Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 27 by Rob Giddings

Year built	1976
Location of boat	Toronto
The boat is sailed on	The Great 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	2003
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes. What can I say. Having been into smaller sailboats and windsurfing in howling winds this was a luxury to share the experience with friends and family. Motoring around bays and islands to surfing on 30 footwaves in a 40 knotter it is all good. The crossings in Lake Ontario (6 hours) with a firm 20 knot norwesterly and one tack were the most amazing. In the middle of nowhere up close and personal with a 6' by 1' eel. The comfort of the v berth could be improved but the cabin area was spacious and beautifully detailed.The Atomic 4 was a little tempramental but what do you want for WWII technology. Lying back in the cabin and checking out the shooting stars hitting the horizon. Yeah!
Gear that's been added	Solar vent, fixed ladder, folding mahogany door, new potty, sunbrella blue curtains, cushions, water pump, water filter, water tap, water bag, through hull sink drain. Considered a wheel and furler but refrained and the previous owner put on a custom tiller and some brass decor like a porthole mirror, lamp, temp and guages.
Structural or complex improvements	Previous owner put in new wiring, electrical panel, up-graded the rigging, mahogany table and cabinet area, bedded the bilge with ash and epoxy to eliminate the Catalina smile, enlarged sink and cooler, re-built the bow, re-sealed the windows. Cockpit, exterior cabin and exterior wooodwork painted and varnished. New gas tank and some hoses and fittings.
The boat's best features	Attractive, stand up in the cabin and veiw around you, responsive, forgiving, timeless, solid.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Minor problems that were more about sailor error than boat design. Break a cleat, fray a line, drift too far from the dock, dangel a line over the side and wrap it in the prop. Hard to access the motor but who really wants to other than the mechanic?
Sailing characterisitcs	Love it!
Motoring characterisitcs	A little tricky in reverse and sluggish, prop walk and a bit of grinding noise.
Liveability	More of a day or weekender. Needs a larger v-berth with better headroom and a port to make it liveable.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Helped in designing the folding door myself.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Private sale with a survey which was not totally accurate but from an individual who you could trust as person who sailed and didn't just bbq at the dock.
Other comments	Plan to go smaller for a 22 and then a 30.

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