Looking at a Catalina 22

[njmedic3306]

So here is the dreaded question...

I am going to look at a early 70's Catalina on a roller trailer for $800. Owner says it has good sails, wiring all works, cushions are in great shape. What should I look at on an early model? Is that price a deal or should I keep looking? I am on a tight budget..

 

[Miss Kayla]

Soft decks, keel mountiing if fixed keel boat.
$800. for boat and trailer. Great price, if everything is in order. but then again, you get what you pay for. good luck.

 

[Aldo]

I'm sure that you will get many replies, much better than mine, so I'll just reply quickly.
The main thing that the early C-22s don't have that the later 70's one do is a front hatch. The front hatch is great if you sleep on the boat. Air rams down into the boat and keeps you cool when you are sleeping at anchor. This is really nice! Not having a front hatch could be a deal-breaker in my opinion, that's how nice it is.
The early ones don't have a pop-top. The pop-top is a nice feature, but I wouldn't consider it a deal-breaker, since you mentioned that you are on a tight budget.
The mast is different, that is, weaker, on the early 70's C-22s. They are adequate, but you must keep your rigging adjusted properly. Most C-22 sailors don't have a clue on how to properly adjust the rigging, in my opinion, so this is important. Are you mechanical and patient enough to properly adjust the rigging to keep your mast from breaking on a really windy day?
Also, related to the mast, the spreader mounts are aluminum on the early C-22s. This was changed to stainless steel on later ones. This retrofit will cost you some money and and possibly a day change the aluminum ones to stainless. This is considered an important saftey item, from what I've read.
You stated that the sails were reported to be as good. I have never seen a mainsail from any sailboat with a motor that wasn't stretched out. Replacing a main will cost at least $500, so keep that in mind.
What motor does the boat have? That's important. It should have a 5 or 6 HP motor. A good modern 4 stroke motor is about $1200 ~ $1300.
A roller trailer isn't ideal. The ones with the bunk boards support the boats better.
Summary: If the boat is really clean, and you can get it cheaper, it might be OK, but you can figure that there will be things that you will miss when you look at the boat that will cost you money, so try not to over pay for it. Remember that there are boats that "free" is to much to pay for them. I recommend that you look for one in the late 1970's or early 1980's if you aren't in a hurry, and since summer is over here, I recommend that you take your time and find a better one to spend your money on.
Aldo

 

[njmedic3306]

Great Advice

Thats all great advice. I noticed that the older boats have less fiberglass and I am sure that is not ideal on a roller bunk. Any other advice would be great.

 

[Aldo]

Re: Great Advice

I know that the early boats are sought out by racers because they are light. Both of the C-22s that we have at my house are 1980's. They are noticibly lighter than the next generation ones, which I think start in 1986.
My friend recently bought a boat from the early 70's, and much of what I wrote to you was based on my examination of his boat. I didn't notice that it was any lighter than mine, but I didn't climb around it much either. The front hatch and the aluminum spreader castings are what I stick-out in my mind the most.
You should also check the keel winch. Both of ours were badly rusted. I had my son's repaired by a welder that I work with, and I purchased a new one for mine. The rusted winches were not obvious, even though we work on our boats plenty.
My friend really enjoyed his boat this past summer, but they did not sleep on it. Where do you plan on sailing your boat?
Aldo

 

[Captain 9330]

Look at the attachment points for the standing rigging below deck. Look for signs of rust and water on the fiberglass inside. If the boat has been well cared for (read that covered during freezing weather) then the freeze-thaw cycle that happens throughout the winter will not be a big issue. If it was stored in a region prone to icy winter conditions, there is a chance that water worked its way below deck and corrosion and possibly core rot can now be an issue. Corrosion would mean weakened standing rigging hardware and core rot is what MK was referring to regarding soft decks. Corrosion is easy to repair with replacement of the hardware. Core rot, or rotting in the interior wood tabs where the standing rigging chain plates attach, can be a much bigger and costlier repair.

Also look at the hull under the battery box and look for what looks like raised bumps under the pan liner on the floor under the dinette and along the settee. Unusual lumpy appearance or cracking of the fiberglass is telltale of rot in the hull core. Again, it is repairable (I did my hull rot using Git Rot made by Boat Life) but time and effort expensive more than money expensive.

Make sure to climb underneath and have a look at the keel mounting bolts and brackets. It should not look worn or loose.

Comments made by everyone else right on. Good luck!

 

[shipwreck66]

Succinctly, when I was selling my C22 on a trailer, C22 trailers are so few compared to boats, probably 10:1, I was offered $1000 cash just for my trailer by someone who only wanted to move their really nice boat once, 200 miles. So the price is sound if the trailer is decent. These old boats really are great when you are on a budget, alot of the stuff can be "fixed" with goodies from the hardware store, maybe to the shock of the purists out there, but who cares. Also, used sails are relatively cheap to come by if you need them, as there is such an enormous inventory out there.

 

[njmedic3306]

Still Looking

Most of my sailing will be done on a north jersey lake. I will have it docked spring and fall (family likes power boats in summer). I asked about the spreaders and this 1973 model does not have spreaders at all. Could they have been removed? I have not gone to look at the boat yet. This boat is going on a roller trailer. I am guessing that a fixed keel can go on a standard trailer with just a few modifications. I will look under the battery and dinner table. Let's see if these pictures post...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56376765@N03/5209906967/" title="catalina2 by njmedic3306, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5209906967_a08cfba34b.jpg" width="384" height="480" alt="catalina2" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56376765@N03/5210505240/" title="catalina3 by njmedic3306, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5210505240_e9f1b513be.jpg" width="480" height="384" alt="catalina3" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56376765@N03/5209906599/" title="catalina by njmedic3306, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/5209906599_3ca6210f8b.jpg" width="384" height="480" alt="catalina" /></a>

 

[Captain 9330]

Re: Still Looking

njmedic,
That's a nice looking boat. Good idea to put the pictures on Flickr. Larger size would be better to see detail.

I see someone added a center cleat on the bow near the bow pulpit. I added one of those to handle anchor duty on my boat and also added a couple fairleads between the toe plate and the forward pulpit mounts to guide the anchor line across the deck.

I have come to see the wisdom in the lack of lifelines down the sides of a Catalina 22. Mine are short (about 18 inches high- about high enough to give you an idea where the edge of the deck is and a last second thing to grab at as you fall over the edge) and are more in the way than otherwise useful. If you need more security going forward, consider additional hand holds. I usually go forward between the standing rigging and the mast anyway so those already provide plenty to hang on to.

The inside looks nice and clean. If you get up the courage, it is possible to cut access holes in the pan liner along the vertical panels near the sole to gain access to the harder to reach places under the seats without weakening the structure of the pan liner. Just remember that thinking a long while before doing anything will give you the best result. I can show you pictures of what I did with mine in future if it becomes a project you want to pursue.

Again, from appearance in your photos, looks like a nice boat.

Derek