What do you love about the C-22?

Sacto Dave

Sacto Dave

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Apr 22, 2016
161
Catalina 22 Folsom Lake
From the FB group, Catalina 22 National Sailing Association:
“All...for the September issue of the Catalina 22 MainBrace publication, I would like to include an article about what Catalina 22 owners like best about their Catalina 22 sailboat as part of the 50-year anniversary. If you would like to be included in the article - 1) post a comment below about what you like about the Catalina 22, 2) include your name, boat name, sail/hull number, 3) where you sail or keep your C22, 4) include a photograph of your Catalina 22, if available. Thanks.”
https://www.facebook.com/117064858367554/posts/2803851493022197?s=1021458906&sfns=mo
 
AaronD

AaronD

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Aug 10, 2014
723
Catalina 22 9874 Newberg, OR / Olympia, WA
I’ll take a stab at a more serious answer. We’ve had our C-22 for about 6 years now. There’s no such thing as a perfect boat, but if I were starting over, a C-22 would probably still be high on my list.

I love that it’s a reasonable cruising boat for my family at a price point I can justify. Related: I love that, with an initial investment of only a few thousand $$, I’m not as scared to make modifications as I might be if I’d just dropped $100k+ on a newer and larger boat.

I love that Catalina built so many of them. That means (among other things):
—There are lots of C-22 owners on SBO who’ve run into the same problems I might, and suggested good solutions.
—Catalina Direct can amortize the costs of manufacturing C-22 specific parts, making some standard repairs _much_ more reasonable than if we had to have them custom-made (e.g. gudgeons, chainplates, standing rigging kits)
—Standard sails can be had for reasonable prices (I’m not buying laminate one-design racing sails; for those, ‘reasonable’ might be in a different ballpark)

I love that, even with the bowsprit on the bow and the outboard tilted up on the transom, we fit into a 28’ slip. We can moor for ~$200/mo, and we can almost always find space to slide into park or guest docks, when a 30+ footer might not.

I love that in the winter, she can sit in my shop, where she’s not being eaten by saltwater, and where I can work on winter projects with only a 30-foot commute.

I love that my kids fell in love with her. I still have pictures of my then 5-year-old son in our driveway, talking to his boat as he ate his lunches in her shade. :biggrin:
 
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Leeward Rail

Leeward Rail

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Mar 20, 2015
3,095
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
AaronD said:
I love that my kids fell in love with her. I still have pictures of my then 5-year-old son in our driveway, talking to his boat as he ate his lunches in her shade. :biggrin:
Click to expand
Aww man. That is awesome. If that isn't endorsement I don't know what is.
 
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Minnesail

Minnesail

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Oct 10, 2013
127
Catalina 22 Minneapolis
For me the Catalina 22 is just the right size. It’s big enough that you start to get that big boat feel. You can walk around it without worrying about balance, it has winches, it can handle a certain amount of weather, and the cabin is big enough for a couple to comfortably camp in.

On the other hand it’s small enough that you can trailer it, you can maneuver it by hand around the dock, and projects like painting and cleaning aren’t prohibitive.

I know it hits the sweet spot because when we’re sleeping in it I wish it was about three feet bigger, and when I’m trailering it I wish it was about three feet smaller.
 
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H

Hardhead

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Apr 11, 2017
571
Catalina C22 Solomon's Island, MD
I think the C22 really hits the sweet spot of boating, or at least sailing. I'm sure we could all afford larger boats if we really wanted to - but the C22 is just big enough to make a decent multi-day getaway in, and carry a reasonable amount of comforts and stowage. It's also small enough that it's not a major undertaking trailering it, or raising the mast. Due to the shallow draft, anchorage possibilities are much greater, and it's easy to get away from the crowds.

The carrying costs are about zero, as long as you have a place to stow it on the trailer. With the swing keel, you avoid having to watch the tide on the launch ramp, and most of the time, you don't need a trailer extension. If you need to get away - and want to go to a new cruising ground, it's possible to just hit the road, and pull over at a state rest stop, climb back in the C22 bunk, and sleep right there.

If you decide you want to spend a year or two cycling through different hobbies, the C22 isn't sucking down slip fees for that period of time, and not requiring haul-out fees, or bottom re-painting. It's easy to work on, great information resources are available, and as mentioned, sails and parts do not cost an arm and a leg.

Also - and this is definitely a matter of preference, but I think smaller boats are a heck of a lot more fun to sail on, and the whole experience seems bigger - as you're closer to the water, and the whole experience is more immersive, for a lack of a better word. For an almost ridiculously cheap amount of money, you're out in the exact same sun, spray and breeze as the larger sailboats, costing a hundred times more, and it's almost like there's something like cheating about that. I actually wish I'd have bought a C22 about 15 years earlier than I did. I'll probably never sell it, and even though I'm planning on a more ocean capable passage maker type after I retire - the C22 is one I'll keep. What comparatively little money I'd get out of it - can't compare to me to having it always there, and ready to go when the mood strikes. Plus, you get kind of attached to these projects - after you've put so many hours into them...
 
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