Catalina 22 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is hand-laid fiberglass, solid rather than cored, while the deck is a fiberglass sandwich with a wood core anchor. Inside, a one-piece molded fiberglass pan liner forms the accommodation—an idea Butler adapted from Lockheed's aircraft process, and which Catalina later claimed to have pioneered for high-volume small boats anchor. That liner is cosmetic rather than structural; the hull draws its strength from the laminate and bulkhead reinforcement. The hull-to-deck joint on early boats was a plywood-reinforced flange married to the deck with a rigid polyester slurry and self-tapping fasteners, while later boats used screws and adhesives. In 1973 Catalina added the pop top, a coachroof that lifts on four stainless legs, and by the used market's later years roughly nine of ten boats carried this feature.

The Mk II arrived in 1986 at hull No. 13,143, bringing the latest building materials, a longer cabintrunk, an enlarged deck with exterior teak eliminated, and an optional wing keel; it was eight inches beamier and heavier than the Mk I, running eight years through 1994 anchor. The Mk III followed in 1995 with a lead-encased fiberglass swing keel, but fewer than 1,000 were built before production ended in 2010. The Sport, released in 2004 with the same hull and similar weight as the earlier 22s, remains in production and races one-design with them.

Rig and Handling

The boat was conceived as a family cruiser with a mainsail and 110% jib, though racers pushed for a 150% jib that was added to the inventory anchor. The mast is aluminum, supported by one set of spreaders, a single set of upper shrouds, and two sets of lower shrouds, with stainless steel standing rigging. Boats built before 1977 had lighter gauge rigging and weaker masts; those made after 1976 received beefier masts and larger gauge standing rigging. There is no halyard winch, and the jib car tracks are short, limiting fine trim; small jib sheet winches sit on the cockpit coaming either side of the companionway, and an adjustable transom-mounted mainsheet traveler keeps the cockpit clear. The foresail on originals is hanked on unless a roller furling system has been added.

Writing in Practical Sailor, testers found the hull and rig well proportioned if dated, yet by any objective standard the boat is hardly a sprightly performer, needing a genoa, a smoother keel shape, and modest go-fast hardware to wake up anchor. Even with the keel hoisted to a 2-foot draft, she draws too much to beach.

Accommodations

Below, the Catalina 22 can sleep four, though conditions will be cramped. The convertible dinette seats only two with elbow room, and Practical Sailor's reviewers criticized the volume of wasted space, notably the inaccessible volume under the cockpit and much of the port seat. Some storage exists under the settee. Ventilation comes from a forward hatch—solid fiberglass on early boats, changed to smoked acrylic on the Mk II—since the portlights do not open. A plumbed marine head appeared on some Mk IIs, curtained for privacy. The earliest boats lacked an anchor locker; later models added a bulkhead separating the V-berth and creating that space. The cockpit itself is a genuine asset: seven feet long and comfortable, unobstructed by the mainsheet.

Known Issues

Several recurring defects trace to the swing-keel mechanism and the early structure. Leaks around the aluminum-framed windows are a known nuisance, and the first boats employed plywood stringers vulnerable to rot anchor. On swing-keel versions, the cable and pivot pins wear from side-to-side movement and may need replacement; the keel winch clutch spring needs attention; owners note the hangar mounting bolts loosen or seize, and one owner replaced his wire pennant twice, a job requiring the boat be hoisted for keel-top access. Cockpit scuppers are slow to drain and owners call them undersized, prompting many to add transom scuppers. Blistering plagued earlier hulls but is seldom seen on boats built after the mid-1980s thanks to construction changes.

Older boats placed a portable gasoline tank on a molded shelf in a cockpit locker, inside the cabin and not isolated from the bilge low point—a flaw corrected in later versions anchor. Lifelines are too low for real protection, and the three shrouds per side hamper foredeck passage and headsail tacks.

Refits and Ownership

Owners have addressed the drainage shortfall with added transom scuppers, and the swing-keel hardware is a known wear item worth budgeting for. The one-piece liner and pop-top make the interior a practical weekend shell, and at roughly 2,500 lb loaded with trailer, the boat tows behind most cars. The Sport's continuity means one-design racing and spares remain available.

The Verdict

The Catalina 22 is a foundational trailer-cruiser whose sheer numbers and generational continuity make it an accessible entry to sailing. Its faults are well mapped and mostly economical to address, and its cockpit and pop-top comfort outweigh the cramped, wasteful belowdecks layout for the casual cruiser.

Pros