The galley is comfortable and the counter with the sink sits over the engine, enabling excellent engine access—unusual for a 40foot boat.
A roomy cockpit was another advantage of the Catalina 30.
pressure water, engine and electric hot water heater, Norcold refrigeration, and a CNG stove and oven. A few years ago, I installed a PSS dripless stuffing box. Now Rhombus has a dry bilge, which requires me to search for the source of any water that shows up there.
Cruising Evangelism Popular as she may be, a Catalina 30 is not a “bluewater” cruiser. She is a terrific coastal cruiser, most often and best found near shore or on inland lakes and rivers. However, while understanding her structural limitations, Rhombus
Catalina 30 Problems to Look Out For Catalina Yachts improved the design and construction as the models changed during the yacht’s long production run. Most often-mentioned serious problems, particularly with older models, involve deteriorated deck cores, hull/keel separation (the famous Catalina smile), mast step problems, and deterioration of the mast compression support in the bilge. Rhombus has experienced only problems with the core surrounding the mast step, and the conduit (a PVC tube), containing the VHF antenna and mast wiring. Uncorrected, water intrusion from the mast would eventually have deteriorated the mast support in the bilge, a real tough fix. The wood support was replaced by a metal one in later boats. The deteriorated core under the mast step was repaired with structural epoxy during rerigging, and the area around the conduit was sealed. A water escape hole was also drilled at the base of the mast. The fix corrected seemingly unrelated and troublesome leaks all over the boat, as water had been getting in between the boat’s inner and outer shells, only to find its way out wherever it could. Many Catalina 30 owners possess a compendium of problems, fixes, and modifications submitted by owners called “Tech Talk,” compiled by Dick Dickens and informally distributed. I have the seventh edition, updated in 2001, available on DVD. I haven’t found any troublesome Catalina 30 topic that is not discussed in Tech Talk. (Any SOUTHWINDS reader/Catalina 30 owner who would like a copy, can contact the author at fredbraman@hotmail.com. I’ll copy and send a DVD to you for the cost of doing so.) The Catalina 30 also has a very active and helpful owner’s association (www.catalina30.com). News & Views for Southern Sailors
SOUTHWINDS
December 2014
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