Need help: Catalina 22 mkii vs Hunter 240

[mspiers]

My wife and I just cant decide, but are maybe leaning towards the hunter 240.

We are trailering 100% of the time, mostly to lake texoma, with hopefully a one week vacation to the keys every year weather permitting...

We made a pro con list for each and here are the results:

Hunter 240 pros:

positive flotation
galvanized trailer
queen bed under cockpit, more room in general
8 hp engine
can beach her with water ballast
sternrail seat
open cockpit for large wave dispersal

Hunter 240 cons

slightly more money
more boat on trailer
needs new tiller handle
much further drive away (more money and time) extra day probably

Catalina mk 2 pros

smaller on trailer (easier to see and transport?)
mast raising system
less money
manufacturer still makes them (more parts)
seemingly higher demand for resale

Catalina mk2 cons

trailer is steel and rusty (not too bad, but needs a little tlc to look new)
less room overall
sleeping arrangements for my 6'3' 270 frame questionable
older motor thats only a 4hp
cant beach
no positive floatation?
older boat by 5 years
maintainence on keel and keel winch

any opinions welcomed...

 

[JoeWhite]

I would go with Hunter - you did not say what year the hunter is.

 

[dscribner]

What are the heads like? A big guy like you might have an issue. My Lancer has a head the size of my sink cabinet. Gets the job done but it takes some flexibility. I'd goe with the Hunter. I sounds like more boat up front. But, my dream boat is a Catalina 27 in the '86 area.

 

[mspiers]

the cat 22 mk2 is a 98 while the hunter 240 is a 2001.
The unfortunate thing is my wife and i have not seen ANY hunter 240 in person.
We did see a cat 22 mk 2 of 88 vintage, and i personally felt a little cramped in it.
The pop top was all that made me able to have much comfort.

The head on the cat 22 was prob unusable for me... seriously... it was up under the v berth and i dont think i could sit on it and sit up enough to comfortably do anything. Mostly inland sailing would mean I wouldnt have to generally except while on vacation to the keys, where a "bag bucket" might have come in more useful over that head.

 

[Ken]

new style

Sorry, the 1988 is a new style, not a MKII.
The MKII was introduced 1995 .

 

[mspiers]

Well, I guess that was a misnomer by the catalina dealer... He had a new sport 22, and said he couldnt order a mk2 this year from the factory for some reason. Then he said he had an 88 mk 2 coming in th enext day so we drove up to see it. It was quite a bit larger than the sport. Would a 98 mark2 be larger than this 88 model

 

[Ray Bowles]

I've owned and sailed both. Actually our Hunter was a 1995 260 which is exactually the same as the 240, just 2 feet shorter. Our Catalina 22 was a 1982 model but all C22's share the same basic measurements.
If the price of the 240 is in the range you are looking at then by all means buy the 240. It is a whole lot more boat.
Both my boats were nicely rigged for single handed sailing and both were set up for trips of 6 to 10 days. The large size of the 240 really shines when doing longer trips.
The Hunter mast raising system is VERY well thought out and can be done easily by one person. The C22 is a little harder but with 2 persons it is easily done. The Hunter trailer is nicer for longer hauling trips. We routinely towed up to 1100 miles 1 way with a 1/2 ton Ford PU. The Hunter trailer was a dual axle and the Catalina a single axle.
I absolutely loved my C22 as I raced it when not camping out and sailing on our trips. We didn't race the H260 but she was very quick and much better and more comfortable to sail with a very nicely planned cockpit with stern rail seats.
I'd buy the Hunter as it will take you much longer before you look to move up in size and she is an excellent boat to learn on. That's what we started out with and 3 years later we sold the house and the Hunter and bought a 38 foot Island Packet and moved aboard and sailed the Gulf and East Coast for 3 years.
Enjoy your future.
Ray

 

[Joe]

Excerpted from the Catalinayachts.com............

Catalina 22 MkII

The Catalina 22 markII is a major redesign of the venerable Catalina 22. Eight inches of additional beam at the deck mean a larger, more comfortable cockpit. A new lifting pop-top is standard, with tinted Plexiglass sliding companionway hatch. Sailing additions include a molded fiberglass, lead ballasted centerboard and available easy mast raising system.

Catalina 22 Sport

In response to Catalina 22 owners’ requests for a production boat that more accurately reflects the original dimensions and weight of this popular one design boat, Catalina Yachts is now building the Catalina 22 Sport. Catalina Yachts aims to encourage more family racing with the thousands of first generation 22s by offering an alternative to finding an older boat, and restoring it just to be competitive in the dozens of established Catalina 22 fleets. Like the first Catalina 22, the 22Sport is easy to trailer, and a great boat to step up from dinghy sailing to a pocket cruiser/race, offering the quality and value Catalina owners have come to expect since 1970.

