While browsing the local classifieds two sailboats caught my eye. A Catalina 22 & a 25 both with pop tops and swing keels. I liked the pics so I watched a few videos reviewing each boat. They seem to be a good entry level day sailer. I have a VERY long straight driveway so I could store something as large as a 25ft Catalina with relative ease.

Can you upgrade the rigging to make it easier to set up and take down when going to and from the boat ramp? It sounds like 45 minutes is aboht how long it takes to take down and set up.

Are Catalinas good boats? I went sailing a few years ago with a relatives on their 30+ft boat that they live on part of the year. It was a breezy day on the chesapeake bay and I had a ton of fun.

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I went sailing a few years ago with a relatives on their 30+ft boat that they live on part of the year. It was a breezy day on the chesapeake bay and I had a ton of fun.

Riding on someone elses boat is the best way, you get all the fun, none of the headaches and you get to leave it and go home. LOL

Both are good boats. 22 lighter to tow. Suggest you go to the Catalina Forum on Sailboat Owners Forum - link below. Like here, lots of knowledge available. Doesn't cost to register and post.

Catalina Owners Forum

22 more like of a daysailer and lot's of them race "One Design" - all boats equal. We have some people that stay aboard their 22's but I don't think it's all that comfortable. The hard core racers will "dry sail" (trailer in and out every weekend) their boats. Those that don't race seriously and/or travel to race will go in a slip or on a mooring.

25 is more of a mid sized boat, better for overnights, more creature comfort and heavier so can handle a bit more wind also requires a bit more of a tow vehicle because of weight. Few Catalina 25's will be dry sailed and most are in a slip or on a mooring full time through the season.

At our club, dry sailing is not a big deal because our boat yard is a couple hundred yards from the boat ramps and we've removed any overhead wires so boats can be hauled and towed to the yard to store with their mast up. Other places don't have that luxury and the mast has to come down when the boat gets hauled out of the water before it's towed anywhere.

Catalina 22 Class Assn

Catalina 25 Class Assn

I don't have a Catalina but have been around them for many years so I would be happy to try to address any specific questions. Best sources will be the members on Sailboat Owners site. My email is in the profile.

Another option you might consider is go to your local sailing/yacht club and look up any owners. If they race, they are always looking for people to crew so you can probably get some "seat time" with an existing owner and learn more about the boat and sailing in general. Would also recommend seeing if the club has a "Learn To Sail" program you can take - really jump starts the learning curve. Most club members are generally more than happy to "school" you about the pluses and minuses of their boat if you just ask.

Those Class Assn sites may have technical tips/buyers guides that provide details on things to look out for or pay close attention to when buying. Also will have differences in boats based on hull numbers that have been made during the manufacturing runs. Often, a manufacture will make changes to the boats as issues come up and they will implement the change after hull # XX. Some are minor and others are significant so it pays to educate yourself.

Most important thing when buying is to know whether the hull and deck are dry and not soggy or mushy. Recommend hiring a marine surveyor to inspect if you are going to put any significant money out to buy the boat. Can check yourself with the handle of a screwdriver and close inspection. Walk the deck and feel for flex - that's generally a soft spot. You can tap the deck with the end of the driver and if its soft you'll hear a dead sound and where its dry it will be a solid sound. Surveyor will use a moisture meter. Deck softness will most likely be close to anything that has been screwed into or through bolted to the deck.

Good info from Sailor 1911. I'd like to add.

Cat 22 is a good boat, they built a zillion of them so they can be found cheap. 2 people can easily raise the mast on the 22. To rig and launch a 22 (once you have a system down), can easily be less than 30 min. The Cat 25 mast is a lot heavier. 3 people required or a winch system for raising the mast. Everything is a bit bigger and heavier. Probably 45 min to rig and launch.
Both boats have the same system for the swing keel. If you buy either the keel attachment and cable needs to be checked. I've seen loose, broken and missing keel bolts, and frayed cables.

Sailor1911- Is that your boat in your pic? What is it? I sail a J22 and J27.

I owned both of those boats. I kept the Catalina 22 on a trailer which I stored at a marina. I only put the mast up and down a couple of times. It wasn’t hard but was really a two person job. I’m kind of an old man and it got fairly heavy once it got almost veritcal. It was a decently built boat but definitely not a blue water boat. I upgraded to a Catalina 25 thinking I would do some more overnight sailing. It was a fixed keel boat rather than a swing keel so I kept it in the water full time with the mast up. I stored it on land over the winter but never took the mast down. I’m thinking it would require several people. It was plenty big enough for two or three people overnight as long as you got along pretty well. I wound up selling it when I realized how little I used it. Catalina’s haven’t been built for quite a while but I’m sure you could find one in decent condition.Just remember the saying the two best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

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Originally posted by F_L:
Good info from Sailor 1911. I'd like to add.

