Catalina Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Catalina 27 by David Hoyt

Year built	1973
Location of boat	Jacksonville Florida
The boat is sailed on	The Great Lakes
How the boat is used	Multi-week coastal cruising
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	solo
Liveaboard?	Yes
Owner bought the boat in	1984
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Definatley...I have spent the past sixten years modifying this hull to conform to my wants, needs, and desires. I am 5' 5
Gear that's been added	I doubt there is sufficient room to list all the equipment I have added, but here is a partial list: I changed the rig to a cutter by adding an anchor pulpit, placing the furling genoa at its end
Structural or complex improvements	Pilothouse. Cutter rigging. Freezer. computer system. See above for details.
The boat's best features	Size. The beam and lenght allow for almost legal towing on the trailer which I built and extended the axels to make the boat look like it was legal on the road. The size also reduces my harbor costs. Size also makes sail handling and anchor handling much easier than on larger vessels.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	I had to replace the original wiring with heavier duty tinned copper wire and heat shrink terminals.
Sailing characterisitcs	I've been in open ocean 8' seas and fresh water 8' seas. I have entered channels with both ebbing and flowing tides with drogues to prevent broaching.
Motoring characterisitcs	I motored the rivers from Chicago to Mobile and did so without mishap.
Liveability	I have lived aboard Sovereignty for the past 16 years. Winter and summer in Michigan and Florida. It is very livable and the insulation has served me well in all climates.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	purchased from an individual
Other comments	It is a fantastic boat. I love it and would be hard pressed to vacate it in favor of living on land.

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