 

[WTA]

My 2 cents, but it may be a little biased as i have a H240 and have only sailed on a c22 once.

Just a couple of comments. You have the mast raising system as a pro on the Catalina but not the Hunter. The H240 has a good mast raising system with permenant support struts on either side of the mast and a gin pole which utilizes the jib halyard attached to the top and the mainsheet attached to the bottom and to a u-bolt in the anchor locker. Pretty good system, makes mast raising a one man operation.

On the flip side, you have maintenance on the keel and winch as a con on the c22 and not the h240. The swing keel on the H240 will require some maintenance, the biggest headache is replacing the uphaul line about once every 5 to 10 years, as it requires the boat to be off the trailer when this happens.

Also the H240 does have a poptop as well and an available camper enclosure which can be purchased from the chandlery on this site. Definitely adds a lot of room to the cabin on overnight or weekend trips.

Trailering is pretty easy with the water ballast. I use a 2010 Toyota Tacoma as the tow vehicle and have never had any problems. Max speed is about 65mph though, but that is fast enough to outrun a hurricane.

Good luck i am sure you will be happy with either of the boats.

Fair Winds,

W.

One other pro on the h240 is that it has a built in sink and water tank, as well as a "counter top" for a portable stove. Not sure if the newer c22's have this option.

 

[Ken]

MKII

The MK is a totally different boat than the "new style" 84-95 or the "old Style"70-mid 84. At 8'5" wide the MKII is much larger than the earlier models as well. You'll find the "new styles" are the heaviest of the three styles.

The reason your dealer can't get one is Catalina dropped the MKII this year. They are only going to build the sport and have promised to tighten the weight of the sport. Each sport built will be weighed at the factory and that weight posted with the boat.

Having owned a old style and now a MK II can tell you there are some serious differences between the two.

I would urge you to take a serious look at the Catalina 27 or the Catalina Capri 26 before making your final decision. Both those will have a stand up head.

Good luck with your search.

 

[mspiers]

Thanks guys, Ive read and re-read all your comments

We are definitely leaning towards the h240, and most all of you guys comments seem to mirror that decision... If the vessel does not come with a mast raising system then i am definitely going to attempt to locate one. It was not listed in the verbal equip list however.

Other than having to take probably 4 days off next week to drive to the other side of Atlanta and back, i think we are going to really be happy with the 240. I had a 1993 water ballasted hunter 19, which from the pics looks really similiar in everything except length, and i absolutely loved that boat, and it was the keeper after swapping around about 6 different boats starting in 1998 and ending in 2006 when I broke my neck and basically had to sell everything including my sailboat. As you guys probably noticed i havent been on the site since 2006, and havent even sailed, but after acquiring a macgregor 17 and beginning restoration on her as a fun project, i re-caught the bug and started discussing with my new wife the joys of sailing... Fortunately women love to hear about key west, bimini island, and white sandy beaches, so so far i have a willing partner in crime

 

[Sumner]

....... but after acquiring a macgregor 17 and beginning restoration on her as a fun project,...

Good luck on the new boat. Also wondering if you are keeping the 17 or not? How do you like it? We have toyed with one as a second boat for a couple local lakes that are really too small for our 26.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[mspiers]

Hi Sumner,

My first impression of it is basically just a miniature mac 25 without a backstay....lol
(she needed restoration when i got her although not near as bad as a lot of boats ive seen.) I have not had her on the water.

Im far enough along i could have her sailing within a week, but i plan a longer restoration than just usable.

Things ive done so far:

1) removed all the interior, washed cusion covers, started scraping flaked paint ont he inside for repainting.

2) new tires and new trailer winch and strap

3) raised mast and inspected standing rigging.. all good.

4) pressurwashed topsides to reveal they were originally white lolol

5) inspected sails (okay) was surprised to find a practically brand new spinnaker and pole

Things to do:

1) bought a new brake winch for keel and need to manufacture the board for it to go on.

2) Removed mast step hardware and need to manufacture new ones to the patterns

3) paint topsides, sides, and barrier paint on bottom

4) sand and revarnish rudder and tiller handle

5) remove sliding top wood and sand and revarnish.

6) running rigging looks fine and even way oversized, but if i do all this other i will replace with some brightly colored rope instead of all white

Basically if i sold it right now Id have about $1000 in it. When i do all that stuff to her i doubt anyone would buy her for even break even... So im not real sure. Id be smarter to sell her right now if Im gonna sell her.

