Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina Capri-18 by Russ Browne

Year built	1989
Location of boat	Branched Oak Lake, NE
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	2004
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Absolutely !
Gear that's been added	CDI Flex Furler 1 and 135% Genoa from UK SailsMast-mounted swivel block and cam cleat to lead main halyard aft to cockpit
Structural or complex improvements
The boat's best features	Incredibly stablesmooth sailingresponsive to all inputsreasonably fastvery solid construction
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Gel coat cracks wherever there is a sharp angle....has been eliminated in Mark II model just released
Sailing characterisitcs	Able to sail comfortably in stronger air (15-20 mph) with full sail or partially reefed genny. Very well balanced handling in all wind speeds up to 25mph gusts at which time it will round up to let you know it would be happier with less sail area.Boat handles better than any of my former boats, with the exception of a Montgomery 15 which had neither the stability of the Capri nor the family-friendly cockpit.
Motoring characterisitcs	Smooth handling under power , though I have learned to lower my 5 HP 4-stroke Honda long shaft to the second from the lowest notch. All the way down lets the motor mount drag in the water and the engine labors. In the proper position, she reaches a comfortable cruise at about 2/3 throttle and 5 mph(by GPS). Later Capris have anadvantage in that the motor mount is on the port side, opposite from the mainsheet. Mine tends to be a bit crowded, but certainly workable.
Liveability	I daysail only and for that, it is ideal !
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	I bought from an owner through our Marina as broker. Worked very well. The former owner was moving up and we both benefited from the transaction. I got a great boat at a reasonable price and he gained the funds to buy a Catalina 25 from another owner...all of us in the same marina.
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