Ken,
Although it is not in any way comparable to the C34 site and message board, there is a C380/C387/C390 owner's group on Yahoo. There are many threads about what to look for in a C380, including this recent one:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Catalina380/conversations/topics/26370?from=trending
You may need to create a Yahoo account to access the owner's group. There also is a separate owner's website with manuals, etc., but it is not used for owner communication like the C34 site.
Other than the typical things you would look for in a sailboat that is more than 10 years old, the biggest problem I have read about was with the Westerbeke 42B engines in the early C380s. There was inadequate cooling to one or more of the cylinders that led to engine failure. There was a recall on the engine but not all of the owners got the notice and/or had the repairs done. Catalina switched to Yanmars during the latter half of the production run, so it definitely was not an issue with those boats.
We have a C387, which is the same Morgan hull shape and footprint but the cockpits are very different and there are less significant differences below deck. I think a C380 and a C387 perform pretty similarly under sail. Both boats are heavy for their size - I believe the sail area to displacement ratio is around 15 with the wing keel. That translates to not great light air performance. It really takes about 8 knots of wind to make the boats move. But, as you would expect, they're rock stars in 12-25 knots, particularly on a reach. Our boat performs great under power - we have no trouble doing a sustained 7 knots at 2500 RPMs in relatively flat seas (although some of my fellow owners have reported poorer results, perhaps because of their props?). We regularly hit 8 knots under sail in 15 knots of wind and have seen between 9 and 10 when it is really blowing. They're very solid and stable boats for long-distance cruising - exactly what you would expect from Catalina.
Let me know if you have any specific questions. My experience with our boat may not exactly translate but I can tell if you if I have read anything on that topic and/or point you in the right direction.
Although it is not in any way comparable to the C34 site and message board, there is a C380/C387/C390 owner's group on Yahoo. There are many threads about what to look for in a C380, including this recent one:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Catalina380/conversations/topics/26370?from=trending
You may need to create a Yahoo account to access the owner's group. There also is a separate owner's website with manuals, etc., but it is not used for owner communication like the C34 site.
Other than the typical things you would look for in a sailboat that is more than 10 years old, the biggest problem I have read about was with the Westerbeke 42B engines in the early C380s. There was inadequate cooling to one or more of the cylinders that led to engine failure. There was a recall on the engine but not all of the owners got the notice and/or had the repairs done. Catalina switched to Yanmars during the latter half of the production run, so it definitely was not an issue with those boats.
We have a C387, which is the same Morgan hull shape and footprint but the cockpits are very different and there are less significant differences below deck. I think a C380 and a C387 perform pretty similarly under sail. Both boats are heavy for their size - I believe the sail area to displacement ratio is around 15 with the wing keel. That translates to not great light air performance. It really takes about 8 knots of wind to make the boats move. But, as you would expect, they're rock stars in 12-25 knots, particularly on a reach. Our boat performs great under power - we have no trouble doing a sustained 7 knots at 2500 RPMs in relatively flat seas (although some of my fellow owners have reported poorer results, perhaps because of their props?). We regularly hit 8 knots under sail in 15 knots of wind and have seen between 9 and 10 when it is really blowing. They're very solid and stable boats for long-distance cruising - exactly what you would expect from Catalina.
Let me know if you have any specific questions. My experience with our boat may not exactly translate but I can tell if you if I have read anything on that topic and/or point you in the right direction.