Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 27 by Lawrence L Maddox

Year built	1972
Location of boat	Everett, Washington
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Multi-week coastal cruising
Normal wind strength	Press here to select
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1979
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Probably
Gear that's been added	spinnaker gear, auto pilot, loran and now GPS, winches for spinnaker, teak cockpit grate, fold up shelf at end of counter, automatic battery charger, remote control for outboard motor, adjustable backstay
Structural or complex improvements	Extended 117V System, Y valve and holding tank, Additional access doors to compartments, reduced size of cabinet over forward galley and installed teak pin rail to hold items on counter, installed refrigeration and insulation for ice box, masthead running lights, repaired separation of forward bulkhead and hull.
The boat's best features	Over 6'1" headroom under main hatch, place for waste basket, big cockpit. Boat is easy for one person to handle, current others are passengers. A lot of boat for the money.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	V berth is too short. Starboard quarter berth is hard to get in and out of. Outboard motors are hard to put on and remove. Forward galley with dinette works great for cooking, keeping from being thrown around in heavy seas etc, but doesn't work as a place for good conversation. Cockpit doesn't slope enough for good drainage, hence the cockpit grate. Adjusting rear traveler in a race distracts concentration.
Sailing characterisitcs	I have done a lot of racing, mostly Wednesday nights in Marina del Rey area. Trips to Catalina 50% sail and 50% motor. Currently do little except for summer cruises Puget Sound and Straits of Georgia. I found boat did best with 150% genoa and about 8 knots of wind. It does poorly in light wind and chop. I have never used storm jib or double reef on main in spite of being out in about 40 knot winds.
Motoring characterisitcs	Have used both 9.9 and currently 8 hp. Like everyone else observes, boat does poorly in reverse.
Liveability	Adequate living space for 1 person as I found when I lived aboard for 5 years both in S Calif. and Washington State. However since boat doesn't have a hood over the hatch it is quite drafty in the Winter and quarter berths are heat sinks.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	I have dealt directly with Catalina, no problems. I did have a slight problem re a faulty traveler car I bought through a dealer.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	Sometimes I would like more room, like in a Catalina 30, but I find at times I can outsail Catalina 30's.

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