Pop Top?

Dec 6, 2005
47
S2 8.0 c Chesapeake City, MD
I am looking to buy a Catalina 22 and I've seen several I like the difference being some have the pop top and others do not. I think I would like one but don't know if it's worth passing on a boat in better condition without one. Any thought? How much do you use it? I will be mostly daysailing but would like to anchor out overnight as well.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Hi, John,

Good choice for a boat. You kinda answered your own question: if ONLY daysailing, it doesn't matter, 'cuz you sail with it down and locked ALL the time (unless you're willing to GUARANTEE that no wakes will ever get everything down below all wet!!!).

Overnight? You'll be really glad to have it and can even buy an enclosure.

Happy hunting.

PS - Unless the difference in condition is like night & day.
 
Dec 6, 2005
47
S2 8.0 c Chesapeake City, MD
Thanks Stu. The one without the pop top also has the roller furling which I really wanted on my last boat but reading here it makes stepping the mask more difficult which wasn't an issue on my last boat since I never trailered it.
 
Dec 23, 2008
771
Catalina 22 Central Penna.
The standing headroom in a Catalina 22 with pop top is 5 foot 8 inches, so if you’re taller than that you still can not stand up straight to put your pants on in the morning.

With a pop top enclosed it gives you a lot of extra storage room when overnighting. The enclosure attaches around the outside edges of the whole cabin top and with just the center of the cabintop raised this gives you a 18 to 24 inch shelf on 3 sides to store all of the stuff you had sitting on the bunks, clothes, extra bedding, food and etc.

Go the extra mile and get what is called the new style Catalina which is a 1986 and up, it has a better galley setup, more headroom in the V-berth, a 48 quart cooler acts as the step down into the cabin, better scuppers for draining the cockpit, a fuel tank locker, anchor locker and easier access to storage under the cockpit.

The Catalina 22 has it’s flaws but, with every possible replacement part available, the ownership base and knowledge makes it the very best trailersailor to search for.

And yes, the very first thing to do is get rid of the roller furler if you plan on just trailersailing it.
 
Nov 9, 2008
1,338
Pearson-O'Day 290 Portland Maine
I disagree on the roller furler being an issue. We trailer our 25 footer every time we sail and the roller furler takes literally only a few more seconds to rig. I put a Johnson lever on the back stay (didn't have to modify the fuler or foil) so
1) attach the gin pole
2) flip the Johnson lever
3) pull the furler pin
4) clip the furler to the gin pole.

Once down, a couple of extra bungees and a piece of 2X4 to keep the drum from flopping, and you're golden.

I fabricated a mast cover that has a polycarbonate drum sleeve, PVC supports and a dozen or so straps built right in. It covers the entire mast, supports the furler and has all those straps to hold all that rigging, but in one piece so I'm never looking for bungees. I'll post a pic later in case anybody is interested. But for now, this is Sparrow in her first year with us.
 

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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I had a MacV22-2 with a pop-top. Something that was not mentioned yet is ventilation. I've trailered my Mac to the Chesapeake Bay, Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound and as I'm sure you know... it can get warm on a late July evening. Open the pop-top and open the front hatch and things can be down right comfortable at anchor. String some mosquito netting up in the cabin (over your bunk) and you might actually sleep...
 
Nov 19, 2011
1,489
MacGregor 26S Hampton, VA
I had a friend who blew out his flip flip, stepped on a pop top, cut his heal and had to cruise on back home.... But there was booze in the blender and soon it would render a frozen concoction that would help him hang on.... think his name was Jimmy
 
Oct 6, 2008
857
Hunter, Island Packet, Catalina, San Juan 26,38,22,23 Kettle Falls, Washington
I've had trailer sailed boats for 12 years and a roller furling does'nt make it any harder or easier to raise the mast. I prefer the hank on sails as I might change headsails 2 to 4 times a day. Many sailors are very happy with the rolled out convenice of the roller furling and they should continue to use them. Just don't make that choice the basis for buying or rejecting a boat.
Ray
 
Aug 14, 2013
308
MacGregor 26S High Desert
For day sailing I don't see the pop-top as a big deal. For anything more than that (including working on the boat) I consider it to be a very big deal. Certainly a personal decision, though.
 
Aug 19, 2013
129
Sirius 22 Minneapolis
If you are only daysailing with an occasional overnight I don't think the poptop is necessary. Anything longer then it is nice to have. If you do go for the boat with it make sure it has the canvas enclosure...or lacking that make or have one made. Without it the poptop is worthless IMO. We have had the snap on enclosure for all but the first year we owned our boat...28 years now...and my wife said after the first weeklong trip we took...get it or else I am done with this. We do little daysailing and most of our use is long weekends locally or 2 to 3 week trips in the Great Lakes. She has been happy ever since...and every now and then I still get a "see, I told you".:D
 
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hewebb

.
Oct 8, 2011
329
Catalina Catalina 25 Joe Pool Lake
The older boat, with out the pop top, I believe is a lighter boat and I have been told that they are a better racer. I crew on a 22 for races on Sundays. I have a pop top on the 25 and in three years have had it up twice while at anchor in the evening. I do not have the enclosure so I lower it before retiring for the night.
 

Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
We wouldn't be able to live without the pop-top, but you do need the enclosure....



http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-2.html

.. to make it worthwhile. Somewhere along the way you might decide to do more overnights and then you will be glad you have it. The same for us with the roller furling and it only takes a minute more to rig the boat and then it is there and don't have to take the time to hank-on a sail later.

