Which size to buy?

[Guest]

We've owned several beach catamarans and loved them, but we are now "older" and are shopping for a monohull. Question, where do we jump in?We really like the speed we've heard of for the 27 Catalina, but the extra room in the 30 Catalina is a great selling point. What is the average hull speed for each?We will primarely sail Galveston Bay, but we'd like to be able to stick uopur noses out into the Gulf on occasion.Any information, will be appreciated.Thank you for your time.Take care, be safe.John

 

[Randy]

Speed

If youve been playing with cats , you wont be happy with a Catalina 27 or a 30...not to knock the boats...Ive owned a 22 , a 27, and a 30 and have recently( two years) have gone back to a new 22 MKll...Before buying, tak a couple out for a sail......You might not be happy with the performance...

 

[Chris Hyland]

Speed

Hey John, I'm assuming you already understand the speed differences between what you have and what your looking for. The Catalina 27 and 30 are popular boats. The 30 should be a little faster, with a max hull speed in the mid to high 6 knot area. The 27 should be low to mid 6 knot area. We have a 36 and she'll run to about 7.6or 7.7. None of these are fast as compared to a catamaran. The upside is comfort and livability. The message is buy as big as you can afford. If you really only want to day sail like Randy, then buy a smaller boat like a J24.Regards,Chris