Catalina 320 for Sale, Specs and Buyer's Review

Gerry Douglas's clean-sheet successor to the Catalina 30

By the early 1990s the Catalina 30 had been in production for almost two decades, and Catalina's chief designer Gerry Douglas wanted a boat that kept its family-friendly volume while fixing its compromises. The Catalina 320 arrived in 1993 with a 28-foot waterline, three feet longer than the 30's, nearly a foot more beam, a private aft cabin and an engine raised out of the damp bilge. It stayed in production until 2009, with SpinSheet citing 1,161 hulls and Good Old Boat putting the total above 1,200.

If you are looking at a Catalina 320 for sale, you are looking at what many brokers consider the best value modern 32-footer on the US market. It is not glamorous, but it is honest, well supported and easy to live with, which explains why so many owners keep theirs for ten years or more.

Catalina 320 for sale in 2026: the price map

Asking prices in 2026 run from about $30,000 for an early 1990s boat needing canvas, electronics and some deck work, to about $85,000 for a late Mark II in exceptional condition. Most well-kept boats from the late 1990s and early 2000s change hands in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. SpinSheet reported a $34,000 to $80,000 spread in its used boat review, and the shape of the market has not changed much since.

Where the boat lives affects price too. Freshwater Great Lakes boats often sell at a premium because of lower blister and corrosion risk, while Florida and Gulf boats may have spent years under hot sun with heavy use. Ask for haul-out records, the engine hour log and receipts for rigging replacement, which is due on any boat whose standing rigging is more than 15 years old.

• Project or tired boats, 1993 to 1996: about $30,000 to $42,000
• Typical good boats, 1997 to 2004: about $38,000 to $60,000
• Late Mark I and Mark II, 2005 to 2009: about $55,000 to $85,000

Liners, Coremat and a vinylester barrier

The 320 hull is solid fiberglass reinforced with Coremat, with vinylester resin in the first layers to resist osmotic blistering. Catalina backed that with a five-year blister warranty, long expired on every 320 and in any case unenforceable now that the company has closed, its assets auctioned in June 2026. The deck and cabin top use balsa and plywood cores. Inside, molded fiberglass liners do structural work as well as forming furniture bases, which keeps build costs down and the interior tidy, but makes some tabbing and wiring hard to inspect.

That liner construction is the reason surveyors care so much about grounding history. SpinSheet notes that boats inspected after hard groundings showed cracked tabbing around the forward end of the bilge sump and under the saloon settees. Unlike the older Catalina 30, the 320 is not known for the classic keel joint smile, but a hard grounding can still damage the floors above the keel.

Fin or wing keel, and why the wing keel exposes the rudder

Two keels were offered: a deep fin of about 6 feet 5 inches and a wing keel of 4 feet 3 inches. Wikipedia lists PHRF ratings around 159 for the fin keel and 153 for the wing keel boat, and hull speed is about 7.1 knots. In practice, the fin keel points higher, and the wing keel lets you explore the Chesapeake, the Bahamas and Florida Bay without constant depth anxiety.

There is one catch. On the wing keel boat the rudder draws almost as much as the keel, so in a grounding the rudder may touch as well. Check the rudder for impact damage, look for water weeping from the blade, and confirm the rudder bearings are tight.

Aft double cabin, dinette and a galley that works at sea

The interior is a classic American layout done well. A V-berth cabin forward, a saloon with a settee to port and a dinette to starboard, a galley aft to port with a stove and oven, icebox and double sink, a head with toilet, sink and integrated shower, and an aft cabin with an athwartships double berth under the cockpit. With headroom of over six feet and a bright, open feel, it is one of the most livable 32-footers of its generation.

The aft cabin is the feature that sells the boat to couples. Guests get the V-berth, the owners get a private double, and the dinette converts for kids. On longer cruises, owners commonly add a refrigeration upgrade, a cockpit enclosure and solar panels on the stern rail.

An engine you can reach, and the 2006 Mark II

SpinSheet calls the engine placement a big improvement over the Catalina 30: the diesel sits up and aft, out of the damp bilge under the saloon. Mark I boats used several freshwater-cooled diesels of 27 to 29 hp: a Perkins M30 in 1993 and 1994, a Westerbeke 29B in 1995 and 1996, and the 27 hp Yanmar 3GM30F from 1997. A small three-cylinder diesel like these is frugal at a comfortable cruise, so fuel is a minor cost.

The Mark II, introduced in 2006, brought a 29 hp engine with a 19-gallon fuel tank and 51 gallons of fresh water, among other refinements. Late Mark II boats are the most sought after, and they hold their value well because they are the newest Catalina 32-footers available short of the later Catalina 315.

Forty degrees apparent and a light, balanced helm

Sailing reviews of the 320 consistently praise its balanced helm and comfortable motion. SpinSheet reported it pointing to about 40 degrees apparent wind and noted better boat speed than Catalina's own 34-footer. With 4,000 pounds of ballast and a sail area to displacement ratio of roughly 16.5, it is a moderate, stiff cruiser rather than a light-air flyer, and most owners start rolling in the genoa somewhere in the mid teens of true wind.

Most owners sail with roller furling on the genoa and slab reefing on the main, and the 320 is easy to single-hand with the halyards and reefing lines led aft. It is a coastal cruiser, not an ocean passagemaker, but it will happily cover 50 to 60 miles in a day of reaching.

Survey priorities on a Catalina 320

Catalina refined the 320 through its production life based on owner feedback, and there are few chronic problems across all years. The issues that do appear are specific and easy to look for. Some 1993 boats had improperly routed wiring that chafed and broke, and Catalina retrofitted affected boats with PVC conduit. Chainplate covers need regular rebedding, and side decks near the chainplates and stanchion bases can absorb moisture, although widespread deck failure is rare.

Water can also enter through the sea hood, which is fastened with self-tapping screws. None of these issues are expensive if caught early, but a seller unwilling to allow a moisture survey of the decks is a red flag.