Its longevity rests on a simple premise—a modest, trailerable family sloop that could live on a mooring, in a slip, or on a lawn. The original Mk I had a cast-iron swing keel well suited to trailering, although Butler soon offered a fin-keel option for owners who planned to keep the boat in the water all season. Later generations refined the formula without abandoning it, and the Catalina 22 remains a touchstone for the trailer-cruiser class.
Design and Construction
The hull is hand-laid, solid fiberglass rather than cored, while the deck is a fiberglass sandwich with a wood core. Inside, a one-piece molded fiberglass pan liner forms the accommodation. Butler adapted the idea from Lockheed’s aircraft process, and Catalina later claimed to have pioneered it for high-volume small boats. The liner is cosmetic rather than structural; the hull derives its strength from the laminate and bulkhead reinforcement.
On early boats, the hull-to-deck joint used a plywood-reinforced flange joined to the deck with rigid polyester slurry and self-tapping fasteners. Later boats used screws and adhesives. Catalina added the pop top in 1973. This section of coachroof lifts on four stainless legs, and by the used market’s later years, roughly nine out of ten boats had the feature.
The Mk II arrived in 1986 at hull No. 13,143. It introduced the latest building materials, a longer cabintrunk, an enlarged deck without exterior teak, and an optional wing keel. Eight inches beamier and heavier than the Mk I, the Mk II remained in production for eight years, through 1994.
The Mk III followed in 1995 with a lead-encased fiberglass swing keel. Fewer than 1,000 were built before production ended in 2010. Released in 2004, the Sport uses the same hull and has a similar weight to the earlier 22s. It remains in production and races one-design with them.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The Catalina 22 was conceived as a family cruiser with a mainsail and 110% jib. Racers pressed for a 150% jib, which was added to the sail inventory. On original boats, the foresail is hanked on unless a roller-furling system has since been installed.
The aluminum mast is supported by one set of spreaders, a single set of upper shrouds, and two sets of lower shrouds, all with stainless-steel standing rigging. Boats built before 1977 had lighter-gauge rigging and weaker masts; those built after 1976 received beefier masts and larger-gauge standing rigging.
There’s no halyard winch, and the short jib-car tracks limit fine sail trim. Small jib-sheet winches sit on the cockpit coamings on either side of the companionway. An adjustable, transom-mounted mainsheet traveler keeps the cockpit clear.
Writing in Practical Sailor, testers found the hull and rig well proportioned, if dated. They also judged that, by any objective standard, the boat is hardly a sprightly performer. It needs a genoa, a smoother keel shape, and modest go-fast hardware to wake it up. Even with the keel hoisted to a 2-foot draft, the boat draws too much to beach.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The cockpit is a genuine asset. At seven feet long, it’s comfortable and remains unobstructed by the mainsheet.
Below, the Catalina 22 can sleep four, although the quarters will be cramped. The convertible dinette seats only two people with elbow room. Practical Sailor’s reviewers also criticized the amount of wasted volume, especially the inaccessible space beneath the cockpit and much of the port seat. Some storage is available under the settee.
Ventilation comes from a forward hatch because the portlights don’t open. Early boats had a solid fiberglass hatch; the Mk II changed to smoked acrylic. Some Mk IIs had a plumbed marine head with a privacy curtain.
The earliest boats lacked an anchor locker. Later models gained a bulkhead that separated the V-berth and created one.
Known Issues
Several recurring problems involve the swing-keel mechanism and the structure of early boats. Leaks around the aluminum-framed windows are a known nuisance, while the first boats used plywood stringers that were vulnerable to rot.
On swing-keel versions, side-to-side movement wears the cable and pivot pins, which may require replacement. The keel-winch clutch spring also needs attention. Owners report that the hanger mounting bolts can loosen or seize. One owner replaced his wire pennant twice, a job that required hoisting the boat to reach the top of the keel.
The cockpit scuppers drain slowly, and owners consider them undersized. Many have added transom scuppers. Blistering affected earlier hulls but is seldom seen on boats built after the mid-1980s, thanks to construction changes.
Older boats carried a portable gasoline tank on a molded shelf in a cockpit locker. The tank was inside the cabin and wasn’t isolated from the lowest point of the bilge; later versions corrected this flaw.
The lifelines are too low to offer real protection. Three shrouds on each side also hamper passage to the foredeck and interfere with headsail tacks.
Refits and Ownership
Owners commonly address the cockpit’s poor drainage by adding transom scuppers. The swing-keel hardware is a known wear item and should be included in refit budgets.
The one-piece liner and pop top make the interior a practical shell for weekends aboard. Loaded on its trailer, the boat weighs roughly 2,500 lb and can be towed behind most cars. Continued production of the Sport also means that one-design racing and spares remain available.
The Verdict
The Catalina 22 is a foundational trailer-cruiser. Its sheer numbers and continuity across several generations make it an accessible entry into sailing. Its faults are well documented and mostly economical to address. For casual cruising, the long cockpit and pop-top comfort help offset a cramped belowdecks layout that wastes useful volume.
Pros
- Trailerable swing keel with a 1'8" retracted draft in the original configuration
- Long, comfortable cockpit with an unobstructed mainsheet traveler
- Pop top and one-piece liner create a practical, ventilated cabin
- Generations from the Mk I through the Sport share hull lineage and spares
Cons
- Slow-draining, undersized cockpit scuppers often prompt owners to add transom drains
- Swing-keel pivot, cable, and pennant wear require periodic replacement
- Older boats may have leaky aluminum windows and the early gasoline-tank-inside-the-cabin arrangement
- Dated rig and indifferent keel hydrodynamics limit light-air performance
