[C320-list] Buying a 320

[Diane]

Ditto that!  Good read!!

Captain Diane Fowler, Gulf Coast Realty,  cell. 239-850-4935.    Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 20, 2016, at 11:47 AM, Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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.
>> 
>>