[C320-list] Removable panels in forward bulkhead?

[Warren Updike]

I've never heard anyone complain about having the removable panels, nor of
not having them.  Perhaps the desire to mount TV on that bulkhead lead to
requests to eliminate the panels. I'd assume it's a costly feature to
include so Catalina probably had an easy decision to make. Some say the
bulkhead is weaker with them: I can't say.  

As we have the older hull with the "shallow bilge" I can tell you that there
are bilge spaces that don't directly drain to the bilge pump; and some on
the stbd side not at all.  Although, given enough water in the bilge at some
point it will find it's way to the pump; but, who wants that much water in
the bilge.  When we bought our #62, there was water in the bilge under the
table that stayed long enough to penetrate the plywood sole with mildew,
enough to damage the teak and holly veneer. I ended up sealing all the
underside of the sole with unthinned epoxy to seal it, and resurfacing the
sole. The deep bilge hull is definitely an improvement in the above regard.
I'd recommend you make that a priority in your selection.

Another important difference is in deck construction. On the '94s, the deck
where the chain plates pass through, the holes were drilled through the
middle deck balsa material. When plates began to leak, the water would first
penetrate the balsa core and ruin it. On later hulls (don't know year of
change,) these areas are solid FRP and so don't interfere with the balsa
core.  For these older hulls, I would definitely recommend fixing this issue
as failure to do so can lead to some expensive deck repairs and hurt resale
values.

The above two issues are the main complaints I have. Neither of which would
have changed my purchase decision in retrospect, just things to be aware of.


Warren & Pattie Updike
1994 C320 #62 "Warr De Mar"

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Sonntag [mailto:c250 at ricksonntag.com] 
Sent: Friday, October 04, 2013 10:45 PM
To: c320-list at lists.catalina320.com
Subject: [C320-list] Removable panels in forward bulkhead?

I'm considering shopping for a C320 for my next boat in the next year or
two. One thing I've always wondered about is the removable panels in the
bulkhead behind the v-berth. I see that Catalina eliminated them in later
models, somewhere around 1998 or 1999.

Do you have any idea why Catalina removed them? Was there a problem with
them? Any other pros/cons of having them, such as better ventilation?

What other changes did Catalina make to this boat over the years that I
should consider? Are there specific issues that I should check into on
particular vintage boats?

Thanks,

Rick Sonntag
Swarthmore, PA