Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 22 by Ken Luke

Year built	1988
Location of boat	Long Beach, California
The boat is sailed on	Open ocean
How the boat is used	Weekends and longer
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	solo
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1988
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes. I bought it new in 1988 and still have it, so I guess that says a lot.
Gear that's been added	Added tillerpilot, depth gauge, solar charger, two anchors (main anchor is 11 lb. bruce), bimini. Removed outside wood "eyebrow" trim around cabin.
Structural or complex improvements	I replaced the wood main hatch slides with starboard, for reduced maintenance.
The boat's best features	I wanted a boat that would get my wife and me safely to Catalina Island and allow us to spend an extended weekend there in reasonable comfort. It fills the bill.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The only recurring problem I can think of is the portapotty seat cover breaks after a few years. It's easily replaceable. The main design shortcoming is that, due to the mainsail's large area but low aspect ratio (due to relatively short mast), it blanks the genoa when on a broad reach. That's the penalty one pays for trailerability. I try to avoid broad reaching.
Sailing characterisitcs	I have the popular wing keel model. It makes more leeway than the swing keel model, so is not as good for racing. (In compensation, it is less maintenance.) It can handle 20+ knots of wind and five foot seas if you reef (which you must in such conditions).
Motoring characterisitcs	I have a 5 hp Honda which is perfectly adequate. A 6 gallon gas tank gives me 15 hours of motoring. However, if I were to tow an inflatable, which I don't, I might want a larger engine. In windy and rough conditions, the motor cavitates so I shut it off and use the (reefed) sails.
Liveability	My wife and I were both backpackers before buying the boat, so it seemed relatively comfortable, especially with the poptop up. For 3 day trips, I carry 20 gallons of water including a solar shower. I also minimize the use of foods requiring cold storage. Obviously a bigger boat would be more comfortable, but its a tradeoff against easy handling, cost, and maintenance.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Good. For parts and advice, I generally deal with Catalina Direct, since they specialize in the 22.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	I bought it from Jack Dorsee Yachts, now H&S. No problems.
Other comments	Over the years I have come close to stepping up to a bigger boat, but each time I decided that I liked the 22 too much to part with it.

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