What to know - Catalina 22

sailorcolin

sailorcolin

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Charlotte, NC - Peninsula Yacht Club
My club just acquired via donation a Catalina 22. As the head instructor, I hope to use the boat as a learn to sail and intro to keelboat racing. The photos attached are as she sits now (she did get a good haul cleaning on the lift). I have gone through and made some modifications in preparation for her first sail. Take a look and let me know what I need to look at or do. She has a marginal main, a 110, 135, 150 headsails. I believe the haul number is 124##. 

Here is a list of future modifications.

  • Replace Tiller
  • Add Inboard Jib Tracks
  • Replace Running Rigging 
  • Regrease Winches
  • Remove the sliding kitchen

For racing, she will be tuned to the North Sails tuning guide. 

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SailRacer

SailRacer

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Since you have a “dark side” patch on your backpack, IMHO you do not need our help..

Sail Safe 

 
Steam Flyer

Steam Flyer

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sailorcolin said:
Are you referencing the North Sails or the November patch?

And I am asking for opinions because the Catalina 22 is a new boat for me. I've never sailed one and I'm asking the community for honest tips for the boat. 
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The Catalina 22 is a very plain-jane vanilla ride. I'd skip the inboard jib tracks, concentrate on getting the stock hardware into good shape, replace the running rigging, and probably the mainsail.

It's not a good teaching boat, not worth spending much money on. The main benefit over a centerboard dinghy is that it has on-board storage, and if you have reef points in the main you can teach reefing; if you've got nav equipment like a compass then you can teach that.

Basic sailing on a Catalina 22 is going to be kinda boring, but they do actually sail.

FB- Doug

 
sailorcolin

sailorcolin

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Charlotte, NC - Peninsula Yacht Club
Steam Flyer said:
The Catalina 22 is a very plain-jane vanilla ride. I'd skip the inboard jib tracks, concentrate on getting the stock hardware into good shape, replace the running rigging, and probably the mainsail.

It's not a good teaching boat, not worth spending much money on. The main benefit over a centerboard dinghy is that it has on-board storage, and if you have reef points in the main you can teach reefing; if you've got nav equipment like a compass then you can teach that.

Basic sailing on a Catalina 22 is going to be kinda boring, but they do actually sail.

FB- Doug
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Well, it's all we have. Also, the club has a great Wednesday night series over the summers I plan on using her in. 

 
Lark

Lark

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Steam Flyer said:
The Catalina 22 is a very plain-jane vanilla ride. I'd skip the inboard jib tracks, concentrate on getting the stock hardware into good shape, replace the running rigging, and probably the mainsail.

It's not a good teaching boat, not worth spending much money on. The main benefit over a centerboard dinghy is that it has on-board storage, and if you have reef points in the main you can teach reefing; if you've got nav equipment like a compass then you can teach that.

Basic sailing on a Catalina 22 is going to be kinda boring, but they do actually sail.

FB- Doug
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I’m curious  about your logic,    They have the advantage of some shade for a kid and resistance to capsize if mishandled,   I only have a little bit of helm time a decade ago,   A couple guys gave me another crack when it got too windy to single hand a reefed main on my Bucc one fall day.  I had trouble adjusting to a boat that didn’t want to send me swimming, and it wasn’t my boat, so I was pretty cautious.   They had opportunity to laugh.   But it was my much appreciated first helm experience on a boat with ballast.   Why do you dislike them as an introduction to kinda heavy sorta stable boats?   I thought they were supposed to be the generic trailerable overnighter,  doing nothing great but not sucking in any category either. 

I’m also curious about your take on track location.   One I sailed with this spring couldn’t point as expected and had to tack when I didn’t.   I was on the Rhodes, not the Bucc with original gunnel tracks.   I don’t think it’s the owner but it may have been his jib.     

 
Steam Flyer

Steam Flyer

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Lark said:
Steam Flyer said:
The Catalina 22 is a very plain-jane vanilla ride. I'd skip the inboard jib tracks, concentrate on getting the stock hardware into good shape, replace the running rigging, and probably the mainsail.

