Looking at purchasing a 310

[mikeygstl]

We are looking at purchasing a 2001 C310.

Having owned a C30 for several years, I have found that many owners have problems/complaints with design issues of particular boats - for instance on our C30 the compression post and upper chain plates are known areas of concern.

Are there known areas of required maintenance, trouble spots, etc that owners have encountered on the C310 that I should pay particular attention to when doing an initial inspection of the boat?

Thank you so much for any information that can be provided.

-Mike

 

[Witzend]

What year?
Strut alignment. Carefully inspect the centering of the shaft thru the strut.
Listen to the engine for a clacking sound at low RPM, could be a defective damper plate. Engine mounts.
Heat exchanger leak from mounting tab welds failure.
Chin plate leaks, leaks from starboard side hand rail.

 

[CCHer]

Owned my 2005 310 for 3 years and no issues. If you like the boat, get it, you could do a lot worse.

 

[Stu Jackson]

There's a C310 Forum right here: http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/forumdisplay.php?f=111

Read some of those. No issues that haven't been addressed. Great boats.

 

[Richit]

Mine also is a 2005, and I love the boat. The only problems so far are the ones noted often in the forum (fuel filter bracket broke, heat exchanger brackets broke, engine has to be either kept at idle or over 1,200 rpm to avoid excessive vibrations) other than those, no problems with top side leaks. Oh yes, replacing the raw water pump is a pain - lousy design. I keep the boat in the water all year, and with salt water, the pump tends to leak, and the impeller needs replacement each year. Not sure about you fresh water sailors.

 

[mfarinas]

Mine also is a 2005, and I love the boat. The only problems so far are the ones noted often in the forum (fuel filter bracket broke, heat exchanger brackets broke, engine has to be either kept at idle or over 1,200 rpm to avoid excessive vibrations) other than those, no problems with top side leaks. Oh yes, replacing the raw water pump is a pain - lousy design. I keep the boat in the water all year, and with salt water, the pump tends to leak, and the impeller needs replacement each year. Not sure about you fresh water sailors.

HI Richit, I also had the problem with having to keep the idle speed at 1200 until I started adding biodiesel to the fuel tank. Now I have been running a 10% mixture of bio-diesel to petro-diesel (ULS) and the idle speed is at a nice quiet 950 rpm. I have been running with this mixture for the last three tank fulls, since January. So far no adverse effects.