Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 30 by Andrew Harvilla

Year built	1986
Location of boat	EVERETT, WA
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	less than 10 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1999
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	NO
Gear that's been added	RADAR, GPS CONNECTION TO AUTOPILOT
Structural or complex improvements	NEW ENGINE MOUNTS
The boat's best features	EASE OF HANDLING, INTERIOR SIZE
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	ANCHOR LOCKER DRAIN LEAKS INTO INSIDE OF BOAT. IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN. ADDITIONALLY, THE ANCHOR LOCKER IS DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN. IT WAS TOO WEAK TO HANDLE THE STRESS OF NORMAL USE, THE SEAMS ON THE BOTTOM AND ALONG THE TOP IN BACK SPLIT OPEN AND ALLOWED WATER TO ENTER THE FRONT BY THE VBERTH IN UNCOMFORTABLE AMOUNTS. THE "CHEAP" METHODS OF:1. CONSTRUCTING THE ANCHOR LOCKER 2. INSTALLING THE ENGINE (RATHER THIN MOUNTING WOOD WITH 8 INADEQUATE LITTLE LAG SCREWS). 3. DESIGN OF MAIN CABIN WINDOWS(THEY CANNOT MAINTAIN A SEAL, TOO MUCH FLEXING SINCE FIBERGLASS IS TO WEAK TO INHIBIT FLEXING AND SEAL BREAKGE)4. RUDDER STANDPIPE DESIGN (HAD TO BE STRENGHTENED)PROVES TO ME THAT CATALINA WAS NOT INTERESTED IN BUILDING QUALITY BOATS, ONLY BOATS FOR AS HIGH A PRICE AS POSSIBLE WHILE SLOPPILY THROWING THEM OUT THE FRONT DOOR OF THE FACTORY, TO ALLOW THEIR DEFECTIVE DESIGNS TO PLAGUE OWNERS FOR YEARS TO COME.
Sailing characterisitcs
Motoring characterisitcs	ENGINE KEEPS COMING LOOSE
Liveability	ALWAYS WET INSIDE FROM LEAKS INTO THE FRONT FROM THE ANCHOR LOCKER , AND MAIN CABIN WINDOWS.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	THE YACHT BROKER WHERE I PURCHASED MY BOAT CONSPIRED WITH THE SURVEYOR I PAID TO COVER UP MECHANICAL DEFECTS WITH THE BOAT. THE SURVEYOR I CHOSE WAS TO DO A FULL MECHANICAL AND HULL SURVEY. THEY GAVE ME A SUMMARY WITH WITH ONLY "HULL RELATED" ISSUES. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO THER SURVEYING COMPANY THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY NEVER DID PERFORM MECHANICAL SURVEYS! WHY WOULD THE SURVEYOR I HIRED LIE TO ME? COULD IT BE BECAUSE SURVEYORS GET MOST OF THEIR BUSINESS BY REFERRALS FROM YACHT BROKERS?THIS YACHT BROKER IN SEATTLE IS ALSO AN AUTHORIZED CATALINA DEALER!!
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