kdog1 said:
Wow! Thanks for all the excellent feedback. I live in SW Florida and looking to sail in Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound area. I am considering the Cat22 or the Capri 22. I like the shorter fixed keel of the Capri.
Hershey said:
I would not recommend the Catalina 22 over the Capri 22. The Capri 22 is a far better sailing boat. No one ever uses the cute little tables and galley in the Catalina 22. All that stuff adds to the cost and weight of the boat and is of no use.
Well, you're in the Capri 22 owners forum, so you're going to get a lot of great advice about why you should buy a Capri. Of course, I concur!!! Last year, I sold a 1981 Catalina 22 and
moved on up to the East Side when I purchased a 1988 Capri 22. So, of course, I am the most qualified person to give you advice!!!
Other than length, they are very different boats. Here's my two cents (as you can see from my user name, I don't get on my boat nearly as much as I'd like so take this advice for what it's worth). The Capri is much more fun and easier to sail. I say fun, because it is noticeably faster. Easier, because it's easier to get moving in light winds. As much as I liked the Catalina 22, it was like sailing a dump truck compared to the Capri.
There is very little difference in launching a wing-keel Capri 22 or a swing keel Catalina 22. My wing keel sits about 3 inches higher on the trailer than the C-22. Both launch easily with a 7-1/2 foot tongue extension which is common for both trailers. The keel guide on my current trailer actually makes the Capri actually easier to launch and retrieve. Oh, and I love not having to worry about maintaining the swing keel pivot bolt, winch, cable, or volcano tube. The single best feature of my Capri??? No holes in the bottom! The second best feature? I can't forget to lower the swing keel!!! All C-22 make this mistake multiple times.
shnool said:
...the Capri 22 is, faster, has more sail controls, has more sail area, is more stable, and has more cockpit space!
Shnool nailed the reasons I made the switch - more sail controls and more cockpit space. It turned out to be cheaper for me to sell the C-22 and buy the Capri than it would have been to add all-lines-led-aft, jib downhaul, and other sail controls that I wanted to add to an otherwise spartan C-22. The Capri 22 cockpit can easily accommodate 5 adults while the C-22 was tight with 3.
Both are great boats, but the Capri is better. Ultimately, it comes down to what you (and your crew) want to do with the boat. One area that the C-22 may have an advantage is in initial stability. The C-22 hull has more form stability. To use the technical term, the C-22 is
a little less "tippy" than the Capri when your crew moves around the boat. Is it a big deal to me? No. To my wife? Yes. I stress
a little because the Capri is very stable, nothing like a dingy. That said, the Capri likes a little more heel when sailing to weather, whereas the C-22 likes to sail a little more flat.
Finally, if you plan to cruise and overnight a lot, then the slower, less fun to sail C-22 is worth considering. If you are going to spend most of your time daysailing, the Capri is definitely the right choice. Oh, I never used that dinette in the C-22 either!!!
. The attachment includes the description and photos from the old post along with a few changes I incorporated, shown in red. I think the whole thing cost about $40. You still need a second had to stabilize the mast (side-to-side) when raising and lowering, but it works like a charm.
