Catalina 42 Mk II Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a Catalina 42 Mk II means choosing among a generation built from 1995 until 2011, with 300 hulls built. Gerry Douglas's design kept the Mark I's hull and rig but introduced a rounded stern, a deeper high-aspect rudder, and a revised cockpit. Two interior plans exist, and ex-charter examples are not unusual, so a buyer should know which layout and which wear points matter before committing.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts appear more often on the brokerage market, though the two-cabin Pullman version is also available. The three-cabin arrangement gives two mirror-image aft staterooms with 7-foot double berths and a galley amidships opposite the dinette, while the Pullman model concentrates the master berth forward with a large starboard aft cabin and a protected starboard galley. Ex-charter boats are common and tend to be the three-cabin plan, which is worth weighing for wear and tear versus a privately maintained two-cabin yacht.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry a dodger, bimini, chartplotter, autopilot, radar, and air conditioning as standard cruising kit. Beyond those, solar, inverter, furling main, hot water, freezer, swim platform, AIS, dinghy davits, and heating are often seen. For a buyer, the power-and-energy cluster — solar with inverter, and sometimes lithium batteries — determines how long you can sit at anchor without running the Yanmar 50. Canvas and sail-handling items like the furling main and dodger-bimini combo shape daily comfort, while navigation gear (chartplotter, radar, AIS, autopilot) is the minimum for confident passage work. A bow thruster, watermaker, electric winches, or asymmetric spinnaker show up only as occasional owner upgrades and should be judged as bonuses rather than expected kit.
What to Inspect
The deck is cored with marine plywood and end-grain balsa, so probe around hardware mounts for softness. Catalina used vinylester resin in the barrier coat from 1995, but the model still suffered blistering in some cases, so a hull survey for osmotic evidence is warranted. The hull-deck joint is an external flange through-bolted on eight-inch centers; check the aluminum rubrail and vinyl insert for fastener corrosion. Standing rigging is 3/8-inch wire with 5/16-inch lowers, and some owners replaced it preemptively, so verify age and condition. The Yanmar is accessible from four sides, but confirm the 38-to-39-gallon fuel capacity and any added below-sole tankage, and inspect the plastic water and holding tanks under the berths.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts turn up across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands. A practical shortlist for viewing: confirm layout (three-cabin versus Pullman), inspect deck core and hull blistering, verify rigging age, check engine access and tank condition, and assess whether the fitted equipment matches your cruising plan rather than paying for absent upgrades.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Catalina 42 Mk II. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 19 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 5 | $144,900 | — |
| Feb 25 | 2 | $124,000 | -14.4% |
| Mar 25 | 2 | $135,500 | +9.3% |
| Apr 25 | 2 | $116,500 | -14.0% |
| May 25 | 6 | $135,000 | +15.9% |
| Jun 25 | 9 | $99,000 | -26.7% |
| Jul 25 | 8 | $132,250 | +33.6% |
| Aug 25 | 8 | $147,450 | +11.5% |
| Sep 25 | 13 | $135,000 | -8.4% |
| Oct 25 | 7 | $151,386 | +12.1% |
| Nov 25 | 3 | $169,000 | +11.6% |
| Dec 25 | 4 | $110,000 | -34.9% |
| Jan 26 | 12 | $149,661 | +36.1% |
| Feb 26 | 10 | $114,450 | -23.5% |
| Mar 26 | 5 | $164,950 | +44.1% |
| Apr 26 | 16 | $112,450 | -31.8% |
| May 26 | 15 | $135,000 | +20.1% |
| Jun 26 | 11 | $125,000 | -7.4% |
| Jul 26 | 11 | $129,086 | +3.3% |
Where they're listed
Catalina 42 Mk II listings appear across 8 countries. United States has the most listings with 89 (84.0%), followed by Mexico and Australia.
Country view
106 listings · 8 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $129,000 | 89 | 18 | 84.0% |
| Mexico | $119,500 | 4 | 0 | 3.8% |
| Australia | $161,222 | 3 | 0 | 2.8% |
| Canada | $149,326 | 3 | 0 | 2.8% |
| Germany | $157,209 | 2 | 1 | 1.9% |
| United Kingdom | $129,086 | 2 | 2 | 1.9% |
| Netherlands | $174,560 | 2 | 0 | 1.9% |
| Spain | $151,386 | 1 | 0 | 0.9% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAGOON 42-2 | 42' | $ 459,981 | 908 | 192 |
| Catalina 36 Mk II | 36.33' | $ 69,000 | 243 | 58 |
| Catalina 42 | 41.86' | $ 79,000 | 113 | 29 |
| Catalina 42 Mk IIYou are here | — | $ 135,000 | 108 | 22 |
| Catalina 34 Mk II | 34.5' | $ 62,900 | 74 | 23 |
| Bavaria Yachts 42 | 43.96' | $ 101,894 | 63 | 16 |
| Catalina 400 Mk II | 41.5' | $ 140,000 | 41 | 1 |
| Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 42 | 42.62' | $ 115,286 | 37 | 10 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42.2 | 41.99' | $ 79,187 | 25 | 3 |
| Sabre 38 Mk II | 38.67' | $ 60,000 | 17 | 1 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42.1 | 41.99' | $ 85,000 | 10 | 3 |