Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 30 by Joe

Year built	1977
Location of boat	Whitby, Ont
The boat is sailed on	The Great Lakes
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	2005
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Absolutely. The hull is sound. The boat handles well in most conditions. Very good interior space for a couple of adults.
Gear that's been added	Upgraded electronics. Previous owner had retrofitted wheel steering. A new Bruce anchor on a custom anchor bracket. All new plumbing. New electrical wiring. Rebuilt nav station to accommodate new blue seas electrical panel.Mid ship deck cleats.
Structural or complex improvements	No structural work required.
The boat's best features	Handling in heavy air is excellent. Interior living space is very roomy.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The boom can only be 'floated' by using the mast mounted winch. Virtually impossible task from the cockpit. The rudder tube needs re-enforcing due to wear. Recently had a brass nipple from the cooling system break off causing some minor overheating and a bit of inconvenience on a day trip. This is leading to some concerns about the brass nipple holding the oil pressure sensor unit. This is a known problem with the A4.The tank mounted fuel gauge is out by as much as 1/3 of a tank. Interesting feeling when you first notice this.
Sailing characterisitcs	The boat handles heavier air well and deals easily with 5-6' seas. Motoring at 5-6knots is standard with a direct drive and a small three blade prop.
Motoring characterisitcs	Found motoring to be comfortable and reasonably quiet with the old dependable A4. On extended cruises gas supply has to be managed carefully as there is no easy way to watch the gauge.Boat backs well with minimum prop walk using a small three blade prop designed for the A4
Liveability	Great to be on board but some modifications are coming! The cushions need bulking up to make sleeping more comfortable. Need to figure out how to position cushions to make the main cabin into a useful berth. Otherwise, I love just being on board!
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	No dealings.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	The boat is built tough, but I wish it had a chain rail to work with.

Contact
About
Terms of Use