Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 22mkII by John Kountz

Year built	2001
Location of boat	Everett Washington
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2002
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Not sure. I�ve had problems with leaks and other defects that one would not expect from a brand new $20K sailboat. I specifically chose a new C22 Mk II because I did not want to deal maintenance. The dealer, Glenn Johnson - Sailboats of Oregon, has repeatedly asserted that _all_ production sailboats have problems. That might be true but one would reasonably expect a new sailboat to be free of below the waterline leaks.The other major issue with this boat is the vast pre-owned market. It's hard to argue that buying a brand new C22 makes sense when one considers the ample supply of excellent condition late model boats available.
Gear that's been added	Raymarine ST60. The depth guage seems flaky, readings often wrong. Not worth the money.
Structural or complex improvements
The boat's best features	Easy to sail, good in all conditions.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The main problem was a manufacturing defect in the keel cable thru hull joint with the outer hull. This joint was not sealed and water was leaking in. She would have sunk if I'd taken a long shakedown cruise or had decided to moor her from the start. Apparently Catalina built a number of boats with this problem, a fellow C22 Mk II owner informed me of the problem after I posted a question on the Catalina Direct email list server (http://www.catalinadirect.com/mailinglist.html).I still have problems with a leak in the forward hatch. The dealer checked the problem but has been unable to identify the source of this leak. I�ve encountered numerous other smaller problem with hardware falling off, etc.I complained to Catalina and received a phone call from Frank Butler. He sent me a letter and made a personal guarantee that she would be made right.So I credit Catalina for doing the right thing, even if it was a bit late. Other people tell me that the new hires are assigned to the C22 production line. Clearly, quality is an issue with this boat.
Sailing characterisitcs
Motoring characterisitcs	I purchased a Yamaha 8hp 2 stroke with hydraulic lift and alternator. It's too much motor for this boat, reaches hull speed at 75% throttle and weights a back breaking 114lbs. I would buy a 5-6hp 2 stroke if I did it again.
Liveability	Ok for a weekend or short cruise for two. If you want cabin room, go with the C250.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Dealer, Glenn Johnson with Sailboats of Oregon, was helpful and cordial. The clincher for me was his offer to allow me to trade my boat for 100% credit within the first year for a C250.
Other comments	The C22 is a great boat, absolutely no question about it. The C22 Mk II roomier than its older siblings. Many of the upgrades and customizations people have made on their boats have been incorporated by Catalina in the design of the Mk II. If you want a trailer-able sailboat that handles well in all weather conditions, this boat has to be at the top of your list.

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