[C320-list] Buying a 320

[Doug Treff]

Daniel, 

The Catalina 320 is a fine vessel. As with any boat, there are pluses
and minuses with the design. 

Some things I love: 

1. The Aft cabin - Having the Aft cabin really makes a huge difference
in the amount of space on board for accommodating guests. It also offers
more privacy than other boats without this feature. 

2. It's competitive compared to other models. I am continually amazed
how I can hang with larger boats when out sailing. Boats that should
have a speed advantage due to sail area and waterline length, yet I can
keep pace with them. 

3. The Cockpit - nice and roomy for entertaining, and the large wheel
makes it easy to sit outboard and see around the cabin while steering
the boat. Bonus - the walk-through transom. 

4. A full shower in the head. This is my first boat with a shower and it
was a huge selling point. 

Things I Don't love: 

1. Aft Berth is side-loading - Whoever sleeps closest to the door to the
aft cabin will be disturbed when the other person needs to get up in the
middle of the night for any reason. Unfortunately, in this size vessel,
there's no other way to design an aft berth. 

2. Cabin Storage Space - There is limited storage space on the boat. Due
to the location of the batteries and sewage tank, the starboard settee
is not very useful for storing things. I would never put food in there
and you really shouldn't pile a lot of stuff around the batteries. 

3. Mainsheet location - When single-handing, I need to leave the helm
completely to tend the main sheet due to its location on the cabin top.
I generally don't like Hunters but one of the things I've admired about
them is the arch with the main sheet right at the helm station. 

4. Primary Winch location - same as above... Placing the winches 2 feet
further aft would have made all the difference for single-handing. 

5. She rounds up easily. Due to the very wide aft cross-section, when
the boat heels too far, the rudder loses effectiveness, causing the boat
to round up, often resulting in an unexpected tack. Especially
troublesome when considering 3 and 4 above - if single-handing, you
cannot dump the sails quickly while also tending the wheel. The solution
is keep the heel under control through sail trim, and reef early.
Recommend that whatever C320, you buy, make it a priority to properly
rig the reefing setup and practice using it so you can do it efficiently
when needed. 

Things to look for in your prospective purchase: 

First of all, hire a competent marine surveyor in your area. Don't rely
on your broker to recommend one. Find someone who has no "skin in the
game". Many times, marina owners are a resource to tell you who is a
good surveyor. Your surveyor will look for all of the following, but you
can save some money by educating yourself and eliminating any boats that
have obvious problems. Your job here is to locate show-stoppers that
would cause you to not buy the boat. This will save you money surveying
multiple vessels. 

There are very few inherent problems that span across all C320 model
years. She is a good example of a reliable production boat and most
survey problems are due to poor maintenance. 

1. Is it clean and tidy, or a cluttered mess? Messy owners are often
lazy about proper maintenance. 

2. Look for signs of leaks. Leaky decks can be a real problem once the
core gets wet and starts to delaminate. Water stains on wood bulkheads
and floors, drip spots or stains on upholstery. Feel the acorn nuts in
the cabin roof for water droplets. Look on those nuts for discoloration
or deposits that might indicate leaks. Examine the areas around the
chain plates and look for signs of water intrusion. Early models of the
C320 did not have solid fiberglass in the deck around the chain plates.
Some time later, they started doing solid Fiberglass in these areas.
Nobody has been able to definitely state when that change was made.
Anything that looks like it's been leaking for a long time is a
potential serious problem. A good strategy is to examine the interior of
a boat within hours of a rain event. Not always possible, but it helps.
Walk the entire deck and feel for soft spots that indicate serious
structural problems. 

3. Use your nose. Does it smell like mildew, or sewage? Sewage odors
have many causes, but a weak design of the vent line is often a cause of
sewage odors in Catalinas. Easily repaired and is documented on the C320
site. Diesel odors? All these odors could be signs of potential problems
- and of course each smell will have a specific cause. You'll want to
examine what could be causing any odors, because it could be costly to
clear up later. Pull up the floor boards and look for stagnant water or
signs of an oil slick on the bilge water. This could contribute heavily
to any odors, especially fuel or oil leaks. If you find oil or fuel in
the bilge, alert the marina manager and be sure not to turn on the bilge
pump! 

Older 320's may be needing a fuel tank replacement. If you search the
320 forum, you'll find discussions of fuel tank leaks over the years.
Consensus seems to be 15-25 years is about when the failures start in
Catalina aluminum tanks. 

4. If your broker will allow it, pull the forward engine cover and
examine the fiberglass drip pan under the engine, looking for any
obvious signs of leaking. While you're looking at the engine, check the
belt tension, and just look over the engine. Most well cared-for marine
engines are (nearly) spotless, and show little sign of oil or grease
build-up. Yanmar paints everything including the hoses. If you're
looking at a boat that is 20 years old and the hoses are painted like
the engine, there's a strong possibility that the hoses are 20 years old
as well. Look at the raw water pump. Feel around on the underside for
any dripping water that could indicate a leaky system. Take a white
paper towel or rag and wipe around some of the joints in the diesel fuel
system. Off-Road diesel in the US is usually dyed pink and will show up
clearly on a clean white paper towel. You should not find any fuel
leaks. Feel the bottom edge of the oil filter and see if it has any oil
drips forming. 

5. If the boat is out of the water, walk the perimeter at ground level
and examine the rub rail from below. You are looking for any deformities
that may indicate impact damage. The rub rail is made of aluminum and
will show bends and deformities where serious collisions may have
occurred. These may also be potential leaks inside to examine later.
While you're down there, closely examine the propeller and shaft.
looking for signs of pitting or corrosion that could indicate an
electrolysis problem. Make note of excessive paint build-up or peeling
bottom paint, as this will be a job facing you at some point if there's
10-20 years of paint built up. 

6. Examine the hull for repair work and the deck as well. When anti-skid
is repaired, it becomes quite obvious due to the intricate pattern.
Learn the standard anti-skid patterns of the C320 and question anything
that looks non-standard. We have a C320 locally (Annapolis) that was
heavily damaged in a storm and it's easy to see the repairs in the deck
if you know what to look for. When my friend was shopping last year,
this boat was for sale. Closely examine the transom area for crazing
where the swim ladder touches when lowered. There is a lot of stress on
this area when the ladder is being used. 

7. After you've decided to make a purchase, make your offer contingent
on a successful survey and sea trial. Don't skip this step. 

8. Have the engine surveyed by a diesel mechanic, including oil
analysis. Many times this can be combined with sea trial and survey day.
Money well spent, and most marine surveyors are not engine mechanics -
they will usually clearly tell you so. Major engine work or re-powering
a sailboat is expensive and you want to know ahead of time, so you can
make an appropriate allowance in your offer. 

Another problem to watch is a leaking aqua-lift muffler box. You'll need
to have your mechanic check for this during the sea-trial. Not a huge
amount of water, but it can contribute to an exhaust odor in the cabin
over time. 

Hope all this helps, 

---
Doug Treff
Catalina 320 - 1996 - September Song - #350
http://savvysailor.blogspot.com/
doug at treff.us

On 2016-04-20 06:59, dandefrancesco wrote: 

> Hello everyone, 
> I am in the process to take a look and probably buy a 320 catalina.
> I am 6' 2" it is the headroom enough for my height? 
> The boat I am looking at is 1995.
> Seems that has some leaks.
> Any advice in what to look for ans informations about the 320
> Will be really appreciated.
> Thank you
> Daniel.
> 
> From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.