Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 22 by Jack Scruggs

Year built	1979
Location of boat	Fresh Water
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2001
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes. However, although she is a great starter (my first) and I enjoy sailing her, I find her too small. A real head and a berth that could actually sleep two would make the over-night camping experience more fun. Having said all that, given her age she is in tremendously great shape. I believe the first owners purchased virtually every option available (including a custom bimini top) and they took great care of her.
Gear that's been added	New motor, depth sounder, stereo, whisker pole, boom vang, genoa, battery charger, and mooring lines.
Structural or complex improvements	none.
The boat's best features	The best feature has got to be the pop-up cabin top. It makes the cabin much more pleasant, enabling great ventilation in the Texas summer. Another great feature is the size of the cockpit, allowing real seating for four adults.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Remember, this boat is 22 years old. Nonetheless, most problems are simply maintenance related. Structurally, A hairline crack has appeared in the cockpit coaming. One of the cabin lights no longer works. The cockpit cushions absorb water like a spunge and take forever to dry out. The rubber seals around the salon windows leak a bit in a squal. These are all minor. Overall, the boat has aged extremely well.
Sailing characterisitcs	This is a very forgiving boat. She runs to windward well and her heeling is very predictable. She feels a little light in the bow at times, and is much more stable when someone sits on the foredeck. Her swing keel hums when approaching hull speed. Once, when caught in a nasty 40K wind, it was extremely difficult to keep her faced to windward, but she brought us home safe. This boat delivers some exciting sailing when winds are above 10 knots.
Motoring characterisitcs	The motor is a new 5HP Honda Four Stroke and as expected, it performs flawlessly, pushing the boat to hull speed effortlessly. When motoring, there is some tension on the tiller that I have not been able to tune out.
Liveability	The cabin is great for riding out a squal, or the occasional over-night campout. But make no mistake, when spending the night on this boat, you are camping.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	n/a
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Although I bought my boat from an individual, I'm now on a first name basis with the local Catalina dealer. I must say that he is extremely knowledgeable about the 22. Example: I walked in and said I needed some battens for the main and he spouted off the required lengths from memory.
Other comments	I love to sail this boat.

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