My wife and I as we speak are negotiating on a Catalina 380. We love the boat and it is in excellent condition but....I just read a thread on sailnet concerning the 380 and it was bashed pretty bad on all points. Sailing performance, quality of workmanship, deck layout , difficulty in dealing with Catalina manufactoring, etc, etc. I am going back over to the boat this weekend and give it a much more thorough going over but being on the boat twice now I have seen no signs of water intrusion anywhere, no stress cracks, etc. The boat has made a couple of trips to Florida and the Bahama's from up north so the boat has definitely been used. I know a survey is a must. What do you guys think of this boat. Would love to hear more from the Catalina owners.
Please I need your input!!
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Lots of people who write in to forums (other than this one!) can be "complainers." This forum has a lot of great folks who write about their GOOD experiences.
The C380 is a great boat. Catalina made a few changes over the years resulting in the five different C38X series of boats.
Try this, their owners love 'em.
http://www.catalina380.org/
And if there's something that is an issue or needs to be fixed, you can bet they've "been there, done that."
Good luck.
The C380 is a great boat. Catalina made a few changes over the years resulting in the five different C38X series of boats.
Try this, their owners love 'em.
http://www.catalina380.org/
And if there's something that is an issue or needs to be fixed, you can bet they've "been there, done that."
Good luck.
Some forums are infamous for internet experts bashing everything in an attempt to sound as though they are more knowledgeable than they actually are. Ask Catalina owners what they think as they are the only ones who know. It's been my experience boat owners are not bashful when criticizing their own boat.
when i was shopping for a boat practcial sailor gave the catalina 30 a mediocre review and suggested a cal 30. well, cal is long since gone and my late model catalina 30 has major improvements over the boats practical sailor used for the tests. i am delighted with my boat - 8 years now - and delighted in dealing with catalina and the suppliers - garhauer, seaward, etc. i have never met a catalina owner who suffered the problems you mention. of course you could soend three times as much for a sabre, but the sabres in my club have way more problems than the catalinas.
Thanks for your input. I realize everyone has their opinion concerning what is the best boat. But so many factors play a part in determining what is the best boat for the individual and application. I figured the best people to ask would be the present owners of Catalina's.
I went looking for that SailNet forum and think I found the thread. When I read it, I spewed coffee all over my monitor when I read this from the thread:
I've never stepped foot on a 380, but I own Garhauer gear and have personally been to their factory several times. They are flat out the nicest people and the gear rocks - I have never heard one single complaint from anyone about the quality. I was so surprised I went on a Google search for complaints, and only found issues with their customer service. Now I know their CS department consists of one very hard working girl, but all my experience with them as been on-site and in-person so I can't vouch for that.
On that note, I would discount most of the rants on that thread.
On another note, here is an old review of the 380: http://www.sailingmagazine.net/boat-test/511-catalina-380
Good luck.
i will glady accept that all of my future manufacturer contacts in any field are as competent and patient as mark at garhauer.
I can't speak to the C380, but I've owned a C320 for since 1999. I've been completely satisfied. Catalina owners are generally a very loyal group to the brand, with many being repeat owners.
You will find that in the boating world, there are a group of people who turn up their nose and bad mouth the three major production brands...Hunter, Beneteau, and Catalina. But these companies have sold thousands of boat, continue to grow, while many of the others have fallen by the wayside. It's kind of like saying, your Ford or Chevy is a piece of junk, only a Mercedes, BMW, or Bentley is up to the task. Dig a little deeper, and most of the time, you'll find that the boat they own may be a premium or bluewater brand, but their's is old and really a piece of junk, just like a junker car. You'll find that they say the Hunters, Catalinas, Beneteaus aren't up to blue water standards and most are floating condos. But most of us aren't going around the world in the first place, so a coastal, big cockpit boat, with nice accommodations is what we really need in the first place. So the C380 should be fine. And if one can afford or wants the Mercedes of boats, go for it, but realisticaly, the Ford or Chevy equivalent works just fine.
You will find that in the boating world, there are a group of people who turn up their nose and bad mouth the three major production brands...Hunter, Beneteau, and Catalina. But these companies have sold thousands of boat, continue to grow, while many of the others have fallen by the wayside. It's kind of like saying, your Ford or Chevy is a piece of junk, only a Mercedes, BMW, or Bentley is up to the task. Dig a little deeper, and most of the time, you'll find that the boat they own may be a premium or bluewater brand, but their's is old and really a piece of junk, just like a junker car. You'll find that they say the Hunters, Catalinas, Beneteaus aren't up to blue water standards and most are floating condos. But most of us aren't going around the world in the first place, so a coastal, big cockpit boat, with nice accommodations is what we really need in the first place. So the C380 should be fine. And if one can afford or wants the Mercedes of boats, go for it, but realisticaly, the Ford or Chevy equivalent works just fine.
All boats have their advantages & their limitations. Catalinas I have found are pretty good quality for the money. I have owned 3 Catalinas, A C -22, C-25 & C-30.
That said the bigger the Catalina, I have found it was the better designed and more thoughtfully layed out and hence more comfortable to cruise on. I'm sure we will eventually outgrow our C 30, but I have found it to be very durable & a forgiving boat. While I am not familiar with the newer, bigger Cat's, I am shocked when someone stated that they were not happy with Catalinas service. Their customer service is what they're famous for. I have never known a company that could send U the blueprints for absolutley every part of your boat design, usually with same day, free service. Kent at Catalina is awesome. I have been told by more than one that even Frank Butler himself has answered the phone over there, & he is the owner, now in his 80's? That's what I call dedication. Too bad the rest of American businesses don't show this kind of customer service, or we'd still be #1.
That said the bigger the Catalina, I have found it was the better designed and more thoughtfully layed out and hence more comfortable to cruise on. I'm sure we will eventually outgrow our C 30, but I have found it to be very durable & a forgiving boat. While I am not familiar with the newer, bigger Cat's, I am shocked when someone stated that they were not happy with Catalinas service. Their customer service is what they're famous for. I have never known a company that could send U the blueprints for absolutley every part of your boat design, usually with same day, free service. Kent at Catalina is awesome. I have been told by more than one that even Frank Butler himself has answered the phone over there, & he is the owner, now in his 80's? That's what I call dedication. Too bad the rest of American businesses don't show this kind of customer service, or we'd still be #1.
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