Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 22 by Herb Olson

Year built	1979
Location of boat	San Diego, CA
The boat is sailed on	Open ocean
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	solo
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1999
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	This is a great boat. I have no hesitation in sailing it just about anywhere along the Southern California coastline. This is the fixed keel version. Last summer I sailed with a friend, from San Diego to Catalina Island. We sailed around the West End ( north end of the island) and down the backside to Catalina Harbour. This was a thirty hour sail of about 125 miles to windward. The boat handled great even when in 20 knots of wind. Although small it was still comfortable for the six days of sailing. We used a grill and portable butane burner to cook which saved space inside.
Gear that's been added	I have added a depth sounder,knot meter, stereo, VHF radio, new compass and a drifter. I also added jiffy reef system. The boat is rigged for single handed sailing with all control lines led to the cockpit. I also added two small solar panels. A 5 watt keeps the battery at full charge when at the dock and the added 10 watt unit allows me to run instruments, lights and stereo when sailing.
Structural or complex improvements
The boat's best features	The poptop is a great asset on a boat this size and one of the reasons I bought it. The fixed keel version is great for use on the the ocean.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	I have had no structural problems with the boat but I did reverse the tiller attachments so that I could raise it out of the way when tacking. This is most useful when I have friends aboard and the cockpit is full.
Sailing characterisitcs	It goes to weather well. When solo I use the working jib, put a reef in the main and the boat balances so well that I can let go of the tiller and it holds its course so I can go below or forward for a minute if needed. The boat could use a cruising chute for greating speed off the wind. The drifter works pretty well in light air but a chute would be better.When hove to in heavy weather its motion is quite comfortable and instills confidence in the design. I have only had water over the bow a couple of times and that was in 20+ knots and greater than 10' seas. The day I moved it to San Diego from Mission Bay we had 12' swells and the boat had no problems.
Motoring characterisitcs	I have a Merc 4hp four stroke and it pushes the boat at hull speed easily. It motors straight and turns quickly using just the tiller. It motors sails at 6 knots which is very useful along the coast here as the wind gets very light at night.
Liveability	I find it quite good for weekends and even up to a week. I do know of one person who actually uses theirs as a full time livaboard but I think its way too small for that.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	Its a boat thats hard not to like. It sails well has good space for its size and is a very competitive racer.

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