Design and Construction
The 387’s hull is built of solid hand-laid E- and S-glass with vinylester resin, and the deck is balsa-cored with solid fiberglass in the zones where fittings are mounted and through-bolted anchor. High-density foam stringers are glassed to the hull, and the ball-and-socket chainplate fittings are left exposed inside so you can see them tie into a load-bearing grid in the hull. Catalina built all the tooling new for this model except the icebox, and the builder’s working sails are made in-house rather than bought out.
On deck, the hardware layout shows a clear bias toward keeping water out of the structure. The genoa tracks are twelve feet long and elevated above the deck to stay clear of standing water, and the mooring cleats along the rail are raised the same way. Most deck-gear screws tap into metal backing plates bonded into the deck, which reduces through-deck holes and leak paths, while the mainsheet turning blocks and stanchions are through-bolted for safety. The lifelines are solidly mounted and sit higher than standard, and the cabintop grabrail is neatly recessed.
Rig and Handling
The deck-stepped mast is supported by single-point aft and cap shrouds plus a babystay, and the chainplates are inboard so they stay out of the walking path. Halyards, reefing lines, outhaul, and cunningham run to the cockpit through a sheet-stopper console on the cabintop, and that console is the same unit used across the Catalina line. The standard sail plan is a furling jib with a full-batten mainsail and a Dutchman flaking system, while in-boom or in-mast furling were offered as options.
Under way, test sailors found her very maneuverable in a man-overboard drill, and under power she would turn within her own wake in both directions without touching the throttle. The test boat made 5.8 knots at 2,000 rpm, and as the breeze rose to 18 knots the speed built into the 7s; she felt good both upwind and down and was judged a satisfying coastal cruiser.
Accommodations
The cockpit is the largest the tester knew of in a cruiser this size, with nine-foot seats that could seat fourteen or lounge six. Two storage lockers and two cockpit lockers are reachable from the swim step, and a built-in transom bracket keeps a dinghy motor secure and below sightlines.
Below, the saloon is open end to end rather than broken up by storage partitions, with 6 feet 9 inches of headroom and multiple fixed and opening ports for light and air. The saloon holds three tables of different sizes, and brackets in the aft cabin stow the unused leaves. Interior finish favors durability: high-abrasion surfaces around doors and cabinetry are solid wood, the sole is a mock teak-and-holly high-density laminate, and the window shades tuck behind the grabrails when not in use. Wiring and plumbing run through easy-access conduits.
The head has an electric toilet, standard hot-and-cold pressure water, and a separate stall shower — a feature whose lineage runs to the original Catalina 380, the first production boat under 40 feet to have one. Opposite the head, the galley sits right at the bottom of the steps and feels sensible and welcoming, with top- and side-accessed refrigeration, a double sink near centerline, and good workspace flow.
Known Issues
The one operational caveat from the test record is modest: when the boat was boosted to 2,500 rpm and the tester moved through the interior, some engine noise carried throughout the cabin.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership ergonomics are a strong point. The diesel sits with four-sided access, which the tester rated as good as it gets, and the conduits and bonded backing plates make later wiring or plumbing changes far less destructive than on boats with buried runs. The in-mast furling seen on the test boat and the in-boom option show the deck was laid out to accept roller systems without rework.
The Verdict
The Catalina 387 is a thoughtfully detailed coastal cruiser that punches above her length in cockpit and cabin livability. The deck hardware is arranged to keep water where it belongs, the interior is open and durable, and the handling under power is genuinely forgiving in close quarters. The only noted downside is audible engine presence at higher rpm, and a buyer should simply weigh that against the otherwise easy service access.
Pros
- Exceptionally large cockpit with long seats for social cruising
- Deck hardware elevated and backing-plated to minimize leak paths
- Open, durable interior with flexible table arrangements
- Separate stall shower and well-placed galley
- Four-sided engine access and organized conduit runs
- Tight, throttle-free maneuvering under power
Cons
- Engine noise noticeable through the interior at 2,500 rpm
