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• Sailboat Reviews

Catalina 30

One of the most popular, and least expensive, 30-foot cruiser-racers ever built,but there are some trade-offs..

[Updated December 6, 2018]

The Catalina 30 may well be the most successful 30′ cruiser-racer ever made. Since the Catalina 30 went into production in 1974, output has been steady, and thousands have been built.

The success of Catalina is even more remarkable when you consider that the company does no advertising. You will not find a single ad for Catalina in any national magazine. The company depends on its extensive dealer network and on word of mouth promotion from satisfied owners.

The average boat manufacturer spends between 5% and 10% of gross revenues on advertising. By eliminating that cost, Catalina may well be saving as much as $1,000 to $2,000 per Catalina 30. Any way you look at it, that translates into a lower price in the marketplace.

The entire Catalina line is extremely popular with new boat dealers, who are required by Catalina to represent other lines as well. Usually, the Catalina line is priced about 5% lower than a comparably equipped boat of the same size and type from other manufacturers.

Catalina owners frequently trade up through the line. Some dealers make a policy of offering the customer full trade-in value for a smaller Catalina traded up for a larger one within the first two years after purchase. A remarkable number of owners do.

The line has grown over the years, and Catalina now makes a 22, 28, 30, 34, 36, 42 and 50, all available with either a fin or wing keel.

The Catalina 30 is a typical, fairly light displacement modern design. The boat has a swept-back fairly high aspect ratio keel of the type made popular by IOR racing boats in the early 1970s. The high aspect ratio spade rudder is faired into the underbody with a small skeg.

On a waterline length of 25, the Catalina displacement of 10,200 lbs is slightly above average for modern cruiser-racers. By way of comparison, the Newport 30 displaces 8,000 lbs, the Cal 31 9,200 lbs, the ODay 30 11,000 lbs.

The boat is conventionally modern in appearance. She is moderately high-sided, with a fairly straight sheer and short ends. The cabin trunk tapers slightly in profile, and is slightly sheered to complement the sheer of the hull. When coupled with the tapered cabin windows-a Catalina trademark-this yields a reasonably attractive appearance compared to many modern boats.

Construction of the Catalina 30

The hull of the Catalina 30 is hand layed up of solid fiberglass. In areas of high stress, such as the tops of the cockpit coamings, where winches are mounted, the laminate has been reinforced with plywood.

The external lead keel is bolted to the hull with stainless steel bolts. On most Catalina 30s we examined, there was slight cracking at the joint between the hull and ballast, which is typical of boats with narrow external ballast keels. The surface of the keel is roughly faired with polyester putty at the factory. This must be sanded properly fair by the owner or commissioning yard before the boat is launched, or light air performance will suffer. The hull must also be heavily sanded before paint is applied, or there is likely to be paint adhesion failure.

The hull-to-deck joint is simple. The deck molding is wider than the hull molding. At the outboard

edge of the deck, the molding forms a downwardfacing right-angle flange. This is slipped over the hull molding, and the joint filled with what appears to be fiberglass slurry. The joint is finished with a soft plastic rubrail held by an aluminum extrusion. The aluminum extrusion is held in place by stainless steel self-tapping screws, which reinforce the chemical bond. An integral solid wood sheerstrake, laminated into the hull, further strengthens the joint.

This joint is suitable for use in a boat which is used for daysailing and coastal cruising. We would not choose it for an offshore boat. Any projection beyond the side of a boats hull can be subject to tremendous strains from bashing into a head sea, Despite the fact that the joint and rubrail project only about 1/2″ beyond the hull, there is some inherent weakness in this mode of hull-to-deck attachment.

There was some play in the rudder stocks of every Catalina 30 we examined. This is similar to the problem found in the Pearson 30. It is more likely to be a minor annoyance than a serious problem.

Lifeline stanchions are more closely placed than on almost any production boat we have seen. Double lifelines are standard, as are double bow and stern rails. Stanchions are through bolted, but with washers rather than the backing plates we prefer. Some owners report problems with leaking stanchions. This is easily corrected, as the stanchion fastenings are readily accessible from inside the boat.

The rig is a simple masthead sloop, with a straight section aluminum spar, double lower shrouds, and, at least on older models, wooden spreaders. The mast is stepped on deck, supported by a wooden compression column belowdecks. All the boats we examined showed local deflection of the top of the cabin trunk in the way of the mast step. This varied from as little as 1/16″ to over 1/4″. There was no evidence of stress in the form of cracks around any of the steps, however.

