Who knows? Catalina 42 MkII Sailing performance

[lifeofreilly57]

I can't tell you how good the support is from the other makers but I can back up the comment about their customer service and support, it's excellent. I have owned a couple in the past and was quite impressed with the support.
Better than the support from subsequent makes I've owned. When I called with technical or parts questions I've been put through to people who really knew their stuff, even willing to suggest fixes for some weaknesses in one of the models (an early model) I owned. That's rare from any maker. I will also say, J boats also has very good support, I was asking about a certain problem I was fixing on a friends J at a boat show when a gentleman from the staff approached to answer the question quite well, turned out to be one of the founders of the company. Doesn't get any better than that, especially seeing that he knew the nuts and bolts of it.
That shows how much passion they have for the products they produce.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Land an

Wife and I are looking for coastal cruiser that is safe/stable, is fun/easy to sail and is comfortable enough to spend a lot of time on and one that we can afford. this may be a live aboard for months at a time. The Catalina MKII is one of the boats we are considering. One maybe in the 2005 time frame.

I will sacrifice light wind performance for peace of mind when the wind gets up past 20kts. What say you? Anyone have thoughts on this? If not a MKII, what other similar boats do people like.

I think the Cat 42 is a great boat. Sailed one quite a few times and skippered a few too. Easy resale compared with some boats and as mentioned good support. However, "sacrifice light wind performance for peace of mind when the wind gets up past 20kts." leads me to believe you may be happier with a heavier more cruising oriented boat. The 42 does flex and vibrate going to weather in 20 knots. They are fairly lightly built. A charter 42 hit a rock up here in Puget Sound at 5-5.5 knots suffering pretty severe damage; dislocated engine bed, dislocated port side furniture, cracked hull. Got the people home though! I hit things at 5+ knot with my Passport 47 suffering nothing more than scraped bottom paint.... I guess the answer is "dont hit things!"... the Cat would sail circles around the Passport I'm sure.....

[scotty c-m]

All the boats you mentioned sail really well. Each has its own sweet spot and handling characteristics. Get the boat that makes you smile the most. As an aside (my opinion): The real deal is enjoying the sail and the safety for the trips you take. If you want to get there fast, get a speed boat, or rent a car!

[Aprilmu]

Some great advice and information on this site. We're hoping to have "Galatea" (our 'new' 2004 C42) in Annapolis by this Wed (8/21) and, possibly in her slip in Rock Hall by the weekend. I am cautiously optimistic of that scenario.

We weren't seeking a race boat. We just love sailing and being on the Bay. My Skipper and I both are very excited and feel we've made the right decision for us. Can't wait to get her home, cleaned up, share her with friends and explore the Bay.

We ended up with the 3-cabin, pullman forward layout. As many have said, all 4 of the layouts have their advantages. When we found this boat, it had everything (and more!) we wanted on the boat so went with the 3 cabin. Plus we often have more than one couple aboard (a single buddy who sails with us frequently) and the 3rd cabin helps keeps his mess out of the main salon! It also 'seems' the pullman forward layout has more storage than the centerline queen layout. The bonus is the forward head... doesn't much matter to me to have a 'large' head, but think I'm gonna like this one.

The only drawback as I can see it right now... there's only ~2 months left in the sailing season here on the Chesapeake Bay. Good thing we teach skiing in the winter so we'll be somewhat distracted for the 4 months she'll be out of the water!

Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to meet up with some of you Chesapeake Bay Catalina owners at some point!!

[lifeofreilly57]

Congratulations on your new yacht, hope she brings you many wonderful memories and many pleasant sea miles.
I think the September/ October end of the sailing season is probably the most enjoyable part of the year on the east coast, I'm sure you'll enjoy the remaining days of the year.

[Aprilmu]

Thank you!

Couldn't agree more about the Sep/Oct months for sailing the Bay... So ready to get back out there!

[annsni]

Just joined this forum now to answer this question and look forward to being a part of this site!

OP - congrats on your purchase. I think the boat you got will be a wonderful friend for years and will meet your needs perfectly. We have a '97 42 MkII and just got back from sailing Long Island Sound out to the Vineyard over two and a half weeks with 4 adults and two kids. When we sailed, she did wonderfully as usual and when we motored, she was quick. We typically pass other boats in our size range when we cruise and I feel that she is a great solid boat for the safety of my family. My husband will club race her as well and she holds her own in all but very light air but she is a comfortable cruiser so I wouldn't expect her to beat the stripped down racers. Catalina does an amazing job with creature comforts and almost three weeks with all 4 of my kids (ages 10 to 23) wasn't uncomfortable at all!

Again, enjoy the boat and welcome to the 42 family!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, annsni.

[tankersteve]

Hey folks,

I will be in the market for a Catalina 42 in a few years. I am curious about your thoughts on storage space on the 3-cabin models for extended cruising.

I have been on the Owner's Page and intend to increase my fuel tankage. I am not sure if any of you have other ideas to increase things like bulk food and spare parts storage.

I have enjoyed this thread and look forward to your thoughts.

Steve

[annsni]

Originally Posted by tankersteve

Hey folks,

I will be in the market for a Catalina 42 in a few years. I am curious about your thoughts on storage space on the 3-cabin models for extended cruising.

I have been on the Owner's Page and intend to increase my fuel tankage. I am not sure if any of you have other ideas to increase things like bulk food and spare parts storage.

I have enjoyed this thread and look forward to your thoughts.

Steve

How many would you be cruising with on the boat? We cruise for weeks with 6 people (4 adults, 2 bigger kids) and we fill many spaces but there are more choices if we were cruising longer term. I know couples who travel with the three cabin and there is a ton of room - often with them making one of the aft cabins a "garage" by taking out the cushions and putting in bins to store things. One couple even sailed with a small sailboat in there!

Probably the best thing you can do is to go to the Catalina 42 Discussion Forum where there are lots of great 42 owners with pictures and wonderful information. Catalina 42 Discussion Forum Forums

[FosterJourney]

Thanks for sharing! I'm considering the Catalina 42 MKii as a liveaboard option, but don't want to be restricted to the Caribbean.

It's good to hear how she handles rough offshore conditions. ⛵

[psk125]

Originally Posted by Aprilmu

Nice to hear you enjoyed your 42, ohdrinkboy! Can anyone compare the sailing performance of the Cat 42 w/any other vessel? Just curious...

Comparing performance, PHRF New England says Catalina 42’s rate 96. (The wing keel version rates 111.) We came across a Cat 42 on Long Island Sound - probably a wing-keel version, but don’t know for sure. Our J/36, which rates 84,was able to sail circles around it, even passing to leeward of it on the same tack. Didn’t keep them from having a good time, or us, either.