Catalina 22

CaptDon01 · Dec 30, 2016

My opinion......although there are always deals that are too good to believe out there, a $1,000. C-22 is most likely someone else's problem that they want to hand off to the next sucker. My advise is always to buy the absolute best boat you can find, it will be far cheaper than any "deal" out there.

I understand wanting a boat of your own. Think about a sunfish, or other small boat that is economical to buy, easy to tow and set-up, and you'll learn sailing skills that are transferable to other sailboats down the road.

Take your boss's advice, his words are priceless.........get your education first. There will be an even nicer C-22 in your future for you to enjoy.

Don

Foxyladycrew · Dec 30, 2016

Don't know how much a Catalina 22 is worth elsewhere, but in Florida a budget of $ 3000.00 would likely give you some choices.. but it may be that the less you pay-- the more work you do. My first sailboat was a 22 from the 80's, the size and use of the tiller was a good way to learn, fits on a trailer, is all low tek you can fix anything on it yourself. & is big enough for a weekend on the water....If you run a ground you can jump off and push back into deep water (18") --- be sure to hang onto a line.

pclarksurf · Dec 30, 2016

You are going to get a ton of advice, from everyone on the planet including everyone on this forum:

Bottom Line ? it's up to you brother.... no such thing as a free, cheap or cost effective boat-- It's all relative. When it comes to the C-22 you likely get what you pay for as it relates to condition. But yes-- there are occasionally some screaming deals but you have to be exceptionally knowledgeable about what you're looking at.

Not suggesting you won't know the difference -- but until you buy/own/maintain and slave over that new to you boat you will probably learn the hard way like the rest of us: It looked great-- but.....

And speaking from Experience -- should you wait? Hell no-- buy the damn thing. Whether or not you waste your money is irrelevant-- no better education on the planet than doing it.

Study the crap out of this forum, and enjoy the ride. Your 40 something year old self will thank you for the education

Roland5048 · Dec 30, 2016

I could have been you asking these questions fourty some years ago. My two college roommates and I went in on a 16 ft run-about that we skied and fished off of. We were all going to school full time and I was working thirty hours a week on top of that. We used the boat quite a bit but we did not have to rig before and de-rig afterwards. Anyway, my point is, after school and work, how much time will you be able to devote to sailing and, if you buy a fixer upper, how much time can you devote to that before you even get to go sailing? But, if all works out, go for the best you can afford and go sailing. There's no right answer here. Only you and... 'The Shadow'... knows. Good luck and Happy New Year!

EditorC22NSA · Dec 31, 2016

If your boss doesn't sail, or even own a Catalina 22, not sure he in the position to say it is "as great of a chore". If you buy an old, beat-up boat...yes, it will be a chore evaluating what needs to be replaced and repaired, and money to support the upgrades. If you buy a boat that is in a better sail-away condition, then should not be a chore. Over one-third of the Catalina 22s built are over 40 years old. So, depending on how well the boat was maintained during those first 40 years will determine how much work and additional funds you may need to put into it. In my observation, an original style Catalina 22 in the $4K to $5K range will get you a good boat with much less need for repair/replacement. The average value of an original Catalina 22 in the used boat marketplace is around $2500. Perhaps as a guideline, if you buy a boat less than $2500, then the chore factor will go up. If you buy a boat greater than $2500, then the chore factor goes down. But each boat is different, and sometimes a really nice boat shows up for sale at a steal. I would suggest learning more about the boat first, before buying. You don't want to buy something, then find out it is a total wreck, requires much more money, and then be unable to sell it. The Catalina 22 National Sailing Association at www.catalina22.org is a good place to start. There is even a Catalina 22 History Book to help you get some more background on these boats.

JohnVTX · Dec 31, 2016

Go for it. But buy the best you can afford

Joe · Dec 31, 2016

Ignore you boss.

LakeShark · Dec 31, 2016

I agree with the majority here. I bought my first boat when I was 13 (Cal 21) and by the time I was a sophomore in High school I was moved out of my parents’ home and was living on a 30 foot Catalina. The 22 is a good choice for a starter boat in that they are relatively strong and parts can be found online or pirated from less loved boats that are being parted out. On a 22 I have been sailing on the ocean, bays, and lakes in rain, gales, small craft Advisories etc. it is a good boat but make sure you do your homework before purchasing. I have a wing keel but the majority of these boats have the swing keel which requires both inspection and periodic maintenance. However even a poorly loved 22 will still make it out on the water most days and return safely to the dock as well. The reports of these boats sinking for any reason are far and few between and given the number of total produced this says much about their quality. Generally winter and fall are the best times to find a deal as in the spring even the owner of a neglected boat gets the itch for just one more sail and the price goes up. As far as waiting well that depends largely on your personality. Are you ready to be in love with a boat that you will want to spend every spare moment you have on or not. I will say this now that I am married with kids having already been hooked on sailing and owning a boat when I met my wife did help her to understand that sailing is one hobby that will never just go away. Happy hunting and by all means let us know what you decide (just post a picture of the new boat we already know you have the itch).

Roland5048 · Dec 31, 2016

Asills17 said:
I just want to know if getting a Catalina 22 is as much of a chore as he made it sound.

If it's a chore, it won't be fun and you'll tire of it quickly. Maybe that's what happened to your boss. If you look at it as a labor of love, well...different story. Go and search. Your boat will find you.