It is difficult to assess the method of attachment of the chainplates and bulkheads to the hull. The interior of the hull is completely lined, showing no raw fiberglass, nice to look at but preventing examination of the internal structure of the hull. Lower shroud chainplate attachments have been beefed up since the first hulls were produced. Owners warn that when considering the purchase of a used Catalina 30, be sure that the chainplates have the new reinforcements installed.

A shoal draft model, drawing 11″ less than the standard model, is popular in some areas where the water is spread thin, such as Florida and the Chesapeake. A taller rig is also offered, and might be recommended in traditionally light air areas, such as Long Island Sound.

Handling the Catalina 30 Under Sail

With the standard rig, the Catalina 30 will be slightly undercanvassed in areas with predominantly light weather conditions. In areas with normally heavier conditions, such as San Francisco, the standard rig should yield good performance. The working sail area with the standard rig is 446 square feet. For comparison, the Pearson 30, with the same sail area, weighs 1,900 lbs less than the Catalina 30. To get good performance in light air, the boat will either have to be ordered with the taller rig, or very large headsails must be carried. If headsails larger than a 150% genoa are carried with the normal rig, turning blocks will have to be added aft in order to get a proper lead to the headsail sheet winches.

The Catalina 30 is a very stiff boat. The combination of a high ballast/displacement ratio, extraordinary beam, a deep fin keel, and a fairly small sail plan produce a boat that stands on her feet very well. Owners consider the boat to be just about as fast as other boats of the same size and type. PHRF ratings suggest that the tall rig boat is substantially faster than the boat with normal rig. With the tall rig, and well-cut racing sails, the boat should be competitive with other cruiser-racers that are actively raced, such as the Pearson 30, the ODay 30, and the Ericson 30-2.

Sails are available from the factory, and are cheaper than one is likely to find either from a local racing sailmaker or one of the big national names. If the boat is to be used only for daysailing and cruising, the factory-supplied sails are likely to be adequate. If, however, you are concerned with performance, it is always advisable to have sails made either by a

national sailmaker with a local loft, or by a local racing sailmaker. The sailmaker who is familiar with local weather conditions, and who probably races himself, is most likely to provide a faster suit of sails for any boat than those provided as a factory option.

The Catalina 30 does not have any particularly disturbing or exciting characteristics under sail. Like many wide modern boats, she rapidly develops weather helm when heeled. The boat should be sailed on her feet. Because she is quite stiff, headsail changes will not be as frequent as with a boat such as the Pearson 30.

Handling the Catalina 30 Under Power

The standard engine for the early Catalina 30 was the workhorse, 65 cubic inch Atomic-4 gasoline engine. For an additional $785, the boat could be delivered with a 31 cubic inch, 11 horsepower Atomic-Diesel. The small diesel is barely adequate power for a 10,200 lb boat. The 16 horsepower Atomic-Diesel might have been a better choice.

In a flat calm, the small diesel will push the boat at about 5 knots. With the old Atomic-4, the boat should easily reach hull speed under power.

Although the engine has flexible mountings and a flexible shaft coupling, there is substantial vibration under power with the small engine. This is felt most acutely in the cabin, because of the midships location of the engine. The engine box has no soundproofing. The main cabin is very noisy under power. Long periods of powering would be uncomfortable for the people belowdecks.

With a fin keel and spade rudder, the boat is quite maneuverable under power, both ahead and astern. With the wheel steerer-one of the most popular options-very little steering effort is required.

Deck Layout of the Catalina 30

The deck layout of the Catalina 30 is typical of small cruiser-racers. There is a small foredeck anchor well. Access to the hull-mounted running lights is via this well. The running lights are protected from damage inside the well by molded fiberglass covers. We are not fond of running lights mounted in the topsides, which often short out. Other manufacturers who mount the lights in the hull could take a lesson from Catalina, however. Neither C&C nor Cal protects their running lights on the inside of the anchor well. There are double bow cleats, but no bow chocks. There are also double stern cleats, but no stern chocks.

Despite the wide cabin trunk, it is reasonably easy to maneuver on deck. The shrouds are placed far enough inboard to allow going outside them on the way to the foredeck. There are well-mounted teak grabrails on the cabin top.

The cockpit is large and comfortable. With wheel steering, it easily accommodates the helmsman and four companions. There is a large sail locker under the port cockpit seat, and a smaller locker under the starboard seat. There is also a fair-sized lazarette locker. The sail locker is properly separated from the under-cockpit area.

The cockpit is too large for offshore use. There are only two fairly small cockpit drains, whose size is greatly reduced by strainers. Despite the fact that the companionway has a fairly high raised sill, at least two of the three companionway drop boards would have to be in place to raise the sill to the level of the main deck.