Maybe keep looking for a boat that has those items and is in better shape,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links
 
Apr 24, 2006
868
Aloha 32 Toronto, Lake Ontario
The furler makes it EASIER to rig. Some find the heavier forestay/drum an issue while mast raising - but - check out my solution in the attached pic.
A simple caribeaner attaches the drum to the gin pole. After the mast is vertical, the drum is almost at its attachment point - no wrestling required.
For trailering, we use a few elastic Velcro straps (from the dollar store) to attach the furler, shrouds and "stuff" to the mast. We lash the boat hook to the front of the mast so it projects forward a few feet and Velcro the furler drum to it. Takes about 5 minutes and you are ready to go.

Chris


image-1015952698.jpg


Other mods of ours: http://www.holderness.info/boats-a-projects/macgregor-mods.html
 
Apr 24, 2006
868
Aloha 32 Toronto, Lake Ontario
Alternative poptop cover for warm weather.

Instead of the canvas cover, use a camping mosquito net designed for use over a picnic table or cot.
For a 26 S or D you need to make a hole for the poptop attachment screw to pass through. Just put duct tape on each side of the area and cut a slit.

To hold the bottom down we use a bungee that runs from the rear poptop bolt rope attachments around the outside of the vertical poptop "arms". Two bits of cord hold the front two corners of the bungee "outward" so the bungee actually sits down in the poptop drain channel. Just tuck the netting under this and let the back drape down over the companionway.

We have sailed the bug infested North Channel (and other areas) for over 5 years and enjoyed completely mosquito free slumber. Just be sure to rig it before the bugs come out.

We also use the same bug screen over the canvas cover (for colder or wetter nights) and it keeps the bugs completely out.

For the front hatch we have a piece of screen with Velcro around the edges that attaches to the underside of the hatch opening. Easy to rig, folds for storage and nothing to hit your head on ( like with a framed solution).

The bugs can be kept at bay!

We have even attached another picnic table bug screen the underside of the poptop (just used clothes pegs) and entertained on the cockpit - with the defending roar of a million Mosquitos inches from our ears.

Chris
 
Oct 26, 2005
2,057
- - Satellite Beach, FL.
I had a friend who blew out his flip flip, stepped on a pop top, cut his heal and had to cruise on back home.... But there was booze in the blender and soon it would render a frozen concoction that would help him hang on.... think his name was Jimmy
:laugh::thumbup:
 
Dec 6, 2005
47
S2 8.0 c Chesapeake City, MD
and now for something completely different...

Thank you all for the useful comments, the Admiral and I are in a quandry. We had an S2 8.0 that was useless in light air, we only went fast in small craft advisory LOL. So we wanted something smaller we could trailer and better in light air, hence the C22. We were not impressed with the condition of the one we looked at over the weekend and continued the search. We happened upon a San Juan 21 that we will be looking at Saturday. They have a swing keel and are supposedly very good in light air to the point they're "a little scary" in heavier air. The Admiral says if we're going to sail, might as well sail fast, right?:)

We've also found a 16' Laguna Windrose with a full keel (2.42' depth) that looks like it would be a whole lot of fun for two but could sleep 4 "very close" friends. We sail in the upper Chesapeake where the water can get thin so I was looking for the swing keel but this boat has caught our eye. Any thoughts on which would sail better? We're thinking overnighting would be rare so we're aiming our search more toward day sailing.
 

Ashley

.
Dec 2, 2003
111
Hunter 260 NC
The furler makes it EASIER to rig. Some find the heavier forestay/drum an issue while mast raising - but - check out my solution in the attached pic.
A simple caribeaner attaches the drum to the gin pole. After the mast is vertical, the drum is almost at its attachment point - no wrestling required.
For trailering, we use a few elastic Velcro straps (from the dollar store) to attach the furler, shrouds and "stuff" to the mast. We lash the boat hook to the front of the mast so it projects forward a few feet and Velcro the furler drum to it. Takes about 5 minutes and you are ready to go.

Chris


View attachment 69200


Other mods of ours: http://www.holderness.info/boats-a-projects/macgregor-mods.html


Attaching the furler to the gin pole with a 'beaner is brilliant, such a simple solution. I can't wait to try it, thanks.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
. We sail in the upper Chesapeake where the water can get thin so I was looking for the swing keel but this boat has caught our eye. Any thoughts on which would sail better? We're thinking overnighting would be rare so we're aiming our search more toward day sailing.
Have you looked at the Rhodes22? I've chartered one before and I'm fixing up one right now. They are very roomy inside, have a huge cockpit, fixed shoal draft with a swing daggerboard for pointing.

There is one for sale near my house (5 hour drive for you) and I've seen a few on sailboatlisting.com. If I didn't have a larger family, it would be my first choice.... and I've seen posts where people have sailed them to the Bahamas before.... here is a pic of the one I chartered.
 

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Sumner

.
Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Having had a 26s from new in 93, I can speak to it. There is nothing wrong with a furler. If you simply replace the tangs in the backstay with a turnbuckle, the mast can be raised in 10 minutes flat. Being able to launch and retrieve from a puddle, and being able to get right into the shore for protection is the greatest qualities oft his boat. The pop top, ok, but more of a pain to rig and put away, the sun leaks in while you're trying to sleep in, and it's of no value when sailing.

It's far more tender than the Catalina, and the water ballast in these boats makes them easy to trailer, and very, very tender to sail. We now have a Catalina 270le, and I've dumped the galley counter contents once. It was an hourly occurrence on the MacGregor.

Just my 2 cents

Gary