 

[soling42]

I've owned and extensively sailed/trailered a 2001 240 but traded up to a 2004 H260 because it was just too small for long weekends and I hated the V-berth porta potti setup. The single axle trailer is really too small for a 240 and needs a dual axle to be comfortable for extended runs. At 270lbs you're a big guy for a 240. The aft bunk may honestly become a real challenge and the V-berth is out of the question because it'll be torn apart to access the head at night/always.

The 26/260 and 240 are miles apart in size and ability. I attached a few pics from our old 240 and the 260. If I had to choose between a 240 and a newer C22 I'd go with the C22 because of their huge following, regattas everywhere and great support. There are thousands of those boats and it's a very active group where the 240, although roomier, is very tender boat that I sailed more like a dinghy shifting crew constantly(which both C22 and 240 will do) and it's shipped with a substandard trailer for it's size. Between the 240 and an older C22 it'd be the 240.

Before the 240/23.5 Hunter guys get up in arms just know that the 240 didn't work for us mostly because of the room it lacked. Staying brand loyal I love our 260 and although we toy with the idea of a bigger boat, I just can't justify loosing the flexibility of sticking it on the trailer to hit another spot or bringing it home when it's broiling down here in the summer. A good sized head, pressurized water, dual axle trailer, more sail, bigger bimini and cockpit, wheel steering all added up to the 260 being the biggest trailerable small boat on the market IMHO. It was the admiral that insisted on the move up to a better head setup.

Good luck in your choice but keep in mind that a big guy with crew and guests may find the 240 as well as the C22 too small but a man has to live within his means. Once you choose just know that you may always lust for 2-4 more feet, it's a real illness that we sailors cope with.

All our best, Mike and Kelli

(pics 1-6 are the 240/ 7-11, 260)

 

[CaptDon01]

If you "click" on my name and look in my public profile, look at my photo albums. One is on our C-22 MK-II, wing-keel version. As already advised, the MK-II is totally different, and having sailed one of the original C-22's for many years, the MK-II is a GREAT improvement for cruising. We like our MK-II, but if your 6'3", the head is going to be tight for you. I wouldn't EVER think of dunking a trailer in salt water that wasn't galvanized, period. Been there, done that, rinsed religiously with Salt-A-Way and a painted trailer is still an issue. Have you looked at used water-ballasted C-250's? They started production in 1995, and still being built by Catalina,(has to say something). Right between the 240 and 260 discussed, and I believe they have slightly better construction,(but I have to admit, I'm a Catalina guy). Also, there is just something about having a back-stay that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. We have the factory mast raising system on our MK-II and I can tell you it's slick, and a single guy operation to raise the mast.

Don

 

[mspiers]

I've owned and extensively sailed/trailered a 2001 240 but traded up to a 2004 H260 because it was just too small for long weekends and I hated the V-berth porta potti setup. The single axle trailer is really too small for a 240 and needs a dual axle to be comfortable for extended runs. At 270lbs you're a big guy for a 240. The aft bunk may honestly become a real challenge and the V-berth is out of the question because it'll be torn apart to access the head at night/always.

The 26/260 and 240 are miles apart in size and ability. I attached a few pics from our old 240 and the 260. If I had to choose between a 240 and a newer C22 I'd go with the C22 because of their huge following, regattas everywhere and great support. There are thousands of those boats and it's a very active group where the 240, although roomier, is very tender boat that I sailed more like a dinghy shifting crew constantly(which both C22 and 240 will do) and it's shipped with a substandard trailer for it's size. Between the 240 and an older C22 it'd be the 240.

Before the 240/23.5 Hunter guys get up in arms just know that the 240 didn't work for us mostly because of the room it lacked. Staying brand loyal I love our 260 and although we toy with the idea of a bigger boat, I just can't justify loosing the flexibility of sticking it on the trailer to hit another spot or bringing it home when it's broiling down here in the summer. A good sized head, pressurized water, dual axle trailer, more sail, bigger bimini and cockpit, wheel steering all added up to the 260 being the biggest trailerable small boat on the market IMHO. It was the admiral that insisted on the move up to a better head setup.

Good luck in your choice but keep in mind that a big guy with crew and guests may find the 240 as well as the C22 too small but a man has to live within his means. Once you choose just know that you may always lust for 2-4 more feet, it's a real illness that we sailors cope with.

