Boats by the numbers

I went to KY Lake to look at a boat a couple of weeks ago.  I have developed my spec ranges for length, beam, displacement, draft, comfort factor, bridge clearance, etc.  I started developing a list of boats that fit the specs.  One of the boats on the list was a Hunter 33.  Since there was one for sale at KY Lake, so it was time to start “kicking some tires”.  The Hunter 33 really seemed cramped, I was a little surprised.  The salesman said he had a Catalina 30 that we should look at.  My desired spec was 32-35 LOA, but since we are here let’s look.  The Catalina 30 layout was so much roomier.  It was definitely a boat that should be on my list.  The moral of the story is, you can’t judge a boat by its specs alone.