Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina Capri-16.5 by Ted Mette

Year built	1994
Location of boat	Burt Lake MI
The boat is sailed on	Lakes
How the boat is used	Racing
Normal wind strength	less than 10 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1995
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes
Gear that's been added	It did not come with hiking straps but they're indispensible in winds over about 10 kts.
Structural or complex improvements	No
The boat's best features
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.
Sailing characterisitcs	Keep a quick hand on the main sheet on gusty days and you should be able to keep her on her feet. In light air, put your weight lown and forward. It's easy to have the weight concentrated too far aft, especially if you'r single-handing.Good light air performance due to a large sail plan vs. displacement. Will plane off the wind without feeling skittish.
Motoring characterisitcs	no motor
Liveability
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	With good, basic sailing skills, this boat will sail to it's Portmouth handicap with ease.