It's not a good teaching boat, not worth spending much money on. The main benefit over a centerboard dinghy is that it has on-board storage, and if you have reef points in the main you can teach reefing; if you've got nav equipment like a compass then you can teach that.

Basic sailing on a Catalina 22 is going to be kinda boring, but they do actually sail.
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I’m curious  about your logic,    They have the advantage of some shade for a kid and resistance to capsize if mishandled,   I only have a little bit of helm time a decade ago,   A couple guys gave me another crack when it got too windy to single hand a reefed main on my Bucc one fall day.  I had trouble adjusting to a boat that didn’t want to send me swimming, and it wasn’t my boat, so I was pretty cautious.   They had opportunity to laugh.   But it was my much appreciated first helm experience on a boat with ballast.   Why do you dislike them as an introduction to kinda heavy sorta stable boats?   I thought they were supposed to be the generic trailerable overnighter,  doing nothing great but not sucking in any category either. 

I’m also curious about your take on track location.   One I sailed with this spring couldn’t point as expected and had to tack when I didn’t.   I was on the Rhodes, not the Bucc with original gunnel tracks.   I don’t think it’s the owner but it may have been his jib.     
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If the rig is set up properly, and it has good sails, putting inboard tracks -might- make a couple of degrees difference, probably not enough to notice. These things are shaped like a wheelbarrow and the foils are not very good, so it would be real easy to think you're "pointing" when actually pinching and making excessive leeway.

There are worse boats to learn to sail. They're klunky and unresponsive, so there will be a lag in picking up how boats are supposed to steer, or respond to the mainsheet. Many people I know sailing these boats don't bother with the mainsheet anyway..... it's in an awkward place and it doesn't do much. This is why I say to get the basic gear in good shape. If the blocks and cleats and winches are the usual crudded up antiques, there will be even less incentive to work at sailing the boat, what people "learn" is that you have to fight the boat itself to get basic shit done. When you're trying to teach, the basics of sailing the boat should be smooth, easy, and have a definite & consistent result.

All that aside, my basic problem is being grumpy and spoiled. I've sailed so many better boats that if my only option was a Catalina 22, I'd probably sit around playing video games instead. But until you get your hands on something better, I'll try to shut up and be positive. The boat does in fact sail.

FB- Doug

 
T

TQA

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If you have the reefing system that rolls the sail around the boom it is crap. If you are getting a new main convert to slab reefing. 

Unless you only sail in light wind conditions I would want a working jib of about 80%

Mine came with a symmetrical spinnaker and a pole which made light wind sailing more eventful.  

I sailed mine from Troon to Stornoway and back one summer, Pula to Albania and back the next. I learned a lot from that boat. 

 
sailorcolin

sailorcolin

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Charlotte, NC - Peninsula Yacht Club
Tempest said:
Inspect the keel too.  Those things are glass over cast iron they leak, rust, swell and fall off.... or have the lift eye rip out....
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I did a quick inspection when it was on the lift, but I will take another look soon. I knew they were cast iron, but I didnt know they were glassed over. I thought they were just painted. It is on a freshwater lake, so alot of the hardware is in good condition. 

 
sailorcolin

sailorcolin

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Charlotte, NC - Peninsula Yacht Club
Just to be clear

This boat was donated, therefore FREE. It's this or nothing as far as keelboats for club ownership. The main purpose of the boat will be for adults to learn to sail on. Our club is losing interest in adults because they don't want to learn on 420's or Lasers. They don't want to get wet and some aren't as agile as the dingys require.  I'd like to get as many sailors in the club as possible so the Catalina came up as a donation and I accepted. There is a lot of talk on here that the Catalina was a poor decision. As of now, there aren't any plans to buy another boat. If one is donated, then we can go down that road later. All said, I rather teach on the Catalina then nothing at all...

 
SailRacer

SailRacer

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Forget  my earlier post.

for a 0 dollar boat, just clean and repack the winches. Get new halyards when you can and GO SAILING! Who cares if it tacks thru 120 degrees (that is part of life sometimes).

make a list like the removal of the traveler, newer main etc. enlist help from the members after the first sail.

Sail Safe!

 
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