Owner Opinions C30 Mark III - would you buy yours again?

[jimmcgee]

My wife and I are talking about moving up from our Catalina 22 to a Catalina 30 Mark III and I wanted to ask owners their opinions about their boats (both good and bad) and also get some advice on common problem areas to look for and any other online forums that are a good source of info. I did this when we purchased our C22 and it saved us a lot of time and heartache. We're cruisers not racers. We plan to keep the boat at the Jersey shore in 2008 and stay aboard on weekends. We primarily day sail, go out for weekends, and hope to do some week long sails with the bigger boat. Next year we may move the boat to the Chesapeake. Most times it's just the two of us or a couple of friends for daysails.Thank you in advance,Jim

 

[Bad Obsession]

I have a MK II

My Catalina 30 is a 1990 MK II. I like this boat a lot. It is very comfortable and it has the same room inside as most 34 foot boats. It is a big 30 foot boat. It can handle some rough weather and it has a good feel when you are sailing. I single-hand the boat a lot and it is no problem for me. I have a Raymarine S1 Autohelm and that is a valuable piece of equipment. I suggest getting an autohelm on the boat.If you plan to sail on the Chesapeake Bay you probably want to get a tall rig, bow sprit, wing keel boat. Those really add a lot to the boat. A lot can be said for a 30 foot boat with a 3'10" keel. I have been on my boat for 10 days and it didn't seem too small. It is a huge step up from a 22 foot boat (my last boat was a Hunter 22 and I cruised it all over the Bay). Plan on replacing the head in the boat. Catalina uses Jabsco heads in the boats and they aren't worth a crap (no pun intended). I just installed a Ruritan PH II head and it is well worth it (it wasn't too hard of a job). Another thing that I like is a good bimini and dodger. They are great items to have on the boat for comfort.

 

[Bob]

Ditto on winged keel

We set out to find a winged keel 30 Catalina and bought an '88 Mark II model. I believe the winged keel (3'10") was introduced in the first Mark II (1987). Many pros and cons on the winged keel regarding stability, grounding, etc, but, our biggest concern was the ability to get into anchorages and expand the cruising grounds that otherwise would be more difficult even with the 4'4" keel models. For that reason alone, especially cruising the Cheapeake and the ICW, the winged keel version will do just great for you. I also recommend that if you consider the earlier Mark II, that for the 1987-1988 models the Universal M-16 (two cylinder @14 hp) engine replaced the slower Universal 11 HP model common for several years of production run. The M-18 was available for only a year before the much more powerful M-25 three cylinder 22 hp came out, which has been standard equipment ever since. Be mindful that although the M-16 will perform well in coastal waterways, the M-25 model is like slipping into a nice Porsche Carrera with plenty of reserve power you may need in tight quarters. Go with the M-25 power.Good luckBob

 

[jimmcgee]

Mark II vs. Mark III

I agree that the Mark II's are worth a look, but the wife has her heart set on the Mark III transom. Since she's the one who's talking me into the bigger boat the least I can do is "give in" to what she wants. ;DJim

 

[Stephen K]

Transom

Jim, I agree about the transom. My wife and kids really like the walk thru given that we are on a lake and get in and out of the water a lot. I want to point out that some of the later model MKII's have the walk thru transom..mine does. I believe the MKIII's added the "sugar scoop" to the walk thru feature. The II and III are really the same boat...the MKIII just has some cosmetic upgrades (counter material in the galley, stainless hand holds on the deck vs teak...etc. I really like the boat for the room / layout below and it feels solid under sail. The wing keel and M25XP engine would be the way to go for your desired areas.