Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina Capri-16.5 by Gerry Nichols

Year built	1999
Location of boat	Trailer Sailed
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	Press here to select
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2000
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes, although I don't sail it as much as I had forseen.
Gear that's been added	No.
Structural or complex improvements	None.
The boat's best features	It's really a pretty boat. It has a huge cockpit and good storage in the bow. I like the roller furling. It's pretty easy to rig, although there are a lot of parts.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The biggest complaint for me is the centerboard; I don't like the way I have to unhook the big shock cord that holds it down in order to raise it. Because I always work off a beach, and seem to always work across the wind, raising the centerboard makes the boat uncontrollable- the flat bottom has no purchase.
Sailing characterisitcs	Wonderful acceleration- the best I've experienced since I stopped sailing catamarans. It's a little over-cavassed and doesn't have reefing standard, so I keep an eye on the wind. Handling is excellent. Keeps moving in even light winds. I ahve noticed cracking of the gelcoat on the edge of the gunwales on the Starboard side.
Motoring characterisitcs	No motoring done.
Liveability	N/A
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	N/A
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	I bought the boat from a dealer in Indiana, drove all the way from Texas and back. They were very customer oriented.
Other comments	Don't use your boat cover during the heat of the summer (over 80 degrees). I've caused some gelcoat damage as a result of the high temperatures generated beneath the cover.

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