I had the good fortune of sailing a number of boats, including a few 22' Catalinas. I like it so much that now I want to buy one for myself. It is a comfortable, stable ride, yet very maneuverable (just not so fast). So I need to know what to look for (or look out for). It will spend most of its life on lakes. I doubt that I will camp out that much in it. (so really the bells and whistles are not that important) What are things to watch out for as they get older? What about upkeep on the hull and the different keels (never seen a swing keel catalina)? What else? BTW I sailed in the atoll of the island of Diego Garcia,in the middle of the Indian Ocean. (rental sailboats) Thanks, Mike B
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Well Mike
I know that if you sailed off of Diego Garcia you had to either be a Swabee or a Seabee which I was the latter. Most of the used 22's that I have seen for sale unless totaly abused are still sound hullwise Keep in mind it never hurts to get a survey done though. It is worth the money and also the advice of repairing or replacing running and standing rigging can sometimes work for the buyer if it's in need of either. Checking for stress cracking at vital joints. Lifeline stanchions , outboard mounting bracket where it mounts to the hull etc. If swing keel checking for operation and hanger bracket and pin. Keel winch cable and total mechanism. Deck and Hatch leaks. The list goes on. In my opinion if you have a hull that has not been abused, run aground, trailering damage etc, then to me everything else is either a replacement at your discretion or worth a repair at least. Catalina's may not be the fastest boat or yacht out there but they represent some of the best boat that money can buy quality wise. Hope this helps. Happy Sailing
Dave LaPere
I know that if you sailed off of Diego Garcia you had to either be a Swabee or a Seabee which I was the latter. Most of the used 22's that I have seen for sale unless totaly abused are still sound hullwise Keep in mind it never hurts to get a survey done though. It is worth the money and also the advice of repairing or replacing running and standing rigging can sometimes work for the buyer if it's in need of either. Checking for stress cracking at vital joints. Lifeline stanchions , outboard mounting bracket where it mounts to the hull etc. If swing keel checking for operation and hanger bracket and pin. Keel winch cable and total mechanism. Deck and Hatch leaks. The list goes on. In my opinion if you have a hull that has not been abused, run aground, trailering damage etc, then to me everything else is either a replacement at your discretion or worth a repair at least. Catalina's may not be the fastest boat or yacht out there but they represent some of the best boat that money can buy quality wise. Hope this helps. Happy Sailing
Dave LaPereI would look for
general indications that the previous owner(s) took good care of the boat, e.g., cleanliness, the mechanicals operates smoothly, etc. I recall when we were looking for a C22 five years ago we saw one with some suspicious surface crazing along the side of the hull that a surveyor thought was evidence that the boat had been slightly squeezed or crushed (e.g., in a hurricane). We went with another C22, a ' 78, which was mechanically and structurally sound, but a bit worn in the fiberglass and teak finishes. In hindsight, I doubt even the cracks that we saw on the first boat would have adversely affected it, since the boat is built very soundly. As for the swing keel, we basically did nothing except replace the zincs and inspect the cable every year. Make sure that the hull fitting for the keel cable opening is in good condition, because if it comes loose, your boat will sink!
general indications that the previous owner(s) took good care of the boat, e.g., cleanliness, the mechanicals operates smoothly, etc. I recall when we were looking for a C22 five years ago we saw one with some suspicious surface crazing along the side of the hull that a surveyor thought was evidence that the boat had been slightly squeezed or crushed (e.g., in a hurricane). We went with another C22, a ' 78, which was mechanically and structurally sound, but a bit worn in the fiberglass and teak finishes. In hindsight, I doubt even the cracks that we saw on the first boat would have adversely affected it, since the boat is built very soundly. As for the swing keel, we basically did nothing except replace the zincs and inspect the cable every year. Make sure that the hull fitting for the keel cable opening is in good condition, because if it comes loose, your boat will sink!
Look & look & look some more
C22s are plentiful so just go look at every single one you can find. It'll hit you when you find the right one. Everything will fall into place and she'll be yours. The obvious things to look for are deck delam, evidence of impact, condition of mechanical parts, sails, standing rigging, etc. I would suggest finding a book on performing your own survey (library?) and make a list of things so when you go check out the boats, you'll be able to check most of the stuff yourself. If you're looking at a boat that's $2000, it's unlikely that you'll want to spend $300 on a surveyor. Of course hiring a surveyor is the wisest way to go but not always appropriate (or necessary). If you don't feel comfortable trusting your own judgement, by all means hire one. Better safe than sorry! We found a steal of a 22 this spring. It had sunk into 3' of mud in a costal lake. Full of mud, bent mast and missing rigging. But for $700 we couldn't pass her up! The deals are out there, just keep a watchful eye. Good luck! LaDonna
C22s are plentiful so just go look at every single one you can find. It'll hit you when you find the right one. Everything will fall into place and she'll be yours. The obvious things to look for are deck delam, evidence of impact, condition of mechanical parts, sails, standing rigging, etc. I would suggest finding a book on performing your own survey (library?) and make a list of things so when you go check out the boats, you'll be able to check most of the stuff yourself. If you're looking at a boat that's $2000, it's unlikely that you'll want to spend $300 on a surveyor. Of course hiring a surveyor is the wisest way to go but not always appropriate (or necessary). If you don't feel comfortable trusting your own judgement, by all means hire one. Better safe than sorry! We found a steal of a 22 this spring. It had sunk into 3' of mud in a costal lake. Full of mud, bent mast and missing rigging. But for $700 we couldn't pass her up! The deals are out there, just keep a watchful eye. Good luck! LaDonna
Thanks
Dave, the answer is neither. I was there with the AF so I left before I stopped enjoying the location. Thanks for the replies, doesn't sound bad at all. Mike
Dave, the answer is neither. I was there with the AF so I left before I stopped enjoying the location.
