At 41.86 feet overall on a 36-foot waterline, the Mk II is a substantial cruiser. It displaces 20,500 pounds, carries 8,300 pounds of lead ballast, and has a 13.83-foot beam, a fin keel, and a spade rudder.
Design and Construction
The main differences between the Mk II and its predecessor lie less in the structure than in the hull form and steering. Douglas gave the newer model a deeper, high-aspect, semi-elliptical rudder. Owners including John Spring noted that the Mk II has a fatter section aft and sits more buoyantly than the Mark I.
The hull is solid fiberglass. From 1995 onward, Catalina used vinylester resin in the barrier coat to guard against blistering, though this did not prevent blistering entirely. The deck uses a mix of coring materials: half-inch marine plywood under hardware mounts and three-quarter-inch end-grain balsa elsewhere.
An external flange forms the hull-to-deck joint. It is bonded with fiberglass-reinforced polyester and through-bolted on eight-inch centers with quarter-inch stainless fasteners. An aluminum rubrail, fastened on three-inch centers and fitted with a vinyl insert, conceals the joint.
Catalina also replaced the cabintop’s teak handrails with stainless steel. Together with the rounded stern and cockpit changes, these details reflect the European influence Douglas described.
Rig and Handling
The Mk II is a masthead sloop with a high-aspect sail plan carrying 797 square feet. Its anodized NG80 Isomat mast has double spreaders swept aft 17 degrees. The backstay, forestay, and upper shrouds use 3/8-inch wire, with 5/16-inch lower shrouds. Running rigging includes half-inch braided halyards and half-inch Dacron sheets.
A 6:1 mainsheet purchase works on a traveler forward of the companionway, while a Garhauer vang leads back to the cockpit. Internal halyards also run aft through Garhauer blocks to stoppers and two-speed self-tailing Lewmar 40 winches on the bridge deck. The primary winches are two-speed self-tailing Lewmar 54s, upgraded from the Mark I’s 52s. In-mast mainsail furling was available.
Newer boats carry a Schaefer 3100 furler. A maximum sheeting angle of 11.5 degrees allows the boat to point within 32 degrees of the apparent wind when hard on the breeze.
Cockpit and Deck
The reworked cockpit has 6-foot-8-inch seats, plus two observation seats in the stern-pulpit corners. A 48-inch drop-leaf table stands forward of the binnacle. At the stern, a removable transom seat opens the way to the swim platform.
Accommodations
Catalina offered two interior plans. The two-stateroom Pullman arrangement places the master berth forward of the saloon. That berth measures 72 inches on the centerline, 52 inches at the shoulder, and 43 inches at the foot. An aft stateroom occupies the starboard quarter, with a somewhat small, 38-inch-square head forward of it. The galley sits in the port quarter, opposing settees fill the saloon, and the starboard navigation station has a swing-out seat.
The three-cabin version substitutes two mirror-image aft staterooms. Each has 6 feet of headroom, a 7-foot double berth, hull-mounted reading lights, and a hanging locker. In this layout, the galley moves amidships, opposite the dinette.
In both versions, the galley provides a large, protected work surface with GraniCoat countertops. Equipment includes a three-burner Princess stove with oven, twin stainless-steel sinks, and Grohe faucets. The dinette seats six to eight and converts into an 80-by-66-inch double berth. The skipper’s head in the bow measures 6 feet 5 inches long and provides 6 feet of headroom.
Engine, Tanks, and Systems
A 50-horsepower Yanmar 4JH-series diesel sits amidships, with access from four sides. Color-coded wiring makes circuits easier to trace, and newer boats use tinned wiring.
Two plastic water tanks are installed below the sole. Plastic holding tanks sit beneath the aft and Pullman berths. Fuel capacity is listed as 38 to 39 gallons. That is adequate for short cruising, though some distance cruisers added tankage beneath the cabin sole.
According to Douglas, Garhauer gear carries a ten-year guarantee. Catalina specified fittings from Lewmar, Perko, Rule, Schaefer, and Yanmar rather than overseas knock-offs.
Verdict
The Catalina 42 Mk II is a thoughtful evolution of a proven cruiser. It retains the earlier boat’s hull while refining the stern, rudder, and cockpit for easier handling and a more contemporary profile. Its two layouts suit both couples seeking privacy and buyers interested in a charter-derived three-cabin arrangement. The protected galley and useful tankage support its cruising brief.
Its light-air pointing ability and buoyant aft section contribute to a forgiving, capable feel. However, fuel capacity is modest for distance cruising unless extra tankage has been added. The vinylester barrier coat didn’t eliminate blistering, and the deck’s mixed coring around hardware mounts warrants inspection.
Pros
- Deeper, high-aspect, semi-elliptical rudder improves control
- European-influenced rounded stern and reworked cockpit
- Choice of two-cabin Pullman or three-cabin layouts
- Engine access from four sides
- Tinned wiring on newer boats
- Points to 32 degrees apparent with an 11.5-degree sheeting angle
Cons
- Modest fuel capacity for distance cruising without additional tankage
- Vinylester barrier coat didn’t fully prevent blistering
- Mixed deck coring around hardware mounts demands inspection
