I am in the process of purchasing a new 470 from Catalina and have several questions for 470 owners or those with big boat experiences. 1) Any preferences with tall or short rig? 2) Any opinions concerning in mast roller furling? 3) Any preferences concerning the factory installing a bow thruster and losing space for the washer/dryer (which is more important to you)? 4) The most favorable placement of the raydome. 5) Has anyone added an arch at the stern? If yes, did you include davits for the dinghy? If yes, did the dinghy remain stable in foul weather? 6) Is there anything you wish you would have had installed and didn't or is there any installed that you have had no use for? Thanks in advance for your opinions
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470 options
Greg, I have a 380 with in mast furling. I sail on a 470 and am familiar with them. If I were ordering one I would have in mind to go cruising. With that in mind, I would opt for the tall rig. I would get a standard hoisted main, with three reef points. In mast furling systems can be very difficult to bring in. If the sail starts to wrinkle going in, it promotes a serious problem as there is NO excess room for the sail in the mast!!!!The bow thruster would be a must. I have tried to convince one owner who just has a very hard time when docking. The washer drier would be a tough call----it would depend how I were going to use the boat!!!!As far as an arch, they are great. The other 47 that I am familiar with has one. It is easy to stabilize a raft on an arch with an extra line when it blows. As far as accessories, It would depend how I were going to use the boat. Basically 7000 auto pilot, radar,chartplotter, VHF, GPS,dodger, bimini and cockpit enclosure along with all the other basic instruments are a must. Watermaker, solar panels etc would come later....hope this helped Gary
Greg, I have a 380 with in mast furling. I sail on a 470 and am familiar with them. If I were ordering one I would have in mind to go cruising. With that in mind, I would opt for the tall rig. I would get a standard hoisted main, with three reef points. In mast furling systems can be very difficult to bring in. If the sail starts to wrinkle going in, it promotes a serious problem as there is NO excess room for the sail in the mast!!!!The bow thruster would be a must. I have tried to convince one owner who just has a very hard time when docking. The washer drier would be a tough call----it would depend how I were going to use the boat!!!!As far as an arch, they are great. The other 47 that I am familiar with has one. It is easy to stabilize a raft on an arch with an extra line when it blows. As far as accessories, It would depend how I were going to use the boat. Basically 7000 auto pilot, radar,chartplotter, VHF, GPS,dodger, bimini and cockpit enclosure along with all the other basic instruments are a must. Watermaker, solar panels etc would come later....hope this helped Gary
good options
1) air conditioning with sufficient btu rating 2) inverter 3) gen set 4) if going off shore-water maker 5) engine spare parts kit.
1) air conditioning with sufficient btu rating 2) inverter 3) gen set 4) if going off shore-water maker 5) engine spare parts kit.
Solar panels
I was a little surprised that Bill put solar panels so low on the list. Solar panels are the best way to charge your batteries! They make no noise (like a genset), will work extremely well in Florida, have no moving parts to fix/maintain, and will keep charging whether you're there or not. I would move solar panels & regulator WAAAAAY above a washer/dryer! Another thing I mentioned once here is the interior finish. I've been aboard a few relatively new boats that have the nastiest finish on some very nice teak. The finish actually makes the wood look like pine! It really is tragic when there's such nice wood underneath. According to the owners, that is the finish Catalina has to use to lower EPA emissions. It's water-based and a real bear to get off. One gentleman would have ordered it without finish & done it himself or hired someone. You might want to enquire about this & check out interiors with this finish compared to ones with varnish. Who knows, you might like pine!
LaDonna
I was a little surprised that Bill put solar panels so low on the list. Solar panels are the best way to charge your batteries! They make no noise (like a genset), will work extremely well in Florida, have no moving parts to fix/maintain, and will keep charging whether you're there or not. I would move solar panels & regulator WAAAAAY above a washer/dryer! Another thing I mentioned once here is the interior finish. I've been aboard a few relatively new boats that have the nastiest finish on some very nice teak. The finish actually makes the wood look like pine! It really is tragic when there's such nice wood underneath. According to the owners, that is the finish Catalina has to use to lower EPA emissions. It's water-based and a real bear to get off. One gentleman would have ordered it without finish & done it himself or hired someone. You might want to enquire about this & check out interiors with this finish compared to ones with varnish. Who knows, you might like pine!
