Catalina 16.5 Buyer's Guide
The Catalina 16.5 is a 1994-origin trailerable day sailor from Catalina Yachts, built in centerboard and keel forms for lake and sheltered-water day sailing rather than cruising. On the used market it draws buyers who want a light, easily trailered boat that one owner described as a marvelously stable craft on lakes anchor. Knowing which variant and which wear points to check will save a shopper grief after the sale.
Layouts on the Used Market
Two layouts define the used fleet. The centerboard model is the trailerable, beach-launch friendly version with a fiberglass board and rudder and a powerful sailplan tuned for active sailing. The keel model trades that flexibility for a high-aspect cast-lead keel on stainless bolts with a molded-in sealed bilge sump, pitched at owners who keep the boat on a mooring or dock most of a season. Both share a big roomy cockpit, a forward storage locker, and a self-bailing floor — there is no cabin and no berth, just open day-boat space.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Factory standard gear centers on sail control and trailering. The centerboard boat came with adjustable hiking straps, tiller extension, adjustable outhaul, and sheet bag; a Barney post with ratchet cam cleat handled sheeting. Rig-wise, expect anodized mast and boom, stainless steel standing rigging, Dacron running rigging, a roller-furling jib with UV protection, cunningham, and adjustable boom vang. For a buyer, the load-bearing items are the trailer bow eye and the self-bailing cockpit; the rest is straightforward day-sailor kit with little need for costly upgrades.
What to Inspect
The weak point on the centerboard trunk is the seals: owners report that water flows in through the trunk because the centerboard seals aren't working too well, so check for staining or standing water below the trunk after the boat sits. Also confirm the centerboard retracts fully: one owner found it would not easily seat without pushing hard on the fitting, leaving a few inches of board protruding from the bottom if skipped anchor. On the keel model, inspect the stainless keel bolts and the sealed bilge sump for integrity rather than leaks.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States and Canada. For a shopper, the short checklist is: choose keel or centerboard by storage plan; verify trunk seals and full board retraction on centerboard examples; confirm keel-bolt and sump condition on keel examples; and accept that this is a no-cabin, no-engine day sailor. Light, stable, and easy to rig, it suits the lake and day-sailing buyer precisely as built.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Catalina 16.5. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 3 | $14,765 | — |
| May 25 | 1 | $12,000 | -18.7% |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $15,000 | +25.0% |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $5,200 | -65.3% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $25,000 | +380.8% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $11,500 | -54.0% |
Where they're listed
Catalina 16.5 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 3 (75.0%), followed by Canada.
Country view
4 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $11,500 | 3 | 1 | 75.0% |
| Canada | $25,000 | 1 | 0 | 25.0% |