Thanks for the replies, doesn't sound bad at all. MikeBuy something you will be able to Resell
Mike: I have a few thoughts for you. I always recommend to someone looking for a used sailboat to buy one that they will be able to resell. By that, I mean by one looks good and that there is a market for, near where you live. No one ever listens to me on this, but years later when they can't sell their boat, I can't really feel that I didn't warn them. There have been boats that I looked at that needed so much work that if I got one of them for free, I still wouldn't have gotten a good deal. So spend a little more money and time and get a nice one. We do "camp out" on ours, and it brings me almost as much as enjoyment as sailing, almost. So what the boat looks like inside may be more important than you are currently thinking. I have found the swing keel to be very strong on ours. We have bumped into the bottom countless times and this has not caused a problem. If you sail in a place where there is shallow water, a swing keel can be a wonderful thing. Craze marks, that is, the very thin, spider web type lines in the fiberglass that appear from stress, have never been a problem to our boat, although I certainly don't like them. One time, we sailed to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. A sailor on a nearby Catalina 30 took our dock line when we were motoring up to tie up. He pulled our boat against a piling HARD, and this put craze marks along the deck which originated at the rub rail. I guess it is a little harder to pull a Catalina 30 against a piling, than a Catalina 22. That's where my worst craze marks came from. But, you learn from that. Aldo
Mike: I have a few thoughts for you. I always recommend to someone looking for a used sailboat to buy one that they will be able to resell. By that, I mean by one looks good and that there is a market for, near where you live. No one ever listens to me on this, but years later when they can't sell their boat, I can't really feel that I didn't warn them. There have been boats that I looked at that needed so much work that if I got one of them for free, I still wouldn't have gotten a good deal. So spend a little more money and time and get a nice one. We do "camp out" on ours, and it brings me almost as much as enjoyment as sailing, almost. So what the boat looks like inside may be more important than you are currently thinking. I have found the swing keel to be very strong on ours. We have bumped into the bottom countless times and this has not caused a problem. If you sail in a place where there is shallow water, a swing keel can be a wonderful thing. Craze marks, that is, the very thin, spider web type lines in the fiberglass that appear from stress, have never been a problem to our boat, although I certainly don't like them. One time, we sailed to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. A sailor on a nearby Catalina 30 took our dock line when we were motoring up to tie up. He pulled our boat against a piling HARD, and this put craze marks along the deck which originated at the rub rail. I guess it is a little harder to pull a Catalina 30 against a piling, than a Catalina 22. That's where my worst craze marks came from. But, you learn from that. Aldo
look for a 1988 0r newer
if you look up the improvements that Catalina made in ;'88 and you plan to spend a few beans to get a "nice" boat, then by all accounts look for a "newer" boat. you will have a better resale, you won't have to labor the upgrades, and for the extra 1-2k extra you spend upfront, you'll be able to find a buyer like yourself, in a few years asking the same questions. The safety rails and forward hatch upgrades make it look "newer" and more expensive. Remember the old ax, the two best days of ownership are the day you bought it and the day you sold it!!
if you look up the improvements that Catalina made in ;'88 and you plan to spend a few beans to get a "nice" boat, then by all accounts look for a "newer" boat. you will have a better resale, you won't have to labor the upgrades, and for the extra 1-2k extra you spend upfront, you'll be able to find a buyer like yourself, in a few years asking the same questions. The safety rails and forward hatch upgrades make it look "newer" and more expensive. Remember the old ax, the two best days of ownership are the day you bought it and the day you sold it!!
Would also like to know...
Mike B. I am looking for the same information. I have located a 1989 22 stored in a backyard. Looks okay but I would appreciate any pertinent info you receive. Also, do you have a point of reference regarding sale prices for the older 22's? Happy Holiday, Skipper Nick
Mike B. I am looking for the same information. I have located a 1989 22 stored in a backyard. Looks okay but I would appreciate any pertinent info you receive. Also, do you have a point of reference regarding sale prices for the older 22's? Happy Holiday, Skipper Nick
NADA
NADA has price listings. I don't know how accurate they are, but they are something. http://www2.nadaguides.com/GlobalFrame.asp?UserID=044C92A82E3&DID=36885&Type=MR&GCode=MR&wSec=4&wPg=1008&Letter=C&Pg=4&S=SendCompanyByLetter
NADA has price listings. I don't know how accurate they are, but they are something. http://www2.nadaguides.com/GlobalFrame.asp?UserID=044C92A82E3&DID=36885&Type=MR&GCode=MR&wSec=4&wPg=1008&Letter=C&Pg=4&S=SendCompanyByLetter
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