LaDonnaChoises
Greg, I took delivery of my 470 July 1st in Palmetto and sailed her back across the Gulf of Mexico in just four and a half days to Galveston. It was a great trip, but that is another story. I too wrestled with so many options. As others have already suggested, it is how are you going to use the boat? The standard rig is already a tight fit in many areas of the intercoastal waterway. Anything taller will make traveling inside on the east coast that much more difficult. I love my rolller furling main. I initially worried about giving up a bit when sailing close to the wind, but the convenience is fantastic. The bow thruster would be a nice add on, but I can assure you that this boat handles like a dream and will back in to any slip given a little bit of room. I don't think the washer/dryer combo is that efficient because it does not vent overboard. I chose the back stay gimbal mount for my radar. It works great, but like you I agonized over that decision too. Good luck on your choices. It is a fantastic boat and handles beautifully. Dick Hamner Windsong
Greg, I took delivery of my 470 July 1st in Palmetto and sailed her back across the Gulf of Mexico in just four and a half days to Galveston. It was a great trip, but that is another story. I too wrestled with so many options. As others have already suggested, it is how are you going to use the boat? The standard rig is already a tight fit in many areas of the intercoastal waterway. Anything taller will make traveling inside on the east coast that much more difficult. I love my rolller furling main. I initially worried about giving up a bit when sailing close to the wind, but the convenience is fantastic. The bow thruster would be a nice add on, but I can assure you that this boat handles like a dream and will back in to any slip given a little bit of room. I don't think the washer/dryer combo is that efficient because it does not vent overboard. I chose the back stay gimbal mount for my radar. It works great, but like you I agonized over that decision too. Good luck on your choices. It is a fantastic boat and handles beautifully. Dick Hamner Windsong
470options
I own #49 and sailed it from Palmetto to NY in January this year. Get the factory to install deck drains, port and starboard about adjacent to the primary winches. A puddle sits there and collects dirt which turns to mud. I filed down the toe rail holes there which is much better but not enough. As for your specifics, it depends on so much. Are you a good boat handler? If so, I'd never get a bow thruster on a boat smaller than 90 feet or so. Will you sail on inland waterways? If so, you may wish for the standard rig when it comes to bridges. If performance is crucial, tall rig with standard (Non-furling) main and deep keel are a must. I installed the Furuno 4kw radome a couple feet above the first spreaders on an Edson mount which is perfect, except for after I did so I found a sheave in the front of the mast just above where I mounted it. If it were mounted a foot or two higher I'd have use of that sheave to set a staysail. So mount it just above that sheave in the front of the mast above the first set of spreaders. There's so many things you could or could not do depending on so many things I just wouldn't know where to begin other than to say we really enjoy our 470. Hope you do too.
I own #49 and sailed it from Palmetto to NY in January this year. Get the factory to install deck drains, port and starboard about adjacent to the primary winches. A puddle sits there and collects dirt which turns to mud. I filed down the toe rail holes there which is much better but not enough. As for your specifics, it depends on so much. Are you a good boat handler? If so, I'd never get a bow thruster on a boat smaller than 90 feet or so. Will you sail on inland waterways? If so, you may wish for the standard rig when it comes to bridges. If performance is crucial, tall rig with standard (Non-furling) main and deep keel are a must. I installed the Furuno 4kw radome a couple feet above the first spreaders on an Edson mount which is perfect, except for after I did so I found a sheave in the front of the mast just above where I mounted it. If it were mounted a foot or two higher I'd have use of that sheave to set a staysail. So mount it just above that sheave in the front of the mast above the first set of spreaders. There's so many things you could or could not do depending on so many things I just wouldn't know where to begin other than to say we really enjoy our 470. Hope you do too.
