[C320-list] Buying a 320

[Chris Burti]

Doug...this was a well written and objective summary in my view. I believe
that with so many C-320 hulls out there and several currently on the
market,  it would make a good Mainsheet article with your permission... if
you agree,  please email me a hi rez pic of you and September Song...

Best regards,
Chris Burti
Mainsheet C-320 Technical Editor
Commitment #867

Chris Burti
Farmville, NC


On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 9:01 AM, Doug Treff <doug at treff.us> wrote:

>
>
> 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.
>
>