All our best, Mike and Kelli

Hey mike,

I didnt know people were still responding lol The pics were awesome, especially as a comparison. I was recently (in our hunt) inside two hunter 26's which i assume are fairly comparable to the newer 260. To me the boat was larger than i wanted. I have already been down the 2 foot itis path all the way up to 40ft, when i started on the path back down again. As far as sailing, the catalina 22 to me was pretty perfect. That size is what I was wanting. The insides however, just couldnt do a long weekend in that. So, im thinking the 240 is going to be a compromise on both ends.

Currently we are still tied up in brokerage waiting on a closing date hopefully next week. The purchase agreement has been signed by both parties so now its a paperwork issue, and maybe by next week i will see it in person outside of atlanta.

Im definitely with you on preferring double axle trailers, and might even look into adding an extra axle to the trailer after we get it.

 

[mspiers]

If you "click" on my name and look in my public profile, look at my photo albums. One is on our C-22 MK-II, wing-keel version. As already advised, the MK-II is totally different, and having sailed one of the original C-22's for many years, the MK-II is a GREAT improvement for cruising. We like our MK-II, but if your 6'3", the head is going to be tight for you. I wouldn't EVER think of dunking a trailer in salt water that wasn't galvanized, period. Been there, done that, rinsed religiously with Salt-A-Way and a painted trailer is still an issue. Have you looked at used water-ballasted C-250's? They started production in 1995, and still being built by Catalina,(has to say something). Right between the 240 and 260 discussed, and I believe they have slightly better construction,(but I have to admit, I'm a Catalina guy). Also, there is just something about having a back-stay that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. We have the factory mast raising system on our MK-II and I can tell you it's slick, and a single guy operation to raise the mast.

Don

Hi Don,

We did not locate a water ballasted 250 to view, but did see a wing keel 250 (been told its 5-6 inches more headroom) I completely fell in love with it at the dock..... It was THE boat I could see myself in... THEN I saw one on the trailer and it blew it for me lolol
Our current plan is to own this 240 for about three years. At that time, we may definitely be in the market for a catalina 250 wb. I figure im basically getting into the water ballast thing for 11k to try it out for a few years.... If i absolutely dont like it then we may go for a cat 250 wing or one of the late model hunter 25 wings. i went a couple years having my boat lifted off of and onto my trailer at 100 bucks everytime i wanted to go sailing and it really got old after awhile. i expect 99% of the time we will be sailing lake texoma which can get pretty hairy pretty quick, plus we want to trailer to the keys and try for bimini one year as well... jury is out on the wb thing but we will see. i should have an opinion this time next year

 

[CaptDon01]

Yes, there is less head room in the WB C-250 because the water tank is under the floor. The WK C-250 just sits too high for me on the trailer, plus the extra weight trailering would require a bigger truck. Interesting note, Catalina uses the same mast and sails on both the WK and WB C-250's. They also have a neat mast raising system which uses the trailer winch to raise the mast.

Don

 

[mspiers]

Im sure hoping this 240 has a mast raising system.. Although its not listed in the specs, i believe i see a gin pole in the photos of the boat.

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...units=Feet&access=Public&listing_id=56149&url=

Right now im just in a holding pattern waiting for the paperwork to all be finished.
Purchase agrrement has been signed by both parties, but there is still a lein on the boat, plus brokerage fees owed by the seller. Its in Ga but registered and titled in Fla, and needing to be registered and titled in Texas with a lein put on it by my bank, so lotsa lotsa paperwork for the two banks and brokerage people to work out before I can actually go get it.

 

[mspiers]

Yes, there is less head room in the WB C-250 because the water tank is under the floor. The WK C-250 just sits too high for me on the trailer, plus the extra weight trailering would require a bigger truck. Interesting note, Catalina uses the same mast and sails on both the WK and WB C-250's. They also have a neat mast raising system which uses the trailer winch to raise the mast.

Don

Well Don, we are both Catalina owners now..lol The broker for the hunter 240 just couldnt get his paperwork together after 3 weeks of waiting and we finally just got frustrated. i always say everything happens for a reason, and just so happened a 2007 cat 250 water ballast opened up at a broker in houston so the wife and I ran down there this weekend, took a look at it, and I wired my bank the funds they required to get going on it.

Im rather glad it did happen like it did because the cat 250 is honestly the smallest interior the wife wishes to have. We had seen a hunter 26 but I didnt really like the freeboard, and the fact its too wide to trailer legally (for me) meant it wasnt even an option. We were having to buy the 240 sight unseen.

But all in all Im very happy how things turned out. I spent roughly 3 times what I planned to spend, which meant cashing in a cd, but its a good safe boat for texoma, and bahamas (in a weather window), keys, etc. and the wife is happy with the interior, and I was very happy with the hardware and apparent quality.