Help with Catalina 22 purchase! Yes or no?

[Rxwoman]

Hello all, newb here wanting to ask about some weird stuff I found on a boat in Baja CA Mexico.

For starters, there's not alot of sailboats for sale here in my price range, there's only one other I'm interested in, but its a days drive away, so this one and that one are my options currently.

This one is an '84 Catalina 22 that looks all original, and in decent shape for its age.
But here's what I found upon looking it over.

The compression post has 2 hose clamps on the top instead of the wood circle that goes there. The current owner says he bought it that way.

More concerning was the spray foam added in the bilge area. He said he thought some came that way from the factory, but I didn't think that sounded right.

Why would someone add spray foam to a boat like this, and should it concern me?

It's also missing the "saftety" railing all around, the wooden veneer in front of the keel winch and the rubber roller for the mast crutch. All things I could live without.

I'm just worried what that spray foam might be hiding. It's all the way up into the fiberglass funnel under the starboard berth that supposed to drain a portable sink.

Oh, he's asking $3500 for it, including little 3 horse motor and the trailer its sitting on.

Advice? Thank you.

[wyb2]

Originally Posted by Rxwoman

…
More concerning was the spray foam added in the bilge area. He said he thought some came that way from the factory, but I didn't think that sounded right.

Why would someone add spray foam to a boat like this, and should it concern me?
….

I don’t know if Catalina did it from the factory, but some boats in this size range will have buoyancy foam that will keep the boat more-or-less above water even if holed/flooded. This is likely the reason it’s there.

It eats up a lot of what would otherwise be usable storage space but, assuming they used closed-cell foam and enough of it, it can work.

[stormalong]

The hose clamps on the compression post may be there due to a crack or to prevent a crack. From the picture the post looks like it is not square to the deck. These are both insignificant - easily fixed.

I am not familiar with the 22. Is a compression post standard?

If you are concerned about hidden delamination tap the exterior of the area with the butt end of a large screwdriver and listen for any change in the sound. That's the way surveyors do it.

[Jammer]

Hello Rxwoman. Welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by Rxwoman

For starters, there's not alot of sailboats for sale here in my price range, there's only one other I'm interested in, but its a days drive away, so this one and that one are my options currently.

This one is an '84 Catalina 22 that looks all original, and in decent shape for its age.

The first thing to understand is that 1980s boats in that size range have zero value beyond their immediate as-is, where-is utility value and the value of any accessories, such as a motor or trailer, that may come with them. $3500 seems high for anything with obvious defects that would have to be corrected before the boat can be used.

The compression post has 2 hose clamps on the top instead of the wood circle that goes there. The current owner says he bought it that way.

They are probably there as reinforcements because the top of the post is split. You could remove them and see what's underneath, then put them back on if there's a split they're holding together.

More concerning was the spray foam added in the bilge area. He said he thought some came that way from the factory, but I didn't think that sounded right.

Why would someone add spray foam to a boat like this, and should it concern me?

From the photos it looks like good, two-part foam. if it's in good condition, just leave it. If it's well along the way to becoming a pile of powder, that would be more problematic.


It could have been added for emergency buoyancy, either by the factory or an owner. The foam around whatever tank that is could be there to keep it from rattling.

Advice? Thank you.

Focus on expensive stuff that matters.


If you're going to trailer it, look at the age and condition of the tires, you'll find they're US$250 each or more. And the winch on the trailer, easily another $100. If the lights have not been recently replaced, they're shot, new ones are $100 plus installation labor unless you're doing it yourself. Trailer bearings are likely shot as are brakes if present; bearings are cheap and just one more thing but the brakes are expensive. Replacing an entire hydraulic surge brake system is close to a $1000 project.


Motor wise, the 3 hp motor doesn't have much value and can just be replaced if it turns out to be junk. Yamaha and Tohatsu both make nice smaller motors for around $1000 new. The Yamaha one is a derated 4 hp and is a little heavy for use in a canoe or rowboat but is fine for a sailboat. Nonetheless, you want to know what you're getting, ask to see the motor run in a bucket of water if it isn't possible to launch the boat.


On the boat itself mainly you want to be sure it is free of deck leaks and rot. Look/feel for soft spots on the deck. Any sign of mold or mildew below decks is indicative of a deck leak. These problems can be corrected but it is time consuming and expensive to do so and usually an indication that you should look for a better boat.



Beyond that, be sure the boat is complete and that you're getting all the sails, cushions, anchor, PFDs, any winter cover it has, and so on.



Happy shopping.

[letsgetsailing3]

Looks fine from here.


Do you have a place to keep it? Do you have a car that will pull it?



Low cost way to get into sailing.

[Rxwoman]

Yes and yes.
I was just concerned with the clamps and added spray foam.
PO says it came that way, but I'm certain someone added it at some time.

Thank you.