Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina Capri-16.5 by Chris Sinnett

Year built	2004
Location of boat	Oregon
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	2007
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	This was a step up from our Laser which didn't really suit two 40 sailors. The 16.5 is just as fast if not faster, more comfortable, has plenty of storage, and we can take the grandkids with us.
Gear that's been added	Added a folding step, getting ready to add a folding ladder as the step didn't work out so well.
Structural or complex improvements	None
The boat's best features	Great little day sailor, pretty forgiving, and a joy to sail.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Biggest issue, which the ladder should resolve, is getting aboard if you capsize or go in the water for some reason.
Sailing characterisitcs	Can be tricky in gusty winds, especially over 15 mph.
Motoring characterisitcs	40lb thrust trolling motor works ok unless it's windy. If there's a strong breeze it will grab the bow and push you around.
Liveability	There's a reason it's called a day sailer . . .
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	Emailed them for rigging plans that didn't come with the boat. They responded within a day with a PDF copy of the pages I needed.
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	n/a - private sale
Other comments	A great little boat and lots of fun.