The strong taper of the companionway allows the drop boards to be removed by lifting them only about 1.5″. In a bad knockdown in really severe weather, the boards could fly out or float out much easier than if the companionway were more parallel-sided.

The sliding companionway hatch is unnecessarily large. This is useful when sitting in a marina in a hot climate, such as southern California, but it is a disadvantage at sea.

Because the main cabin bulkhead slopes forward, the drop boards cannot be left out of the companionway for ventilation when it rains. For this reason, boats used in rainy climates frequently have cockpit dodgers. Otherwise, they become stifling below in wet weather. There is no provision for ventilation below in rain or heavy weather.

There is a permanently mounted manual bilge pump operable from the cockpit. Other manufacturers would do well to include such a pump as standard equipment. Not many do.

The Catalina 30 Interior

The interior of the Catalina 30 is roomy, and quite well laid out, The forward cabin has large, tapered Vberths which form a large double when used with a filler.

A molded hatch which forms part of the front of the cabin trunk, will provide good ventilation in port, but is likely to be a leaker in heavy weather.

The head is quite comfortable. The optional shower drains directly to the bilge. Toilet installations are all optional. There is good storage space for clothes in a hanging locker and drawers opposite the head.

Interior bulkheads are teak-faced plywood. The hull is completely lined with fiberglass hull liners, yielding a very finished appearance.

The main cabin is large and comfortable for a 30′ boat. There is an L-shaped settee to port, and a straight settee to starboard. The cabin table folds up against the forward bulkhead when not in use.

The engine is mounted under the settee and part of the galley counter. Its a tight fit. Access for service is excellent through traps in the settee. The location of the engine in the lowest part of the bilge does make it vulnerable to bilgewater, however.

Under the cockpit to starboard, there is a large double quarterberth. Unfortunately, the occupant of the inboard half of the berth had better be pretty thin and non-claustrophobic, for headroom over that portion is only a little over one foot.

A large, U-shaped galley is to port. A gimbaled alcohol stove with oven is standard, as are double sinks. The icebox is uninsulated except for the side facing the stove, and it drains directly to the bilge. Storage space in the galley is plentiful, although not as much as it might first appear, for the lockers under the sinks are filled by hoses for the engine and water tanks. Batteries are well-mounted under the small chart table opposite the galley.

The appearance of the interior is one of spaciousness and good design, This initial impression breaks down somewhat on careful examination of details. Interior finish is of average stock boat quality.

Conclusions on the Catalina 30

According to Frank Butler, president and chief designer of Catalina, the companys goal is to provide as much boat for the money as we can. The Catalina 30 is definitely among the lowest-priced of the 30′ cruiser-racers. This boat is similar in price to the Hunter 30. For their displacements, these are two of the least expensive 30′ cruiser-racers on the market. It is not reasonable to compare these boats with more expensive 30-footers such as the Ericson 30+ or the Cal 31.

There are tradeoffs to be made when one purchases a cheaper boat. In boats, as in most other things, you may not always get what you pay for, but you always pay at least for what you get.

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Hello I am looking for a Catalina 30 what year do you recommend on Catalina 30 I live in Miami Florida the waters are very shallow here in Florida also I plan to go sailing in the Bahamas

Get a mark 2 or later version (1986 onward?) which corrected some of the initial design issues like replacing the useless curved traveler with a straight one, changing the pressurized alcohol stove to propane , a deeper anchor locker, and having ports that open for cross-ventilation in the forward part of the cabin. They also(I believe) moved the genoa track inboard away from the toe rail to improve pointing ability when heading to windward.

DO NOT buy one with a two cylinder diesel as they are severely underpowered for anywhere but freshwater lake use. Go for the M25-XP diesel. Also get the TALL RIG version which has a larger sail area (better light air performance and racing..) and a bow sprit which moves the center of effort of the genoa forward to reduce weather helm… They make a shoal draft and wing keel if you can find them which draws less water depth.

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International Catalina 30/309 Association

Home of the Catalina 30 and 309 Community

Catalina 30 Review

Used Boat Review By Jack Horner

Several weeks ago I was preparing a survey of a Catalina 30 for a client and found myself looking for other Catalina 30s for sale to help me establish an approximate value. I quickly found more than 75 for sale and was again reminded of the remarkable popularity of this cruiser/racer. Quite frankly, I found myself a little surprised that I hadn’t included a review of the Catalina 30 earlier in this series. Better late than never and perhaps even more appropriate now because 1998 celebrates the 25th year of production of the Catalina 30.

