Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina Capri-14.2 by ronald sandlin

Year built	1986
Location of boat	Lake Bridgeport, Tx
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?	Yes. I have sailed infrequently for 25 years, having learned the rudiments from a harsh taskmaster,(retired submariner). Of the variety of small boats I have experienced, I find this to be the best overall built and totally enjoyable to sail. It is very nimble in light wind and quick with a few more knots. My brother and I turtled once while I was pushing the envelope and lost hold of the tiller during a sloppy Jibe. We were able to right the boat with some effort, but I hung onto the transom for a mile and half back to shore. The boat self bailed quickly and suffered no damage. With proper safety gear I think this is a worthwhile controlled exercise.
Gear that's been added	My capri is a swing keel so I added a 40# thrust trolling motor for shallow launching. I also built a fiberglass battery boc in the cuddy for balance and ran 4 ga. cables under the swats with watertight grommets bringing the cables out near the transom. I also constructed a new hatch from 1/2 inch white plastic with doublr RV latches and triple edged rubber gasket material.This is watertight and looks as though it was meant to be. Since the turtle incident I have mounted a folding 2 step ladder. Sounds like a lot, but I find every addition good for peace of mind when I take novice crew members out often.
Structural or complex improvements	See above. The battery is locked down and totally out of the way when I do choose to motor. This makes a nice fishing boat on calm mornings. The hatch is definitely an improvement over the original
The boat's best features	Quality of materials and rigging. Fun factor on brisk evening sails
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Original hatch cover and seals. The light weight of the boat naturally makes it balance touchy. All in all, a great boat I will keep for its' fun and versatile characteristics even when I upsize to a 25' class.
Sailing characterisitcs	Primarily day sailers from home built up on inland lakes, The Sea of Cortez and Mission Bay.Under the tutelage of my mentor, I sailed a 32 footer to Catalina Island and back to Long Beach.
Motoring characterisitcs	Primarily shallow water launching.
Liveability
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Very pleasant and helpful staff at their Hdqtrs. Prompt service on minor parts replacement and advice.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Bought uses from a private party. Verry well maintained and hard to believe it is 19 years old. I power washed it to near new condtion.
Other comments	Given a fair price, buy one.

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