pick the Hunter 380 over Catalina 380 and Beneteau 381 at the show.) I also think resale is better on the Hunters. Two of my clients traded up at the show and got great prices for their boats.
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bob
hunter vs. catalina
i used to own a cat 27, and now own a h40.5....i have nothing negative to say about catalinas as coastal cruisers, and feel you will be satisfied with the cat 380....the choice of a h380 comes down to a personal preference for more innovative design, engineering, and styling, including the b&r rig and the arch (now thankfully stainless steel)...i suggest that you review the hunter q & a at this website for a detailed explanation of hunter's design and construction practices...part of the hunter popularity comes from boats that sail very well while being light, airy, and comfortable...i love the feel of openness that the windshield gives our boat below.....one real point of difference between the cat and h 380...the hunter has an athwartship aft double berth in its std model, while the cat is fore and aft....the hardcore bluewater people don't prefer the hunter aft berth approach for sleeping offshore...but 99.99% of my sleeping on the boat is at anchor, and i personally don't like the bottom of the cockpit close to my head which is the result with a fore aft double berth...bob s/v reliance
i used to own a cat 27, and now own a h40.5....i have nothing negative to say about catalinas as coastal cruisers, and feel you will be satisfied with the cat 380....the choice of a h380 comes down to a personal preference for more innovative design, engineering, and styling, including the b&r rig and the arch (now thankfully stainless steel)...i suggest that you review the hunter q & a at this website for a detailed explanation of hunter's design and construction practices...part of the hunter popularity comes from boats that sail very well while being light, airy, and comfortable...i love the feel of openness that the windshield gives our boat below.....one real point of difference between the cat and h 380...the hunter has an athwartship aft double berth in its std model, while the cat is fore and aft....the hardcore bluewater people don't prefer the hunter aft berth approach for sleeping offshore...but 99.99% of my sleeping on the boat is at anchor, and i personally don't like the bottom of the cockpit close to my head which is the result with a fore aft double berth...bob s/v reliance
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Bob Knott
Archless 380
Don't forget the biggest selling point for the Hunter 380 is you can go archless. When I bought the 380 it was the only Hunter designed either with or without the arch. I'm sooooo glad I bought mine without the fiberglass arch since Hunter changed off the fiberglass arch and went with stainless. I always felt I'd have an easier time of selling without the arch since some tranditionalists hate the arches. The 380 without the arch is a beautiful boat! Bob Knott H380
Don't forget the biggest selling point for the Hunter 380 is you can go archless. When I bought the 380 it was the only Hunter designed either with or without the arch. I'm sooooo glad I bought mine without the fiberglass arch since Hunter changed off the fiberglass arch and went with stainless. I always felt I'd have an easier time of selling without the arch since some tranditionalists hate the arches. The 380 without the arch is a beautiful boat! Bob Knott H380
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Larry Long
Or WITH an arch
Having owned boats both with and without an arch I prefer the arch. It allows you to have end of boom sheeting but gets the traveler out of the cockpit. It makes an excellent attachment point for a bimini(or two). The 12-volt lights overhead in the arch are nice too. When I was looking for a new boat I also considered Catalina. I would definitely choose the Hunter 380 again. I have had absolutely excellent support from the Hunter factory and the few minor problems I have had were immediately taken care of. The problems were with The Autohelm instruments, Apelco VHF radio and Lewmar winch. Those problems could have occurred with any brand of boat.
Having owned boats both with and without an arch I prefer the arch. It allows you to have end of boom sheeting but gets the traveler out of the cockpit. It makes an excellent attachment point for a bimini(or two). The 12-volt lights overhead in the arch are nice too. When I was looking for a new boat I also considered Catalina. I would definitely choose the Hunter 380 again. I have had absolutely excellent support from the Hunter factory and the few minor problems I have had were immediately taken care of. The problems were with The Autohelm instruments, Apelco VHF radio and Lewmar winch. Those problems could have occurred with any brand of boat.
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