Introduced in 1974, as the big brother to and natural step-up from Catalina’s popular 27 footer, the original design remained nearly unchanged for 20 years. In 1994, Catalina introduced the Catalina 30 Mark III with some subtle changes in styling to give the boat a more “Euro” look. The hull was widened slightly from about station seven (70% of the waterline length) aft in order to incorporate a transom boarding platform and ports were added to the hull sides.

Since 1974, the principal dimensions have remained the same at LOA 29′ 11″, beam 10′ 10″, displacement of 10,200 lbs. and standard draft 5′ 3″. From 1977, shoal draft was offered as an option first with a fin keel drawing 4′ 4″, which was replaced with a winged keel design drawing 3′ 10″ in 1988. The displacement and ballast of shoal draft boats are 100 lbs. greater than the standard draft versions to compensate for the higher center of gravity of the ballast.

By the end of 1997 more than 6,400 Catalina 30s had been built. This is an impressive number, but it becomes even more remarkable when looked at in perspective. Consider that you could combine the production of ten of the most popular 30′ model sailboats built in the US over the last 25 years and still not approach the number of Catalina 30s built. Catalina literature boasts this is the most popular 30′ boat worldwide, a claim that would be hard to argue.

Catalina utilizes a standard lay-up of various types of fiberglass cloth and plastic resin in the construction of the hull. Deck construction includes either balsa wood or plywood sandwiched between fiberglass laminates. The deck is fitted over the hull in a shoe box fashion with a sealant in between. An aluminum rub rail and stainless steel self-tapping screws on about 3″ centers secure the deck and hull together. The keel is external lead fastened with stainless steel bolts. The rig is a simple deck-stepped masthead sloop with single upper shrouds and spreaders, double lower shrouds and split backstay.

Some of the more common problems encountered include deteriorated deck cores, compression fatigue at the mast step, failed wooden spreaders, failure of lower chain plate attachments on older model boats, and leaks and separation at the keel to hull joint. There is also sometimes delamination and damage along the vulnerable deck to hull joint caused generally by minor docking incidents over the years.

The engine of the Catalina 30, upgraded from 11 hp to 23 hp, is located midship beneath the dinette seat. This is, in fact, the best location for an engine in terms of weight distribution; however, it complicates the installation of the engine exhaust, leaves the machinery more vulnerable to bilge water and makes sound insulation more difficult. Except for sound insulation, these drawbacks can be overcome with careful maintenance.

The accommodation plan of the Catalina 30 has been so popular that even though it is one of the easiest modifications for a builder to accomplish, the layout has remained unchanged for 25 years. The companionway opening is exceptionally wide, which, when open, makes the cabin appear even bigger than it is. A cockpit dodger or awning is a must with this design for adequate ventilation of the cabin in inclement weather.

A combination of wide beam, good ballast/displacement ratio of .42, and relatively low sail area/displacement ratio of 15.1 makes the Catalina 30 a very stiff boat under sail. This is a feature many sailors find comforting. Other than developing considerable weather helm as she heels, the Catalina 30 doesn’t have any particularly disturbing characteristics under sail. She is likely a bit slower than some of her contemporaries, such as the Pearson 30 or Ericson 30. If you’re planning on racing, you may want to consider the optional tall rig which increases the sail area by 60 sq. ft. and the SA/D to 17.1. This should result in a much more lively and competitive boat.

There are a number of construction and design features of the Catalina 30 that, in my mind, restrict recommended usage to coastal areas, lakes and bays, but then this is true of many production boats in this class. On the other hand, Catalina founder and president Frank Butler has been quoted as saying that the company goal is to provide its customer with “as much boat for the money as we can.” Size-for-size and feature-for-feature the Catalina 30 is tough to beat. Selection is plentiful, and prices range from the mid-teens to the mid-seventies.

Jack Hornor is an Annapolis-based marine surveyor and naval architect. He can be reached at 410-451-8133 or  [email protected]

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• Sailboat Guide

Catalina 30 (W/Bowsprit)

Catalina 30 (W/Bowsprit) is a 29 ′ 11 ″ / 9.1 m monohull sailboat designed by Frank Butler and built by Catalina Yachts starting in 1972.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Shows rig dimensions for CATALINA 30 with bowsprit option.

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Catalina 30 mkii

The catalina 30 mkii is a 29.92ft masthead sloop designed by gerry douglass and built in fiberglass by catalina yachts between 1986 and 1991..

The Catalina 30 mkii is a moderate weight sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser.

Catalina 30 mkii for sale elsewhere on the web:

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