Leeward Rail · Jan 2, 2017

CaptDon01 said:
buy the absolute best boat you can find, it will be far cheaper than any "deal" out there.

This is very true.

Some of the cost of maintenance comes down to how fussy you are. See my re-fit thread, and you'll realize that many of the things I did to our boat, were optional.
Don't get caught up in that, unless you have the spare cash and time.
As long as the boat won't sink or catch fire, the rigging isn't going to collapse, it has functional sails, and you have the basic safety gear, you are good to go. It's not like people use C22s to sail across oceans.

But as noted above, except in extremely rare circumstances, it's always cheaper to buy a better boat than buy a cheaper one and repair it.

Are C22s hard to fix and maintain ? Definitely not for me. IMO, once our C22 Refit is completed, it will be very easy to maintain. Depending on your abilities you may find it harder or easier. But as mentioned by others, you won't get an idea what it's like until you do it.

As for the boss... He may own a money pit of a boat, who spends lots of his money on fuel, or simply hates working on boats, regardless of the level of maintenance.

You know your personality and abilities.
Read around the C22 forum, while you hunt for your boat, it will give you a very good idea of what this specific boat is like to maintain.

Life is short, as long as you go in with your eyes open, it's all an adventure worth taking.
So far I can agree with the statement that you regret what you didn't do, more than what you did.

C22-Daydreamer · Jan 5, 2017

Gotta pipe in here as well. Since you're in school, one thing to consider is the time element. I agree with CaptDon and your boss here. The Catalina 22 is a great boat. If you are going to trailer it, no matter the condition it's going to be labor intensive. You can expect to spend 2 to 3 hours setting up and tearing down in total each time you take it out. What you have to ask yourself is, is that how you want to be spending your time at this point. If you can say yes then great go for it. But if the answer is no then avoid purchasing at this time. Wait till you don't have that conflict with your studies. If you find yourself in conflict with wanting to sail and getting your homework done then you are going to end up hating one over the other. That's not a good place to be.

DayDreamer41 · Jan 5, 2017

I would go for it, but with the conditions that you keep it in a well, find a cheap place to dock it, being so shallow you may find a good place for not much a month, that way you could use it as a place to go sit and study, do your school work and when you want to sail its there ready to go, setting up and then removing a mast gets old quickly and you will end up not using it as much as you would like.

Gene Neill · Jan 5, 2017

There are always smaller boats if the C22 seems a bit much. Sixteen, eighteen footers? Less money, less work, quicker/easier to launch, but still plenty big enough for a young single guy just getting started. Catalina Capri 16 or 18, Com-Pac 16, West Wight Potter 15 or 19, O'Day 18, Precision 18 ... the list goes on and on.

If you really feel the siren call, my advice would be to get a sailboat of some kind, and get it now. Get it now, before life murders the dream. Get it now, before you blink and find yourself with a crappy dead end job, a car payment, a house payment, a student loan payment, a stack of who knows what other bills ... and a high-maintenance, pregnant wife who hates you and your stupid sailboat idea.

No, wait, that was MY life. LOL

pclarksurf · Jan 5, 2017

Love it: "before life murders the dream"

In case it's lost on the young and optimistic:

Sail now.... die later

Roland5048 · Jan 5, 2017

Once you buy a boat, you're married to it. That's as married as I'm ever going to get, again. Marry a boat and go sailing. And, good luck to the both of you.

C22-Daydreamer · Jan 5, 2017

Gene Neill said:
There are always smaller boats if the C22 seems a bit much. Sixteen, eighteen footers? Less money, less work, quicker/easier to launch, but still plenty big enough for a young single guy just getting started. Catalina Capri 16 or 18, Com-Pac 16, West Wight Potter 15 or 19, O'Day 18, Precision 18 ... the list goes on and on.

If you really feel the siren call, my advice would be to get a sailboat of some kind, and get it now. Get it now, before life murders the dream. Get it now, before you blink and find yourself with a crappy dead end job, a car payment, a house payment, a student loan payment, a stack of who knows what other bills ... and a high-maintenance, pregnant wife who hates you and your stupid sailboat idea.

No, wait, that was MY life. LOL

That's the best reply @Gene Neill!

Scott T-Bird · Jan 5, 2017

"getting established in your career" ... that's a tough one to figure out. Nobody knows what that means! Should you get "established" 1 year? 3 years? 30 years?!?! Which career should you get established? Many folks have several careers. I'm just having fun with the bosses advise. He probably wants you to work more hours, not go sailing!
You sound like you are pretty well balanced. You can handle school, work, sailing and probably a bit more. I'd bet that you would regret waiting, since you have already gone through the effort of searching for a boat and you seem to have a good handle on it. Look at it this way, if you don't have enough time for the boat, sell it. No harm no foul. It may cost a few bucks, but you will easily recover. I'd bet that you'll be glad that you jumped into sailing.
As for getting your career "established" first. Why not try to define it before considering it as an option.

watercolors II · Jan 6, 2017

As a couple other fellow have said, a 22 is too big to use as a trailer sailor every time you want to use it. 19.5 or smaller one person can muscle up the mast and be underway in just 1/2 hour, tear down takes longer because of the care that is needed for hauling down the highway, even smaller boats take less time. The price payed for a trailer sailor will be refunded almost to the dollar when you want to step up in size 3 or 4 years down the road. Sailboats with a trailer do not depreciate like a power boat.

Catalina 22

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