Association Forum - catalina 309/boston boat show

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

catalina 309/boston boat show

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

coldducks
Captain

Member Avatar

USA
342 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/24/2006 : 05:56:29

we went to to boston boat show last night. catalina has introduced the 309. according to the salesman, it was just rolled out last saturday. what a beautiful boat. now being just the first mate, i cant speak too much to the diesel engine and all the tehnical stuff, but what they have done to the interior is amazing. its all wood in the inside, but not the typical teak color, it is a bit lighter. it has an oven, refridgerator, deep stainless steel sink, two large dry food storage bins in the countertop, navigation desk, large v berth cabin, large aft berth, closets and drawers galore. the head is large with shower. several windows that open.
it has roller furler headsail and in mast roller furler mainsail!! winches on the cabin top and in the cockpit coamings, hot and cold shower in the cockpit. it comes with a bimini and dodger (at least this boat show special does). depth, speed and air indicators, manual and electric bilge pumps, etc, etc. and many more technical stuff that i dont know anything about, what a beautiful boat. the salesman told us that the price of this boat is 105,000.00, boat show special 97,000.00 and that they would take a trade!! now, if i just had 75,000.00 to spend. hahahahaha!! you have to see this boat.

a note to oldnewtimer, the c250 was not represented by cape cod water sport this year, they stopped carring catalinas after last years boat show.

COLDDUCKS
FANTASY #409 C250WK

Edited by - coldducks on 02/24/2006 06:08:38

Tradewind
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2006 : 11:41:40

I saw the 309 at the Atlanta Boat show in January, I was impressed. Might be my next boat in a few years!

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

Members Avatar

672 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2006 : 15:05:53

The specs are said to be very close to the C310.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2006 : 17:23:26

We went aboard the 309 at Strictly sail miami last week.
Agreed beautiful boat, plenty of upsides, but some downsides.
A few of the Upsides:
.. I'm 6' and could stand virtually anywhere in the cabin. Upright!
(Oooooh that was really nice!)
.. Really nice finish interior.
.. Great nav table, galley and cabin table.
.. Awesome facilities exterior.

Downsides:
.. The aft double bunk seems small as does the v-berth.
.. There is a HUGE storage space in the port cockpit locker.
Why is that a downside?
.. That's why the aft bunk appears small.
.. The storage is so big you could get 3 adult stowaways in there.
.. The galley garbage can is accessed from the back of the galley area (there's a flap in the bulkhead) but it seems you have to climb into the HUGE storage space to empty the garbage.

There were plenty of really nice features and I would not turn one down if I had the $$$$ for it, it's slip, it's insurance and the time I would have to take off work as I would be onboard all the time!

I think the model we saw was about $145K as seen. They would do a deal, but earliest delivery would be Jun/July.

Sure is a pretty boat though.

Edited by - on

coldducks
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
342 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2006 : 21:33:26

i dont think the "trash bin" would be a downside!!!! i think that was pretty useless myself, but certainly not a downside..i think the v berth looks a bit small because we are used to the big aft berth that we already have, but honestly dont we all sleep towards the stairs for the headroom anyway? i think the aft berth is every bit big as what we have now, at least the part we use. who sleeps all the way up against the battery compartment? the additional slip fees and the insurance is a downside, but the upsides pretty much out weigh all that. (if we only had the money) pretty boat..

Edited by - coldducks on 02/24/2006 22:03:21

reuben
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
202 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2006 : 07:40:12

We saw the 309 at strictly sail Chicago earlier this month -- its roomy cabin looked impressive and designed for efficiency, and I thought the aft berth looked quite large, albeit w/a lowish ceiling that would make tucking in blankets down at the foot a chore but then we cruise with sleeping bags anyway. Also the ballast/displacement specs would indicate a pretty stiff boat. I liked it very well, though not quite as well as the 320.

