W/Bowsprit Catalina 30 Buyer's Guide
The W/Bowsprit Catalina 30 on the used market is the bowsprit variant of Catalina Yachts' long-running 30-foot cruiser-racer, a Frank Butler masthead sloop whose loaded length runs about 32 feet. A buyer shopping used W/Bowsprit Catalina 30s is looking at a boat built in volume from the mid-1970s onward, with a solid fiberglass hull, lead keel, and a deck layout that rewards a careful walk-through more than a spec-sheet glance.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most examples follow the standard interior: forward V-berths that join into a double with a filler, an L-shaped settee to port and straight settee to starboard in the main cabin, a U-shaped galley to port with a gimbaled alcohol stove and double sinks, and a large double quarterberth under the starboard cockpit. The powerplant is installed beneath the settee and a portion of the galley counter, reached through traps. A shoal-draft keel drawing 11 inches less than standard appeared for thin-water cruising, and a taller rig was offered for light-air regions.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Spinnakers and asymmetric spinnakers are commonly fitted, useful given the bowsprit's 19-foot-9-inch whisker pole and class spinnaker pole dimensions. A freezer is also commonly fitted, a meaningful upgrade for a boat whose original icebox was uninsulated except against the stove and drained to the bilge. Beyond those, expect standard double lifelines, bow and stern rails, teak cabin-top grabrails, and a cockpit-mounted manual bilge pump.
What to Inspect
Every surveyed Catalina 30 showed some play in the rudder stocks, so grip the blade and check for movement at the top. All examined boats also showed local deflection of the cabin trunk at the mast step, from as little as 1/16 inch and up, so look for a slight dip or crazing where the compression column lands. Some owners report leaking stanchions; because they are through-bolted with washers rather than backing plates, probe the deck around each base for softness or staining. The molded forward cabin-trunk hatch is a leaker in heavy weather, so inspect its gasket and the overhead below for past water marks. The companionway hatch is oversized and the forward-sloping bulkhead prevents leaving boards out in rain, so confirm the slides and drop-board fit. With only two small cockpit drains choked by strainers, test them for flow. The engine sits in the lowest part of the bilge, so smell for bilgewater and check mounts; the uninsulated icebox and optional shower both drain to the bilge, so trace those lines for odor or corrosion.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. Before you commit:
- Check the rudder stock for play at the top.
- Look for cabin-trunk deflection at the mast step.
- Test stanchion bases for deck softness.
- Inspect the forward molded hatch for leak stains.
- Confirm cockpit drain flow past the strainers.
- Smell the bilge for water around the engine.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the W/Bowsprit Catalina 30. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 26 | 1 | $9,500 | — |
Where they're listed
W/Bowsprit Catalina 30 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $9,500 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
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 30 | 29.92' | $ 15,000 | 219 | 60 |
| Catalina 34 | 34.5' | $ 33,250 | 152 | 46 |
| Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 30 | 31.08' | $ 55,038 | 122 | 38 |
| Hunter Marine 31 | 31.33' | $ 22,500 | 76 | 19 |
| Judel/Vrolijk J/30 | 29.83' | $ 14,750 | 22 | 1 |
| Tartan 30 | 29.92' | $ 10,200 | 18 | 5 |
| Pearson 30 | 29.79' | $ 7,000 | 17 | 6 |
| ODay 30 | 29.92' | $ 14,950 | 12 | 5 |
| Laguna 30 | 29.96' | $ 14,900 | 8 | 4 |
| Hunter 30 T | 30.08' | $ 29,449 | 8 | 3 |
| Catalina Catalina 30You are here | — | $ 9,500 | 1 | 0 |