W/Bowsprit Catalina 30 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Catalina 30 hull is hand-laid solid fiberglass, with the laminate reinforced by plywood in high-stress zones such as the tops of the cockpit coamings where the winches sit. The external lead keel is bolted to the hull with stainless steel bolts, and its surface is only roughly faired at the factory with polyester putty. The hull-to-deck joint is a substantial detail: slipped over the hull molding and filled with what appears to be fiberglass slurry, it is finished with a soft plastic rubrail carried by an aluminum extrusion held with stainless self-tapping screws, while an integral solid wood sheerstrake laminated into the hull further strengthens the seam. Interior bulkheads are teak-faced plywood, and the hull interior is completely lined, which pleases the eye but blocks any view of the internal structure.

Rig and Handling

The rig is a simple masthead sloop with a straight-section aluminum spar, double lower shrouds, and wooden spreaders on older hulls. The mast steps on deck and is carried below by a wooden compression column. Lower shroud chainplate attachments were beefed up after the first boats were built. On the water, the boat carries a swept-back fairly high aspect ratio keel of the sort IOR racers popularized in the early 1970s, with a high-aspect spade rudder faired into the underbody on a small skeg. She is a very stiff boat, though like many wide modern hulls she rapidly develops weather helm when heeled. A shoal-draft version drawing 11 inches less than standard found favor in thin-water regions, and a taller rig was offered for light-air venues.

Accommodations

Below, the forward cabin has large tapered V-berths that make a roomy double with a filler. The main cabin pairs an L-shaped port settee with a straight starboard settee, and the table folds against the forward bulkhead when not in use. A large U-shaped galley to port holds a standard gimbaled alcohol stove with oven and double sinks, while the engine is mounted under the settee and part of the galley counter, reached through excellent service traps. Opposite, batteries are well mounted under the small chart table. Under the starboard cockpit, a large double quarterberth offers limited headroom over its inboard half. The cockpit itself is large and comfortable, easily carrying the helmsman and four companions with wheel steering, and a big sail locker under the port seat is properly sealed off from the under-cockpit space.

Known Issues

Every boat examined showed some play in the rudder stocks. All showed local deflection of the top of the cabin trunk at the mast step, ranging from as little as 1/16 inch upward. Some owners report leaking stanchions, which is worth noting because the stanchions are through-bolted with washers rather than backing plates. The molded hatch set into the front of the cabin trunk vents well in port but is prone to leaking in heavy weather. The sliding companionway hatch is unnecessarily large, and because the main bulkhead slopes forward the drop boards cannot be left out for rain ventilation. The small cockpit drains are reduced further by strainers, and the engine, mounted in the lowest part of the bilge, is vulnerable to bilgewater. The optional shower and the uninsulated icebox both drain straight to the bilge, and the main cabin is very noisy under power because the engine box has no soundproofing.

Refits and Ownership

The class evolved during its long run. Lower shroud chainplate attachments were strengthened after the earliest hulls, and the bowsprit version carries its own PHRF class rating. Factory sails were available at lower cost than comparable racing loft work. Early boats used the 65-cubic-inch Atomic-4 gasoline engine, with an 11-horsepower Atomic-Diesel offered as a paid option; the small diesel pushes the hull at about 5 knots in a flat calm but transmits substantial vibration despite flexible mounts and coupling.

The Verdict

The W/Bowsprit Catalina 30 is a straightforward, numerous cruiser-racer whose solid hand-laid hull and practical deck gear make it an accessible coastal boat, though its documented detailing and structural soft spots demand a careful survey.

Pros