Edited by - on

sailorman
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
69 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2006 : 20:40:11

I saw the 309 at the Atlanta boat show in Jan. Yes indeed it is a nice boat. Most of us can't wait until it is ten years old or more so it will be available at an affordable price. Which begs the question-- who the hell can afford this boat? I live in an area (all by accident) where they are building million dollar homes and they are being moved into as fast as they can build them. Are these the people that buy these new boats? Am I missing something? Should I be selling drugs or at least cheating on my taxes? Oh well, I have a new boat and sail it more often than most of the "309" people will. I'll just keep on working at the salt mine and earn my porridge each day.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2006 : 21:28:45

Ed, don't forget our slip rent just went up $150 too...

Edited by - on

takokichi
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
321 Posts

Response Posted - 02/25/2006 : 21:49:56

<rant>

Who buys these boats? That's the same question I was asking after the boat show last weekend. I say the following as a former Catalina guy, and maybe a future one. If not, it will be a Pearson or similar - so its not about the boat.

Anyway, who buys these boats? Who would drop $120k on a Catalina 309 (or equivilant Beneteau, or Jenneau, or Hunter, or whatever.) Great boat? No doubt! But new? No way. When the used market is saturated with good used boats for a quarter the price?

The boat show amazed me. Obviously someone is buying these things, or they would stop making them. Obviously enough people buy at, or as a result of, the show to justify the expense.

We got on every sailboat at the show. I gave my card to some of the brokers. This was totally self-serving. I've had two OUI cases generated by brokers I gave cards to in Boston who got tagged up here when showing boats in Maine. Since handing out cards last weekend, I'm getting hounded by brokers. Ok, that's normal. I tell them thank you but I'm looking elsewhere.

What I don't get is the sales style. I'm standing on a boat - not a Catalina but another production boat - and the salesman asks what it would take to get me to sign up today. Heavy pressure sales. What? We're talking about a $130,000 purchase! I don't buy cars like that, let alone boats. But someone must - b/c they keep building the boats! And having boat shows.

Since the show last week I keep getting high pressures sales calls. I've told people straight-up, no longer interested in your boat, thank you. (But please keep my card in your wallet and call me when you get an OUI) I'm now getting high pressure calls from the director of north american sales for a major manufacturer. What?

I don't know what the point of this rant is but I'm left baffled by it all. Who buys these things? Why? Do people actually respond to the pressure for purchases of this magnitude? Can I write off the admission to the boat show as a business expense?

</rant>

Edited by - on

Downbucket
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 02/27/2006 : 08:04:12

Justin:

Gee, what a great idea. I went to the show this past Saturday and never thought of handing out my business card. On second thought, maybe you should have handed out mine instead of yours and then you might not have received any calls.

Will

Edited by - on

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 02/27/2006 : 11:59:51

I usually go to boat shows with my wife.......which usually gaurentees that I'm just looking and dreaming. I've only given my address to one person at a boat show - a Stearns life jacket salesman who lives a short distance away. He gave me a great deal on a suspenders-type life preserver. Since he lives close by I invited him up for a sail. He never showed of course, though I get an occaional email from him announcing specials. Guess I wasn't high pressure enough.

Edited by - on

reuben
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
202 Posts

Response Posted - 02/27/2006 : 18:30:21

I don't know -- boat shows just put me in such a good mood I can't find a thing to gripe about, the enormous costs of something like a new 309 notwithstanding. Of course there are sales tactics to deal with, but I play along because it's fun; it was actually cool getting a call a few days later from the local Catalina guy. Made me feel like a player, even though I'm not in the market (and if I were, I'd buy something used, like an Island Packet 31, for half the money of a new 309). But in all I'm surprised by the fiery annoyance here and on the general forum's parallel thread <i>(it's too modern! newfangled! too Hunter-y! aimed at beginners instead of sailors!) </i>All right, but a lot of people walked through that 309 in Chicago, and the ones I talked to seemed happy and excited. Maybe they <i>are</i> beginners. So be it. Beginners are sailors too, yes?

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.