Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 30 by Thomas

Year built	1988
Location of boat	Friday Harbor, WA
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2003
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Most definitely.
Gear that's been added	None at this time.
Structural or complex improvements	No
The boat's best features	Interior layout, rigging setup, comfortable cockpit - yes, the cabin sides slant and rain can come in, but it's worth it when you can kick back on a sunny day, timeless design.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	First on my list is to replace the thru-hulls. They are not that sturdy and are prone to some seepage. I am also upgrading the wiring and shore power/charger system, which is a little too basic. I don't like it that the batteries are located under the settee w/no ventilation to the outside. Also will be installing backup plates for winches and cleats - just washers for backup. It is somewhat underwinched as well. It really needs a mid-ship cleat for a number of reasons, and I will be installing those come spring. A lot of usable storage area has not been utilized due to location of thru-hulls.
Sailing characterisitcs	Tends towards a little weather helm, which I like. Very stable and forgiving. A cruiser.
Motoring characterisitcs	A little underpowered with the Universal M18. Might switch to a 3 blade prop. Watch the tides, they can be your friend. Noisy down below!
Liveability	Excellent. Plenty of places to stretch out - room for company and guests - great layout in general.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	I love my boat for a number of reasons, not the least of which is excellent support and information from sites such as this; parts availabilty; upgrades are available and are not that complicated to do; great support from the factory.

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