From: kell@mprgate.mpr.ca (Dave Kell)
Subject: Re: Catalina 30 (WAS: Request for advice ... Cruising sailboats)
Reply-To: kell@mprgate.mpr.ca (Dave Kell)
Organization: MPR Teltech Ltd.
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 19:51:55 GMT

In article <1992Oct2.185914.21533@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>, legacy@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (wayne.m.simpson) writes:
|> 
|>    All Catalina decks are cored with plywood, which makes for a sandwich
|> structure of high compressive strength that, in theory, requires no back-
|> ing plates (I still recommend them to people, though). Catalina decks are
|> very strong, but suffer the same possibility of delamination as a balsa
|> cored deck. You fix them in the same way.

I'm pretty sure the C&C deck would be plywood as well.  I have a 1981 C&C 32
and I'm fairly certain it's plywood (always thought it was, anyway).

|>    One problem with the plywood core deck is that the fibers of the wood
|> are in the plane of the deck rather than perpendicular to it. This means
|> that water will migrate through the wood if allowed into the deck much
|> more than it will with balsa coring. This means you have to be even more
|> careful about deck leaks with a plywood core than with a balsa core. Food
|> for thought.

I believe the end-grain balsa is usually considered much preferred to plywood
(or the older balsa cut along the grain).  It is also quite a bit lighter
and more expensive and is usually restricted to very expensive boats.

|>    If C&C 30's of comparable age and condition were cheaper in my local
|> area than Catalina 30's, I would be inclined to buy the C&C. This from
|> a satisfied Catalina 27 owner. C&C has the reputation of being a better
|> boat. Maybe C&C, a Canadian product, suffers from an image problem in
|> its own domestic market as so many American products do in theirs...

I don't think there's an image problem with C&C boats in Canada.  They are very
popular in Ontario (where they are made), but are not inexpensive.  Newer
boats, particularly, are very pricy.

The Catalinas, and all other American boats, are much more expensive in Canada
than they are in the U.S. and so are seen less often.  I rarely saw Catalinas
around Toronto, although there are quite a few here in Vancouver.

The reasons American boats have been expensive are:

1.  CDN$ is worth .75 - .85 cents U.S.
2.  Import duty (when I bought an American boat in '86) was 12%
3.  There is now GST (Goods and Services Tax) on imported goods (7%)
4.  Provincial sales tax must also be paid (6 - 8%)

When I bought a MacGregor 25 in 1986, new, it cost me over CDN$16,000 for
a boat which was selling for US$7,999 new.

On the other hand, C&C boats (and other Canadian makes) can be sold in the
U.S. for less (in US$) than here (in CDN$).  I don't know what the duty
situation is for exporting to the U.S.

The Canada/U.S. Free Trade pact is supposedly removing the duty barriers,
however it's sure taking a long time.

Personally, I'd be happy to recommend C&C as a high-quality boat builder
who make fast, nice-looking boats.  There are loads of C&C 30's in the
marina where I keep Covivant (including neighbors on both sides).  Considering
they would have cost many thousands of dollars to ship here from Ontario,
it's fair to say that many people think they're a great boat.  I'm not
sure how the prices of C&C 30 and Catalina 30 compare around here.

By the way, I've heard lots of people say they thought C&C quality went way
down in the late '80s.  Anyone have any information?  Let's hope now they're
back in business, they're keeping up the quality (which is what built the
company in the first place).

If I could afford a bigger boat, I'd seriously consider moving up to another
C&C (ooooh, for a chance at a C&C 37+!).  Come to Vancouer, I'll take you for
a sail (especially in the winter...it's hard to find crew to sail in the rain).

dK
===========================================================================
Dave Kell   (604) 293-5753                 kell@mowgli.mpr.ca
MPR Teltech Ltd.                           mprgate.mpr.ca!kell@uunet.uu.net
8999 Nelson Way
Burnaby, BC, CANADA
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