Deck Layout and Cockpit Design
The cockpit is the 387's most immediately striking feature. Nine-foot cockpit seats allow a cruising couple to spread out comfortably or a racing crew to brace effectively, and the sheer scale of the space makes extended passages far more livable than the cramped wells that often compromise boats in this length range. A built-in transom bracket keeps the dinghy motor stowed below the sightline, and twin storage lockers at the swim step supplement two cockpit lockers for generous deck-level stowage.
Deck hardware reflects careful thought about long-term durability. Genoa tracks run twelve feet, elevated above the deck to drain standing water and reduce leak risk — a detail that matters when a boat ages. Most deck fittings tap into metal backing plates bonded into the deck rather than relying on through-holes. Critical load-bearing items like mainsheet blocks and stanchions are through-bolted. Lifelines are mounted higher than standard, and inboard chainplates keep the side decks clear for moving forward. The recessed cabintop grabrail is an elegant touch: invisible underfoot from the cockpit but immediately findable when you need it.
All halyards, reefing lines, outhaul, and cunningham route to a sheet-stopper console on the cabintop in a layout consistent across the Catalina range — learn one Catalina and you've learned them all, which matters for charter operations and for sailors moving up the model line.
Rig and Sailing Character
The 387's deck-stepped mast relies on single-point aft and cap shrouds plus a babystay, a setup designer Douglas describes as sturdy and tunable. Catalina builds its working sails in-house; the standard package pairs a furling jib with a full-batten mainsail and Dutchman flaking system. In-boom and in-mast furling are factory options, the latter particularly popular among short-handed coastal crews despite the sail area penalty that accompanies any in-mast arrangement.
Under sail in the mid-to-upper teens of apparent wind, boat speed builds into the sevens as the breeze freshens, with responsive handling upwind and a settled feel off the wind. A hat-overboard drill during the original press trial confirmed good low-speed maneuverability. Under the 40-horsepower Yanmar, the boat turns within its own wake in both directions without throttle manipulation — a practical virtue when maneuvering in crowded marina slips. Motoring at 2,000 rpm produces nearly six knots; pushing to 2,500 rpm is accompanied by noticeable engine noise transmitted into the interior.
Accommodations and Interior
Below decks, the 387 makes its case as a liveaboard-capable coastal cruiser rather than a race boat with a berth. Six feet nine inches of headroom in a sub-40-foot hull is unusual, and the interior flows end to end without the bulkheads and partial partitions that chop up space in competing designs. Natural light enters through multiple fixed and opening ports. Three tables of different sizes can be configured in the saloon; brackets in the aft cabin stow unused tops cleanly.
Joinery quality is a cut above the segment norm. High-abrasion surfaces around doors and cabinetry are solid wood rather than the laminates more typical of production boats at this price point. The sole is a high-density mock teak-and-holly laminate sized for durability. Wiring and plumbing are routed through accessible conduits throughout the hull — a detail that pays dividends during any maintenance period. Four-sided access to the Yanmar diesel is as good as engine access gets on a production cruiser.
The head features an electric toilet, hot-and-cold pressure water, and a separate shower stall — the original 380 was the first production boat under 40 feet to achieve that separation, and the 387 maintains it. The galley sits at the base of the companionway with top- and side-accessed refrigeration, a double sink near centerline, and a logical layout for passporting provisions into the cockpit when company arrives.
Construction
The hull is hand-laid solid E- and S-glass in vinylester resin — a specification that resists osmotic blistering better than older polyester layups. The deck is balsa-cored with solid fiberglass in way of all deck fittings, and high-density foam stringers are glassed to the hull to form a structural grid. Ball-and-socket chainplate fittings are exposed inside the interior and tie into that load-bearing grid, allowing inspection without opening the headliner. The construction approach is methodical rather than exotic, with straightforward materials that any competent boatyard can work with decades after launch.
Known Considerations
The in-mast furling option, while seductively easy to use in practice, carries the inherent compromises of any roller-furled main: reduced sail area compared with a full hoist, a more rounded roach, and sensitivity to the condition of the foil and halyard. Sailors buying a 387 with in-mast furling should inspect the foil and the mast cavity carefully.
Engine noise at cruising rpm is the other item worth noting. When driving at 2,500 rpm — engine noise travels throughout the interior — the saloon and aft cabin receive more mechanical sound than ideal for extended passaging under power. Checking engine mounts and soundproofing condition on any used example is worthwhile.
The Verdict
The Catalina 387 is a coherent, well-considered coastal cruiser that succeeds at exactly what it sets out to do. For sailors who prize cockpit volume, genuine standing headroom, solid joinery, and easy single-handed sail handling over outright speed or race-track credentials, the 387 remains a compelling design. Its construction quality is honest, its layout is genuinely livable, and its deck ergonomics are the work of a builder that has learned from decades of listening to customers.
Pros
- Exceptionally large cockpit with nine-foot seats
- 6 ft 9 in headroom throughout an open, unpartitioned interior
- Solid-wood joinery and vinylester hull construction above segment average
- Full four-sided engine access and accessible wiring conduits
- Inboard chainplates keep side decks clear; elevated tracks and cleats reduce leak risk
- Consistent Catalina control layout across the model line
Cons
- In-mast furling option sacrifices sail area and roach shape
- Engine noise at higher rpm is audible throughout the interior
- Capsize screening ratio of 1.85 is acceptable for coastal use but warrants caution in heavy offshore conditions
