What to look for in a Catalina 30

[sailorbrad]

I have a Catalina 22 and want to upgrade to a Catalina 30. My wife & I want to do more cruising on the BC west coast and I figure this size should be comfortable for us as well as handle most seas in the area. I will to spend up to $20K. There are a number of C30's as well as other types around for sale. What I would like to know is what to look for in a C30. Are there particular years that are better than others? The years I'm looking at range from '77 to '87. Any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Try www.catalina30.com and poke around. Main issue on older boats is the wooden compression post under the mast. All the rest of the "issues" are standard boat maintenance, like chainplates, engine stuff, etc. The older boats had curved traveler tracks, and an improvement is the Garhauer upgrade to a straight track and 6:1 purchase on the traveler control line sheaves.

 

[sailorbrad]

Thanks Stu. Looks like the Mark I was from '77 to '86 and Mark II from '86 to '93. The main differences seem to be straight vs T cockpit, halyards inside the mast and the change from the Universal 5411 to the M-25 diesel.
Anyone know if the hull construction changed or any other points?

 

[rbmcintire]

It's not so much the year, but newer IS better. Features like new sails, new standing rigging, A/C, ice box refrigeration, self-tailing winches, interior upholstery mods, are all worth money. M-25, MXP-25 diesels are more desired. Recent hull painting and repairs, are also valuable. I'd go older if the boat was cherry. I'm partial to tall rig, bow sprit versions, due to Chesapeake conditions. As I read it, BC and the NW are also light air predominant. But still, a Good Ol' Boat is a good ol' boat. Condition and the previous owner is the best evaluation you can make.

Rob

 

[Team118]

Stu's right.

I too had a Cataliana 22 (1979) for 6 years and then 'upgraded' to a Catalina 30 (1977).

Being an older boat, the price was right ($9,500), but I had to replace the rudder, I rewired everything (thanks to Stu :dance and replumbed everything (thanks to West Marine, Jamestown and Defender :dance

The boat has it creaks and groans...but the main thing that would keep me from buying her again are the issues that Stu mentioned.

I just know the compression block under the mast post in the bilge is probably rotten. The keel bolts are a mess and it is impossible to get a socket on them to try and tighten. I have the "Catalina Smile " and I have ground it down and recaulked and fiberglassed the enter keel to stub section. I dread going through the efforts of getting into the bilge and cutting down to the actual wooden stub and redoing the entire affair including the compression block.

Other than that....I LOVE THE DAMN BOAT!!!!

She sits higher off the water than the 22 and I feel SO COOL when I'm cruising out onto the Lake. Of course the 'bigger' boats don't look at me...but so what! Did I say I LOVE THE DAMN BOAT?

I sail alone often on Lake Ontario and the winds pick up and the wave action is always choppy when it does. She rides nice and she is forgiving!

I would go with as new as you can for $15-$20k, leaving money for unforseen issues. I like going on Yachtworld and SBO to look at other Catalinas...keeping up with the Jones so to speak!

Good Luck!
Chris

 

[sailorbrad]

Thanks for the replies. How about how it sails? Anyone know how much different a MK I sails compared to a MKII?
Lastly I'm also looking at a C&C but they seem more $ for a similar yr to the C30.

 

[Me and Boo]

I like how mine sails. Steady, easy and a tendency to head into the wind if you let her loose. A couple days ago I went out, single handed, sailing to the Chesapeake Bay with a 15 to 22 kt wind. We, Boo and me, had a fun afternoon.

The Mk I and Mk II are essentially the same hull and rigging so there should not be much difference in handling.

 

[Maine Sail]

Thanks Stu. Looks like the Mark I was from '77 to '86 and Mark II from '86 to '93. The main differences seem to be straight vs T cockpit, halyards inside the mast and the change from the Universal 5411 to the M-25 diesel.
Anyone know if the hull construction changed or any other points?

The main difference that I focus on is that the late 1987 and up models had NO PLYWOOD in the keel stub. Having had to do that job on our C-30 you would not catch me buying a C-30 earlier than late 1987.... Probably 1988+ just to be safe...

A wet keel stub is one area you really want to focus on in a survey. To date I don't know of a C-30 that has lost a keel but as these boats age, and the keel bolts corrode in the wet plywood, it will eventually happen.... I can't believe ours did not fall of before we dropped the keel and fixed it. This can be a repair, drop keel, replace corroded bolts, excavate plywood and re-glass keel stub, that can easily exceed the value of many early C-30's and is not something to be taken lightly...

 

[adirondackbob]

Brad, for what it's worth, we moved up from an O'Day 23 to a 1989 C30 and have been very happy with the decision. When we decided to go bigger, we looked at a variety of 28-32 foot boats, including Cal, Ericson, and Irwin. The C30 offered a lot of boat for the money and is very comfortable both at anchor and under sail. In the three seasons we've owned ours, I've found her to be very forgiving and stable under sail. Conditions on Lake Champlain can get nasty in a hurry, but our boat has handled them well. As others have said, the compression post and plywood in the keel can be serious issues, so a newer (post-1988) model is probably the safest bet when it comes to C30s. Our biggest complaints are the lack of an aft cabin (the 309, which is the newer version of the C30, has an aft cabin, which provides more privacy when cruising with guests) and lack of a sugar scoop transom (which the 309 also has; I think it was also a feature on the C30 Mk III). Otherwise, we have been really pleased with the boat.

Bob
"Valhalla"
Lake Champlain

 

[DanM]

Maine Sail is right on as usual. I have the last '85 off the line and have to replace the rotten compression block, which was no easy job. Also, I keep a dry bilge, but I do have the plywood laminated into the bilge and that is a big deal that I didn't know about when I was shopping for my boat. Had I known about that I would have went a few years newer to avoid it and the problems it brings to the keel eventually.

DanM.

 

[Brad Woodward]

Brad, I bought a C30 Mk1 last year. It was one of the last ones made, built July 86. It does have a curved traveler which is a slight inconvenience to let the main go to use it, but she handles well. The M25 XP has plenty of power. She had two prior owners, the last on had her for 20 years, took very good care of her and only sailed inside San Diego bay. I had to repair/replace a few things below deck as they were bad due to non-use. The standing rigging had been replace a year before I bought it. The running rigging had never been replace and the mast paint had never been done either. Both of which I took care of as I am an open ocean sailor. Well, coastal anyway. I love her. I would recommend the later MK 1 or later models if you get a Catalina. Brad W

 

[sailorbrad]

Thanks everyone for all the replies. It really helps and gives me more things to consider when looking for my next boat. Brad