Catalina 30 Mk III Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Catalina 30 Mk III means weighing a very long-produced design against the specifics of its final generation. Introduced in 1994, the Mk III carries the refinements of a boat whose basic layout had already settled into a 25-year stable configuration, which is reassuring when comparing used examples. The transom boarding platform and added hull-side ports distinguish the mark visually from earlier boats, but the underlying 29-foot 11-inch hull and 10-foot 10-inch beam are unchanged.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available, and ex-charter examples are common. The companionway opening is exceptionally wide, and the cabin plan itself is the long-lived one that remained unchanged for 25 years, so what varies between boats is mostly equipment and condition rather than arrangement.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, biminis, dodgers, and chartplotters are commonly fitted. Often-seen additions include air conditioning, inverter, furling main, electric winches, swim platform, cockpit shower, autopilot, and short-handed setups. A cockpit dodger or awning is effectively required by the design for adequate ventilation of the cabin in inclement weather, so its presence or absence is a practical gauge of how the boat was kept.
What to Inspect
The midship engine placement beneath the dinette seat complicates the installation of the engine exhaust and leaves the machinery more vulnerable to bilge water, while also making sound insulation more difficult. Separately, deteriorated deck cores are a common problem, and there is sometimes delamination and damage along the deck-to-hull joint from minor docking incidents. A moisture survey of the deck sandwich and a close inspection of the shoebox joint fasteners should be standard before any offer.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States and the Netherlands. For a shopper, the short checklist is: confirm the engine exhaust routing and bilge exposure from the midship location, test the deck core for moisture, inspect the deck-to-hull joint for delamination, and verify a dodger or awning is fitted for ventilation. The Mk III rewards a careful survey with a stable, stiff coastal cruiser of proven numbers.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Catalina 30 Mk III. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 10 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $10,000 | — |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $34,900 | +249.0% |
| Jul 25 | 2 | $35,975 | +3.1% |
| Aug 25 | 5 | $29,000 | -19.4% |
| Sep 25 | 4 | $25,000 | -13.8% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $27,000 | +8.0% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $15,000 | -44.4% |
| May 26 | 1 | $40,788 | +171.9% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $17,500 | -57.1% |
| Aug 26 | 6 | $38,445 | +119.7% |
Where they're listed
Catalina 30 Mk III listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 14 (93.3%), followed by Netherlands.
Country view
15 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $25,000 | 14 | 5 | 93.3% |
| Netherlands | $40,788 | 1 | 0 | 6.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 36 Mk II | 36.33' | $ 67,000 | 240 | 57 |
| Catalina 30 | 29.92' | $ 15,000 | 214 | 54 |
| Catalina 350 | 35.42' | $ 98,750 | 148 | 35 |
| Catalina 34 | 34.5' | $ 32,500 | 139 | 36 |
| Catalina 34 Mk II | 34.5' | $ 62,900 | 75 | 24 |
| Catalina 28 Mk II | 29.42' | $ 33,500 | 69 | 10 |
| Catalina 30 Mk II | 29.92' | $ 20,000 | 61 | 16 |
| Catalina 28 | 28.5' | $ 25,000 | 38 | 7 |
| Catalina 309 | 32.75' | $ 74,500 | 37 | 7 |
| C&C 30 Mk I | 30' | $ 15,000 | 25 | 6 |
| Catalina 30 Mk IIIYou are here | — | $ 29,000 | 17 | 7 |