470?
Greg- I would never buy a 470, I would of coarse buy a Catalina 42 as it is the best boat in the world. Just kidding, see ya Sat. Mark
Greg- I would never buy a 470, I would of coarse buy a Catalina 42 as it is the best boat in the world. Just kidding, see ya Sat. Mark
470 options
Hi, we have owned #52 for about a year now. First comment is that we love the boat and I hope yours works out great as well. Second comment is that I agree completely with the post that said be sure and have drains installed. The water ponds on the side and makes a terrible mess. And its difficult to fix. This is one of the few things on the 470 that I would say is a definate design error. It's simply screw up, no two ways about it. We have a short rig, inmast furling, and a bow thruster. So by now you know that we are NOT real sailors and that we are also wimps. We considered a billion arguments about the inmast furling and ended up getting it. And we love it. No question you give up something in terms of performance but the convenience is spectacular and it works very well. (WE had a similar boat from another builder in the past and the inmast was ALWAYS a problem.) We have friends who are about to get a 470 delivered and it has in-boom furling. He is a boat mechanics god and has spent the last year doing nothing but studying the in-boom options for the 470. I'm sure he would discuss them with you if you like. If you have the space and the need then tall rig is better. We have neither so we have a short rig and a stubby keel! In San Francisco bay you are reefed almost all the time anyway ... so makes little difference and the short keel makes all the difference in the world. We've never used the washer and dryer and don't know any other 470 owners who get much use from theirs. I'm considering throwing it overboard. The bowthruster is great. The boat does, in fact, handle very well, but at least in our area with lots of tight spaces and heavy winds it is very nice, especially when backing the boat in. The option we actually like the best is the genset/heater. (Some would call it an airconditioner!) We stay on the boat a lot and having an effective forced-air heater makes all the difference in the world in terms of liveability. There are several 470's with arches, including a couple featured in past issues of the catalina magazine. Best wishes with your new boat. I hope you have years of fun with it.
Hi, we have owned #52 for about a year now. First comment is that we love the boat and I hope yours works out great as well. Second comment is that I agree completely with the post that said be sure and have drains installed. The water ponds on the side and makes a terrible mess. And its difficult to fix. This is one of the few things on the 470 that I would say is a definate design error. It's simply screw up, no two ways about it. We have a short rig, inmast furling, and a bow thruster. So by now you know that we are NOT real sailors and that we are also wimps. We considered a billion arguments about the inmast furling and ended up getting it. And we love it. No question you give up something in terms of performance but the convenience is spectacular and it works very well. (WE had a similar boat from another builder in the past and the inmast was ALWAYS a problem.) We have friends who are about to get a 470 delivered and it has in-boom furling. He is a boat mechanics god and has spent the last year doing nothing but studying the in-boom options for the 470. I'm sure he would discuss them with you if you like. If you have the space and the need then tall rig is better. We have neither so we have a short rig and a stubby keel! In San Francisco bay you are reefed almost all the time anyway ... so makes little difference and the short keel makes all the difference in the world. We've never used the washer and dryer and don't know any other 470 owners who get much use from theirs. I'm considering throwing it overboard. The bowthruster is great. The boat does, in fact, handle very well, but at least in our area with lots of tight spaces and heavy winds it is very nice, especially when backing the boat in. The option we actually like the best is the genset/heater. (Some would call it an airconditioner!) We stay on the boat a lot and having an effective forced-air heater makes all the difference in the world in terms of liveability. There are several 470's with arches, including a couple featured in past issues of the catalina magazine. Best wishes with your new boat. I hope you have years of fun with it.
SHEET COVERS FOR FORE AND AFT STATEROOMS
Need name of company that can supply sheets for fore and aft bunk on 380
Need name of company that can supply sheets for fore and aft bunk on 380
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