Catalina30 vs Newport30

[pbpme]

I'm would like some insight into the sailing differences between these two boats. They are both mid 80's vintage in similar condition (pretty good condition), also similarly equipped, configured, and about the same price. The Catalina is a tiller and the Newport is a wheel. If I could, I would get them both surveyed, and buy the better boat based on the survey, other than that, I’m not sure how to evaluate them?

The Newport30 is:
Displacement: 8,500#
Draft: 5' 1"
The Catalina30 is:
Displacement: 11,000#
Draft: 5' 3"

Are the two boats indistinguishable when it comes to sailing characteristics?

[sailingdog]

Which Newport 30 are you looking at?? There are differences, but from the displacement, it sounds like you're looking at the Newport 30 Mk III. I think the Catalina would be better in heavy weather, but the Newport 30 Mk III would be slightly faster.

[Gene T]

N30 is a better sailor, C30 is roomier. Construction varies from year to year but I would think they are similar in the 80s. I very much liked my N30 MkII, fast boat for it's size and age. I think the C30 came with better hardware. Both are great boats for what they are and can be similarly priced. Cat is still in business if that makes a difference. Wheel vs tiller is another issue.

[Faster]

The C30 is one of the stiffest boats around in that size range, so that may be a factor esp given the difference in displacement - the C30 will stand up better to a breeze.

I think interior wise it's a bit of a saw-off depending on which model N30 you're looking at.

[pbpme]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Which Newport 30 are you looking at?? There are differences, but from the displacement, it sounds like you're looking at the Newport 30 Mk III. I think the Catalina would be better in heavy weather, but the Newport 30 Mk III would be slightly faster.

Yes, I believe the N30 is a MkIII. The N30 seems to have a high cabin to look over when your in the coskpit. I was surprised at the displacement difference.

[BarryL]

Hello,

Where did you get the 11,000 lb number for the Catalina? The ads I looked at list 10,200 or so, which makes a lot more sense for a 30' boat.

I can't comment on the sailing abilities of the Newport 30, but the 28 I had was a very nice sailing boat. From what I have read and seen I would not expect too much difference between the N30 and C30. The numbers (LWL, Beam, SA/d, etc. are all similar). The PHRF numbers are similar as well (185-192 or so).

Down below the Newport will probably be nicer. Newports came with teak and holly sole, padded headlined, leaded glass cabinet doors, etc. Most Catalinas are bare fiberglass / gelcoat, with the deck hardware exposed in the cabin. This isn't a bad thing, but the Newport will look nicer. Newport also came stock with hot and cold pressure water in the cabin and a complete AC electrical system.

You should also be aware of the engine difference and locations. The Catalina has the engine stuck in a small cabinet in the galley. There is very little room to work on it. The Newport has the engine under the cockpit sole, with great engine access. Early Catalinas came with gas engines, then changed to very small (11hp) raw water cooled diesels, then more powerful fresh water cooled diesels. Most Newports came with fresh water cooled diesels, with the Universal M18 and M20 as the most common.

Check the sail handling gear too. Most Newports came with 2 speed self tailing winches, line adjustable cabintop travelers, and lines led aft. I believe that early Catalinas had non self tailing winches, and travelers that used pins (can't easily adjust).

Catalinas seem to go for more money. Newport (IMHO) is a better value.

You can't go wrong with either one if you stick with their intended use (coastal cruising, club racing, day sails, etc.).

Good luck,

Barry

[Faster]

Nice synopsis, Barry!

[pbpme]

Great insight, thanks!

[CapnHand]

If you want to crunch the numbers on just about any boat (mine is missing, no surprise) there's a link here where some guy has put together a data base on about 1300 different models.

He's also got data plots and macros to (attempt to) model what the ideal off shore boat would be, based on the lines of those which have made 1000's of ocean crossings. Does it work? That's maybe a topic for a new thread (gimme a minute).

So, for the question at hand, the numbers for these two boats do indeed indicate that they are quite similar but the Catalina will be more comfy and the Newport will be slightly faster.

[djodenda]

Actually, the engine access on my C30 is pretty good. It only takes a couple of minutes to take off/ open the engine access doors (3), remove the top cover, and slide out the aft cover from under the galley drawer. You can get at pretty much anything that way.

I have a 1984 C30 with an M25 engine (21 hp) this seems to be the proper size for the boat...