catalina 28 mk2 -any views or advice?

[snappy]

Hi. Having only had dinghy sailing and motorboating experience to date I am toying with the idea of buying a sailing cruiser for local coastal use in the southwest. I like the look of the catalina, touches like the wheel steering and transom seats give it family appeal. Any advice or warnings, weak points? many thanks

 

[dulcibella]

I've sailed some of the 30ft plus Catalinas but not the 28. My impression is that they are rather nondescript tubs with dull performance, not particularly redeemed by sea-kindliness. One fittted with a Scheel keel showed an alarming willingness to broach in quite moderate conditions. Wheel steering in smaller yachts is not necessarily a bonus - a tiller gives much more "feel" of how well-balanced the rig is. However, the Catalina is a US boat and Americans seem to like wheels. If you are looking for second-hand boats, you could probably do better with old faithfuls such as Westerlys or Moodys.

 

[Sans Bateau]

Pal of mine used to have one of these. When he dried it out against the wall to AF, the keel tried to come up through the hull. He knows that, because when he went down below he tripped over the cabin sole that was sticking up a couple of centimetre!

 

[snappy]

Cripes! thanks guys, very useful!

 

[waterboy]

I am using a friends computer and came across this post thread, as the Uk importer for Catalina's I would have thought that I would have heard of this friends keel problem as it is I haven't. Their have been approximately 700 catalina 28's build todate so I can't believe that they are so terrible as the other guys say. The truth is that the C28 mk2 is a well founded cruising boat with huge accommodation for its size with a sailing performace that is better then the suggested Moody's and Westerlys perviously mentioned. If you are really interested in finding out the true facts then I would be happy to put you in touch with an existing owner. contact tim@windwardyachting.co.uk

Sailing today are due to print a report in their June issue which may be of interest to you.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NONE OF THE ABOVE THREADS ACTUALLY OWN A C28 SO THEY REALLY ARE MAKING COMMENTS OUT OF TURN