Talk me out of a 83 Catalina 30

[GBurton]

So there is this cat 30 for sale not far from where I live. Original gelcoat (never painted) real good shape, well taken care of.

Owner wants $26000

I need a boat for the Oregon waters to be used for PHRF racing and short cruises. Bearing in mind this coast is nasty often....

I have 3 kids (3,7 and 9) and a wife who does not have any sailing experience.

This will be my first "big" boat.

What would you do?

[winddancer88]

Originally Posted by GBurton

So there is this cat 30 for sale not far from where I live. Original gelcoat (never painted) real good shape, well taken care of.

Owner wants $26000

I need a boat for the Oregon waters to be used for PHRF racing and short cruises. Bearing in mind this coast is nasty often....

I have 3 kids (3,7 and 9) and a wife who does not have any sailing experience.

This will be my first "big" boat.

What would you do?

It's definitely a coastal boat, but the Oregon coast might be a bit harsh on her. Sounds like a good deal, though.

[davideureka]

go for it its a trip teaching your kids how to sail wife to

[Jeff_H]

While there are certainly pretty wide variations in the prices paid for these boats, $26,000 sounds really high for that year and model. Typically around here they list for somewhere around $20K and sell for something less. That said, I looked a number of these a couple years ago. Some had been carefully maintained and had some mix of newer standing and running rigging, sails, newer upholstery, updated electronics and deck hardware, and rebuilt engines and so on, and they typically had asking prices closer to $25K and sold for something a little over $20K.

Beyond that, in your sailing venue, and wanting to race you might something is more robust and that sails a little better at the heavy end of things.

Respectfully,
Jeff

[NOLAsailing]

I also took a look at the Catalina 30, though I was focused on the Mark II's (not that there is much difference).

They are good boats at their price point and parts and advice are easy to find given the huge numbers made.

The condition of the boats varies wildly, but an '83 at $26,000 had better be pristine. The boats, with their cavernous interiors, are definitely more suited to cruising than racing, but they have reasonable ratings. If you do plan to race, I would suggest the tall rig with the standard keel.

Aside from the items that should be checked on all boats, pay close attention to the heat exchanger and the oil pan. The original heat exchanger is too small (2.5") and most prudent owners have upgraded to a 3" unit.

Also, the motor sits in the middle of the cabin under the u-shaped settee. Between the motor's location and the shallow bilge, it is common for the oil pan to sit in bilge water for extended periods. This leads to a lot of corrosion and, on a number of the C30's I looked at, the oil pans were corroded beyond repair.

[swadiver]

Is this a tall rig Catalina 30 (bow sprit) or standard? While the tall rig was a $200 option at purchase it will make a difference while racing. The asking price seems a bit high but not too much. They should come down, lot's of Catalinas out there. I just purchased a 86 Catalina 30 in So Cal. Make sure you get a marine, rig and mechanical survey. I got a marine and rig survey and wished I would of gotten a mechanical survey. I had to replace the heat exchanger two weeks after I bought it. Good Luck

Scott
Namaste - Long Beach, Ca.

[GBurton]

Jeff- this is my concern, the robustness of the build, and the heavy weather sailing characteristics.

What would a better choice be in this price range?

Originally Posted by Jeff_H

While there are certainly pretty wide variations in the prices paid for these boats, $26,000 sounds really high for that year and model. Typically around here they list for somewhere around $20K and sell for something less. That said, I looked a number of these a couple years ago. Some had been carefully maintained and had some mix of newer standing and running rigging, sails, newer upholstery, updated electronics and deck hardware, and rebuilt engines and so on, and they typically had asking prices closer to $25K and sold for something a little over $20K.

Beyond that, in your sailing venue, and wanting to race you might something is more robust and that sails a little better at the heavy end of things.

Respectfully,
Jeff

[GBurton]

Standard rig - and thanks for the survey tips. What did you pay if you don't mind me asking? (for the boat)

Originally Posted by swadiver

Is this a tall rig Catalina 30 (bow sprit) or standard? While the tall rig was a $200 option at purchase it will make a difference while racing. The asking price seems a bit high but not too much. They should come down, lot's of Catalinas out there. I just purchased a 86 Catalina 30 in So Cal. Make sure you get a marine, rig and mechanical survey. I got a marine and rig survey and wished I would of gotten a mechanical survey. I had to replace the heat exchanger two weeks after I bought it. Good Luck

Scott
Namaste - Long Beach, Ca.

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by GBurton

...to be used for PHRF racing and short cruises. Bearing in mind this coast is nasty often.....

I think the C30 is a fine coastal cruiser, good for a family, reasonably sturdy, but is not a competitive racer. If you just look at the hull, its shaped somewhat like a bathtub to provide good space inside - a very slow shape. In New England the C30 tall rig has the same rating as a C&C or Tartan 30, boats that perform much better on the race ciourse. For the years I raced my C&C 30 we had several C30s in the fleet, and race after race, we usually couldn't even see them at the finish, although the Tartan 30s would be very close behind (and occasionally in front).
To try to race a C30 will be very frustrating, unless the fleet is full of similar boats.

[swadiver]

GB,

No problem, 25K with full electronics and older radar. However, I have put some $ into her. She needed new sails and running rigging badly. I use this boat for coastal cruising and trips to our Channel Islands, no racing. I would consider my location as light air and Namaste handles very well, no complaints.

Scott
Namaste - Long Beach, Ca.