Cat 22 is a good boat, they built a zillion of them so they can be found cheap. 2 people can easily raise the mast on the 22. To rig and launch a 22 (once you have a system down), can easily be less than 30 min. The Cat 25 mast is a lot heavier. 3 people required or a winch system for raising the mast. Everything is a bit bigger and heavier. Probably 45 min to rig and launch.
Both boats have the same system for the swing keel. If you buy either the keel attachment and cable needs to be checked. I've seen loose, broken and missing keel bolts, and frayed cables.

Sailor1911- Is that your boat in your pic? What is it? I sail a J22 and J27.

Good point on the swing keels. The hardware in those trunks gets abused and cables rot.

Yes. It's a Beneteau First 310 have had it since 2012. It replaced my previous boat for 30 years which was a J/24. Campaigned it and raced all over from Gulf Coast to Chicago. Was towing 6-7,000 miles a year. Have raced several times on the TX Circuit at LCYC was a once a year stop. My J was named "OutraJe" USA 1427.

At LCYC, will never forget the time that a J/24 slid off the trailer at that steep ramp and had to be pushed on the concrete into the water. Serious road rash.

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Originally posted by Sailor1911:

quote:

Originally posted by F_L:
Good info from Sailor 1911. I'd like to add.

Cat 22 is a good boat, they built a zillion of them so they can be found cheap. 2 people can easily raise the mast on the 22. To rig and launch a 22 (once you have a system down), can easily be less than 30 min. The Cat 25 mast is a lot heavier. 3 people required or a winch system for raising the mast. Everything is a bit bigger and heavier. Probably 45 min to rig and launch.
Both boats have the same system for the swing keel. If you buy either the keel attachment and cable needs to be checked. I've seen loose, broken and missing keel bolts, and frayed cables.

Sailor1911- Is that your boat in your pic? What is it? I sail a J22 and J27.

Good point on the swing keels. The hardware in those trunks gets abused and cables rot.

Yes. It's a Beneteau First 310 have had it since 2012. It replaced my previous boat for 30 years which was a J/24. Campaigned it and raced all over from Gulf Coast to Chicago. Was towing 6-7,000 miles a year. Have raced several times on the TX Circuit at LCYC was a once a year stop. My J was named "OutraJe" USA 1427.

At LCYC, will never forget the time that a J/24 slid off the trailer at that steep ramp and had to be pushed on the concrete into the water. Serious road rash.

Small world! LCYC is my home club. I was on the race committee the year that J24 was renamed "Ramp Rocket". I raced the J22 SW circuit hard for 20+ years. My J22 is hull #36, "Cactus Jack". Retired from the circuit stuff last year. Sticking with just the local stuff.
That Beneteau should serve you well.
Cheers,
Fred

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Originally posted by vandrv:
I owned both of those boats. I kept the Catalina 22 on a trailer which I stored at a marina. I only put the mast up and down a couple of times. It wasn’t hard but was really a two person job. I’m kind of an old man and it got fairly heavy once it got almost veritcal. It was a decently built boat but definitely not a blue water boat. I upgraded to a Catalina 25 thinking I would do some more overnight sailing. It was a fixed keel boat rather than a swing keel so I kept it in the water full time with the mast up. I stored it on land over the winter but never took the mast down. I’m thinking it would require several people. It was plenty big enough for two or three people overnight as long as you got along pretty well. I wound up selling it when I realized how little I used it. Catalina’s haven’t been built for quite a while but I’m sure you could find one in decent condition.Just remember the saying the two best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

Catalina is still building boats. But, like all the boat manufacturers is struggling.

Catalina Yachts

quote:

Originally posted by Sailor1911:

quote:

Originally posted by vandrv:
I owned both of those boats. I kept the Catalina 22 on a trailer which I stored at a marina. I only put the mast up and down a couple of times. It wasn’t hard but was really a two person job. I’m kind of an old man and it got fairly heavy once it got almost veritcal. It was a decently built boat but definitely not a blue water boat. I upgraded to a Catalina 25 thinking I would do some more overnight sailing. It was a fixed keel boat rather than a swing keel so I kept it in the water full time with the mast up. I stored it on land over the winter but never took the mast down. I’m thinking it would require several people. It was plenty big enough for two or three people overnight as long as you got along pretty well. I wound up selling it when I realized how little I used it. Catalina’s haven’t been built for quite a while but I’m sure you could find one in decent condition.Just remember the saying the two best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

Catalina is still building boats. But, like all the boat manufacturers is struggling.

Catalina Yachts

It’s been a while since I had my sailboats and for some reason I thought Catalina had gone out of business.

Stickman, before you get any sailboat you need to think about how you will use it. There are lots of different kinds of sailboats that fit different needs. Once you know how you will use your boat, spend some time looking for a boat that fills your needs. Remember that bigger is not always better. Lots of good info and help on the Trailer Sailor forum. (forum.trailersailor.com) I've been a trailer sailor for the past 30 years, and still learning things all the time.
Rod