Catalina 42 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is a solid fiberglass-and-resin laminate with no core, fitted with a structural fiberglass liner that forms the cabin sole and the foundations for berths and furniture. The deck is a different matter: a cored composite using 3/4-inch end-grain balsa, with 1/2-inch marine plywood substituted wherever deck hardware is fastened. Catalina joined deck and hull in the familiar shoebox fashion, using flexible adhesive and stainless fasteners on eight-inch centers, then capped the seam with an aluminum rub rail and vinyl insert. Since 1995 the builder has applied a vinylester resin barrier coat to resist blisters, though reported osmotic blistering has appeared on both pre- and post-1995 hulls, with most repairs handled under warranty.

The Mk II, introduced in February 1995 after hull 477, kept the hull, deck, engine, and standing rigging virtually identical to the Mk I but adopted a contemporary rounded transom as a concession to European styling. It also received a deeper, high-aspect, semi-elliptical spade rudder, a change owners report as an improvement in handling and performance anchor.

Rig and Handling

The Catalina 42 is a masthead sloop carrying a high-aspect sailplan of 797 square feet. The anodized Isomat NG80 mast carries double spreaders swept aft 17 degrees, and standing rigging runs 3/8-inch wire on backstay, forestay, and upper and lower shrouds with 5/16-inch on the lowers. Shrouds are set well inboard to open easy side decks and tighten sheeting angles; the mainsheet traveler sits on the cabintop forward of the companionway with a 6:1 purchase. Internal halyards lead aft through Garhauer blocks to stoppers and two-speed self-tailing Lewmar 40 winches, later upgraded to Lewmar 42s on the Mk II, while primary winches are Lewmar 54s.

On the wind, the maximum sheeting angle of 11-1/2 degrees lets the boat point to within 32 degrees of apparent wind hard on the breeze anchor; in ten knots of true wind she should make an honest six knots at 32 to 34 degrees. The conservative sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17 and displacement-length ratio of 196 place her firmly in the cruising camp, and the deep-fin version is the slightly more weatherly of the two keel options.

Accommodations

Both two- and three-cabin versions place a head and shower forward where a V-berth would normally sit, with a Pullman-styled stateroom between saloon and forward head: a 72-inch berth that runs centerline to hull side but suits no one over six feet. The three-cabin arrangement gives mirror-image aft quarter berths with 6 feet of headroom, 7-foot doubles, and hanging lockers, plus a starboard galley opposite a port dinette in the saloon; a second head sits forward of the starboard quarter cabin. The two-cabin model moves the galley to the port quarter aft of the dinette and pairs a starboard nav station with settees.

Cockpit life is generous: 6-foot 8-inch seats, a permanently mounted 48-inch drop-leaf table forward of the binnacle on the Mk II (less handy underway than the Mk I's removable piece), observation seats in the stern pulpit corners, and a transom seat that steps over to a molded swim platform. Below, the galley uses GraniCoat counters, a three-burner Princess stove with oven, twin stainless sinks, and Grohe faucets. The dinette seats six to eight and converts to an 80-by-66-inch double.

Known Issues

The most noticeable interior drawback is the lack of convenient handholds through the cabin arrangements. Catalina's own weight estimates for the 42 proved optimistic; the builder admits actual displacement of both marks runs closer to 22,500 pounds, yet no adjustment was made to the published draft figures, so the extra weight likely adds about 1.5 inches to the specified draft in the water.

Refits and Ownership

The Mk II rudder change is the headline factory refit, and the engine remains a strong ownership point: a 44 or 50 hp Yanmar diesel (the Mk II's 4JH2E rated 50) sits accessible from all four sides, with removable galley panels reaching the port side and aft end. Wiring is color-coded and newer boats carry tinned connections. The 39-gallon fuel capacity is adequate for short hops, though distance cruisers have added tankage below the cabin sole; two plastic water tanks sit below the sole with plastic holding tanks under the aft and Pullman berths.

The Verdict

The Catalina 42 is a thoughtfully laid-out cruiser that translated a genuine three-cabin innovation into a long production run, and the Mk II's rudder and cockpit updates keep the later boats relevant without disturbing a proven hull. She is a moderate-performance coastal and bluewater-capable design with easy engine access and a practical deck, held back mainly by optimistic factory weight figures and a sparse handhold plan below.

Pros