BoatsCatalina Yachts 30

Catalina Yachts 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1976–2008

With over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built

Designed by Frank W. Butler.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Catalina Yachts 30, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Solé

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a beamy beam gives 25 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 25
CoastalBluewater

2.00 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.00
LightHeavy

291 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 291
EasygoingPowered-up

14.9 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.9
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Catalina Yachts 30, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Catalina Yachts 30 is a 9.1-meter masthead sloop designed by Frank W. Butler and built by Catalina Yachts from 1976 to 2008. With over 6,000 units sold, it is one of the most successful production sailboats in history, featuring a fin keel with a spade rudder, a 3.3-meter beam, a 1.6-meter draft, and a displacement of 4626 kg. The model saw MK II and Mark III updates, introducing features like a T-shaped cockpit and a walk-through transom. Aboard *Sailing Solé*, the crew motorsailed a Catalina 30 from the mainland to Catalina Island, anchoring in 120 to 130 feet of water with 300 feet of chain and rode.0:04 The crew of *Sailing Solé* also installed a 12-volt, 200-amp-hour lithium battery bank and monitored solar output from 200-watt panels using the Victron app.15:39 The vessel sailed at 6.5 to 7 knots with a first reef in the mainsail and a partially furled headsail in 20 to 25 knots of wind and beam seas.watch

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

The channels sailing this model, and where they were last seen.

Sailing SoléSailing Solé documents coastal cruising and technical maintenance projects on a Catalina 30, alongside insights into navigating municipal boat auctions in Long Beach.

Seen 44 times across 6 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Catalina Yachts 30 on video

I KILLED MY DINGHY & MADE BAD CHOICESRemoving a bimini frame significantly improves solar panel efficiency by eliminating shading on a Catalina 30.Sailing SoléWINDLASS FIX & SOLAR PANEL UPGRADE | DIY BOAT WORK A broken wire in a duplex cable caused windlass failure, which was resolved by using a spare.Sailing SoléSOMETHING ALWAYS GOES WRONG ON A SAILBOAT!A windlass switch failure at Cat Harbor forces Andy onto a mooring ball for the entire weekend.Sailing SoléPREPARING TO LEAVE | Catalina 30 Boat WorkA Catalina 30 owner replaces a masthead anemometer and performs an engine oil change before cruising.Sailing Solé🛑 CHANNEL UPDATE! 🛑A Catalina 30 owner details essential maintenance projects, including anemometer replacement and engine hose repair, before cruising.Sailing Solé🔥 Boat-Style Power Upgrade… in My RV?! LiTime Lithium FULL InstallInstalling a lithium battery, inverter, and solar system in an RV follows the same principles as marine.Sailing Solé7 BLACK FRIDAY deals with DISCOUNT CODESA Catalina 30 sailor reviews seven Black Friday deals with discount codes, from lithium batteries to a portable air conditioner.Sailing SoléNEVER GO TO AVALON WITHOUT DOING THIS!A DC-to-DC charger wired with 10-gauge instead of 6-gauge cable killed the chartplotter and autopilot mid-passage.Sailing SoléSAILING & FISHING from CATALINA to LB | GOOD WIND & SWELL | EP83 A Catalina Yachts 30 crew hand-steers through 15-knot winds after the autopilot fails during a coastal passage.Sailing SoléSAILING to Avalon & DENIED! | Anchoring in 120 FEET!The crew anchors Solé in 120 feet of water off Catalina Island after being denied a mooring.Sailing Solé🥶DIY BOAT ICEBOX to FRIDGE Conversion | STEP BY STEP INSTALLATION Installing a custom refrigeration kit on Solé requires careful routing of refrigerant lines and monitoring for electromagnetic interference.Sailing Solé🔥 SOLO SAILING to WHITES LANDING, CATALINA ISLAND - EP78A solo sailor navigates 25-knot winds and beam seas while reefing the mainsail aboard Solé to Catalina.Sailing Solé

