[C320-list] Some General Questions

[BAdams3491 at aol.com]

Here's my two cents:
 
1.  I'm not  on the Chesapeake, so I can't help there.   However, I have run 
aground...backed  off without difficulty.   BTW...hull # 847 and newer have 4' 
3" wings; hull # 846 and older   have 4' 10" wings.
 
2.  I single hand most of the time...it is quite easy.  My  dock normally 
does not have a cross wind, although the advantage of 'six tons'  is that the 
boat usually goes were you point it.
 
3.  No special problems that I know of...mighty fine boats.  Also  you get 
good support from Catalina.
 
Bert
At Ease
#442
 
 
In a message dated 6/29/2008 6:50:03 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
theleibmans at verizon.net writes:

Hello  320 listees,

My wife and I currently own a 1988 Cal 28 and have been  thinking of moving 
up for a little more space. The Catalina 320 is one design  we have been eyeing 
recently and I was hoping I might be able to ask a couple  of specific 
questions (ok there's a general one in there too). I did do a bit  of searching in 
the archives first and I apologize if these have been answered  before.

1. The (2001) 320 we saw was on the hard. It has a wing keel,  and it appears 
the rudder was sized for a deeper keel as it's depth was  clearly greater 
than that of the keel. My current boat draws 5'-3" and I'd be  lying if I said I 
never touched bottom here on the shallow Chesapeake. While  the shallow draft 
of the wing is attractive, the idea of running aground on  the rudder is not 
especially. Has this been an issue for 320 owners? I did see  a response about 
the rudder being designed to "break off" at the tip if  subjected to a hard 
grounding but that seems like a less than ideal solution.  Is there a factory 
retrofit rudder with a shallower draft?

2. My wife  is pretty much a fair weather sailor. The good news is that she 
has no problem  with me going out alone on days when she would prefer not to. 
That means I do  a fair bit of single-handling. I've gotten quite comfortable 
with the task on  our Cal 28. What has been others experience single-handling 
the 320?  Specifically, getting into and out of a slip alone. I sometimes have 
to  manhandle (sorry "person-handle") the 7500 lb Cal when there is a 
significant  cross-wind. Is doing the same with a 6-ton boat feasible? The setup on my 
boat  puts the genoa winches aft where I can easily reach them from the helm. 
I  noticed they are further forward on the 320. Has  anyone relocated theirs  
further aft? If not, what does a single-handed tack look like?

3.  Finally, the usual general question. What are the significant things to 
look  for in a pre-owned C-320 of the late '90s to early 2000's vintage. Most 
boats  have the usual array of issues to consider: leaks around chainplates and 
 hatches, hull blistering, rudder delamination, etc. Are there any special 
ones  to keep an eye out for (a particular year with electrical issues or engine 
 problems for example)?

Thanks in  advance,

Larry




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