Sailing in the Bay

We kept our first boat, a Catalina 22, on the Delaware River across from Philadelphia. We used her as a day sailer, for short getaways and quick after work sails. That boat, our original Island Time, was the first step towards our dream of one day sailing off into the sunset.

Though we loved our C22 the plan was always to move up to a larger boat. After a lot of research and some prodding from my wife I found our second boat, a Catalina 30, in Norfolk, VA in the spring of 2008. I enlisted my sailing buddy and partner in crime Paul and we sailed her from Norfolk to her new home on Long Beach Island, NJ. 

Paul liked her so much he found and purchased her twin. For two summers his boat Free Ride was berthed behind us (you can see her in the background on the opening page). We kept both boats for a season but owning two boats just wasn't practical and the original Island Time found a new home in 2009.

So far we are thrilled with our Catalina 30. If you've ever been to the Caribbean you understand what it means to be "on island time". On island time life moves a little slower and the blood pressure is a little lower.

Our shipboard mascot signed on in Costa Rica

We kept Island Time on Long Beach Island just north of Atlantic City for two summers. But there are only so many places you can sail on Little Egg Bay and the resort crowds get old. We moved up to Barnegat, and eventurally on to Forked River on the Barnegat Bay where the crowds are smaller and the pace is slower.

Why This Boat?
The short answer is she met our needs. It's striking how much Catalina packed into a 30 foot package. These third generation C30's have the features of the new boats and I've added or upgraded anything she was lacking. We feel she is laid out better than her replacement, the new Catalina 309 and that she works better for everyday living and sailing. 

The Mark III has a roomy comfortable cockpit with a walk through transom and stern perch seats. She can be single handed or easily managed by a couple. She really shines in living space. Catalina figured out how to get the interior of a 34 footer into their 30 and that interior is more comfortable than many 34's I've been aboard. The galley is a good size and the salon is very liveable - especially after adding wider and more comfortable seats. Engine access to the reliable Universal 25XP is above average. My only real complaint is the shower could be a little larger since I'm a big guy.

She is neither tender race boat nor heavy bluewater boat. Instead she is a near perfect coastal cruiser, which is how we sail her.