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • ReplacedRenogyin place of bifacial solar panels

    The owner replaced existing Renogy solar panels due to insufficient power production.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen May 20261:11

  • ReplacedVictronin place of Renogy

    The speaker is replacing a Renogy battery monitor with a Victron BMV-712 Smart due to false alarms and to gain Bluetooth connectivity.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen November 202410:18

  • ComparedGoProweighed against Insta360

    The speaker previously used GoPro cameras but finds the Insta360 more intuitive.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen November 20258:39

  • ComparedStarlinkweighed against Iridium Go

    The speaker briefly compared the Iridium Go to Starlink, noting differences in speed.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen November 20246:29

  • InstalledInsta360

    The speaker is currently filming with this camera and praises its low-light performance.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen November 20251:15

  • InstalledHydrovane

    The crew was commissioning the Hydrovane wind vane for steering.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen December 20244:36

  • InstalledIridium

    The speaker is considering bringing their Iridium Go, but the boat they are on already has one.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen November 20246:05

  • InstalledRaymarine

    The speaker plans to install a second Raymarine Axiom 7 chart plotter, received as a gift, for convenience during long voyages.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen November 20243:29

  • BoughtOrca

    The speaker acquired an Orca navigation system, including the brain and a waterproof screen, for installation.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen May 202617:32

  • BoughtPredictWind

    The speaker bought SIM cards for their Iridium Go from PredictWind.

    aboard Sailing Soléseen November 20247:06

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Catalina Yachts 30 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
1seen sold
2channels weighed buying one
US$8,750Median asking
US$500–US$17,000Asking range

For sale

  • A specific boat listed for $17,000, with an expected sale price of $12,000-$15,000 if nothing is seriously wrong

    from Lady K Sailingseen July 20233:58

Sold

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
41.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.9
Displacement / length
291.4
Comfort ratio
24.9
Capsize screening
2.00
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
967
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1976–2008
Units built
6430
Designer
Frank W. Butler
Builder
Catalina Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series
Left a multinational, house, and car to live on a 30-foot sailboat | #SAL Clip #1451:32from Hashtag Sal
Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
Singlehanding Through Uncharted Atolls on My Grinde 27'2:07from Wind Hippie Sailing
Maxi Yachts 959.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 9.5-metre masthead sloop produced for a decade, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for predictable coastal handling
Maxi 95: The world's largest 31-footerfrom SEILmagasinet
Contest 319.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA U. van Essen-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio, built for stability and comfort in a compact hull
Becoming the Captain Our Boat Deserves with IYT — Sailing Yabá14:06from Sailing Yabá
Dufour Yachts 319.40 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 1973 masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a comfortable, stable design for coastal cruising
The Perfect Affordable Cruising Boat? (Dufour 31)2:19from Untide
Granada Yachts 309.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 30-foot fractional sloop with a 1.65-meter draft, designed for balanced, performance-oriented cruising
Capsized in 20-meter waves: Are Wiig on the drama in the Southern Ocean | Bearing on Sailing2:53from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Catalina Yachts 30 MKIIIThe final evolution of the series, featuring an open transom and updated interior layout produced through 2008Catalina Yachts Capri 30A high-performance masthead sloop with a powerful sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed by F. Butler for speed.Catalina Yachts 30 (W/BOWSPRIT)Extended by a bowsprit, this masthead sloop offers a 1.62-metre draft and a stable 41% ballast ratio for coastal workCatalina Yachts 25A 7.6-metre fin-keel sloop produced for fifteen years, offering a stable, high-volume platform for coastal cruisingCatalina Yachts 30 MKIIFeaturing a redesigned T-shaped cockpit and updated deck, this masthead sloop offered optional wing keels and tall rigsCatalina Yachts 34A high-volume production cruiser with 1,438 hulls built, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for coastal performance

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Catalina Yachts 30, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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