Catalina 390 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 390's hull is solid, hand-laminated fiberglass built primarily from biaxial knitted fabric, with a balsa-cored deck secured to the hull by a shoe-box style hull-deck joint anchor. A small molded bulwark is worked into that joint, and the lower edge is sealed with a soft white rubbery cocking. Below, a fiberglass subsole grid is engineered to absorb the loads of the keel and rig while providing athwartship support, and chainplate tie rods visible in the saloon connect directly to that structural member. The ballast is 7,300 pounds of iron externally fastened with stainless steel bolts reached from a small sump area in the saloon. Catalina offered a five-year warranty against blisters and structural hull damage on the 390, and the hull shape itself is modern, with a fairly long waterline and flat underbody sections that let the boat carry substantial displacement while keeping a shoal-draft option on the table.

Rig and Handling

On the water the 390 shows its cruiser character through an easy-to-handle sailplan that still delivers plenty of punch. The standard rig stands 56 feet above the waterline with 719 square feet of sail; a tall rig adds four feet of air draft and 52 square feet of area for lighter-wind performance. All sail controls are led aft to clutches on the cabintrunk, and the boat uses midboom sheeting with the traveler forward of the companionway. The standard headsail is a 135-percent genoa on a rig whose upper and lower shrouds are 5/16-inch wire and intermediate stay is 1/4-inch, all with swage terminals and Catalina's turnbuckle covers that shield sharp cotter pins. Test sailors found the standard rig moved the boat smartly in 10 to 12 knots of true breeze, pointed inside 35 degrees apparent thanks to the inboard shrouds, and pushed 6 knots on a moderate reach, with finger-tip-easy steering and tacking completed in little more than a boat length anchor. The clean deck aided that efficiency.

Accommodations

Below, the three-stateroom layout places the owner's stateroom forward with a large double berth, a vanity, and a sink—the latter removing the need for a space-consuming second head. The saloon has a port dinette and an opposite settee that doubles as the seat for an aft-facing nav station; a drop-down table turns the settee into a card or office spot, and the dinette table itself lowers to form another berth so the standard arrangement sleeps seven. The twin aft cabins are identical, each with a large double and hanging locker. The galley to port centers on twin centerline sinks that drain on either tack, a gimbaled three-burner stainless stove and oven, a microwave locker above, and 12-volt refrigeration with an icebox reachable from top or front and fitted with an overboard discharge pump. A rubber nonskid sole keeps the cook planted. The single head opposite the galley has a separate stall shower. Teak veneer accents white laminates, and berths carry spring mattresses with window shades provided.

Known Issues

A few operational notes came from period testing rather than structural defects. The midboom sheeting that clears the cockpit does accentuate boom load when the wind pipes up. The stanchions are well supported but a touch short. The single anchor roller that extends well off the bow may need additional support. The dinette table could use some fiddles to keep items aboard in a seaway.

Refits and Ownership

Owners shopping a 390 will find the deck gear on test boats included Garhauer hardware with a mainsheet traveler adjustable through the dodger, plus a Schaefer roller-furling headsail and an optional Charleston Spars furling mast. The standard Yanmar is a three-cylinder 40-horsepower diesel (the 3JH3BE), with excellent access from behind the companionway and through both aft cabins. A dripless stuffing box comes standard and needs little servicing, and the boat carries a two-blade bronze prop as standard with a three-blade available.

The Verdict

The Catalina 390 is a considered coastal cruiser that trades offshore pretension for a roomy, well-engineered three-cabin interior and a deck plan that is genuinely easy to handle short-handed. Its structural grid, visible tie rods, and accessible keel bolts reflect serious attention to load paths, and the sailplan delivers credible performance without overwhelming a cruising crew. It is, as one review framed it, a value-driven choice for a family exploring coastlines and island chains, though better picks exist for long-term offshore voyaging.

Pros

Three-stateroom layout sleeping seven in a sub-40-foot hull
Solid hand-laminated hull with engineered subsole grid and visible structural tie rods
Easy-to-handle sailplan with all controls led aft and inboard shrouds for good pointing
Excellent engine access through companionway and aft cabins
Centerline galley sinks drain on either tack; drip-free dripless stuffing box standard

Cons