Who knows? Catalina 42 MkII Sailing performance

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Aprilmu

Thanks! I was surprised to read that the Catalina 42's PHRF rating was lower than our 1989 Ericson 34 (~129) and we had tons 'o fun sailing her. And, "... having a fine time not worrying..." ... isn't that what it's all about regardless? I would expect not much in the way of cruising sailboats would pass a J boat anyway?

You do realize lower rating means faster, I assume.

I also tend to pass faster rated Catalinas, Hunters, and Benes because I tend to pay attention to sail trim. People who have raced a lot tend to own J boats, and hence also tend to be better sailors than average. Most boats in your size range tend to be within 45 PHRF numbers of each other. You will not notice the 45 second per mile difference out of the 600 or so seconds it takes to go 1 mile, unless you are racing. So comments about having fun-- whether you are sailing 5.8 knots or 6.2 knots I am not sure will makes a fun difference.....

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by malbert73

You do realize lower rating means faster, I assume.

I also tend to pass faster rated Catalinas, Hunters, and Benes because I tend to pay attention to sail trim. People who have raced a lot tend to own J boats, and hence also tend to be better sailors than average. Most boats in your size range tend to be within 45 PHRF numbers of each other. You will not notice the 45 second per mile difference out of the 600 or so seconds it takes to go 1 mile, unless you are racing. So comments about having fun-- whether you are sailing 5.8 knots or 6.2 knots I am not sure will makes a fun difference.....

I don't agree with the not noticing 45secs faster. This is a lot of difference. It isn't whether you can get a mile done 45 secs earlier. It is an indication of how easily the boat can be brought to a fun sailing speed. In light air, you will actually be sailing instead of motoring. In heavy air you will not need much canvas, reducing the loads on the boat and crew, making it easier to handle.

[Aprilmu]

Originally Posted by malbert73

You do realize lower rating means faster, I assume.

I do...

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by malbert73

You do realize lower rating means faster, I assume.

I also tend to pass faster rated Catalinas, Hunters, and Benes because I tend to pay attention to sail trim. People who have raced a lot tend to own J boats, and hence also tend to be better sailors than average. Most boats in your size range tend to be within 45 PHRF numbers of each other. You will not notice the 45 second per mile difference out of the 600 or so seconds it takes to go 1 mile, unless you are racing. So comments about having fun-- whether you are sailing 5.8 knots or 6.2 knots I am not sure will makes a fun difference.....

People who pay a lot of attention to speed tend to make choices that make them go faster -- paying attention to their sails, trimming their sails for speed rather than comfort, spending extra on sails that yield speed, etc.

Once people have raced, it's difficult for speed not to be a focus. While they're trimming for speed, the non-racers often reach for another beer and make jokes with their passengers. Speed is a matter of capability, skill, and priorities.

The PHRF ratings are useful for evaluating the potential of boats, but how people sail them is up to them.

[Aprilmu]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

People who pay a lot of attention to speed tend to make choices that make them go faster -- paying attention to their sails, trimming their sails for speed rather than comfort, spending extra on sails that yield speed, etc.

Once people have raced, it's difficult for speed not to be a focus. While they're trimming for speed, the non-racers often reach for another beer and make jokes with their passengers. Speed is a matter of capability, skill, and priorities.

The PHRF ratings are useful for evaluating the potential of boats, but how people sail them is up to them.

Very good point... I think my husband/captain tends to get a little more 'hung up' on the (perceived or not) sailing performance, when in reality, he's an excellent sailor (does NOT drink beer, save possibly a sip of mine until the vessel is secure for the afternoon/evening) and does a great job trimming sails, etc. Even in the persnickety winds of the Chesapeake...

What WE have to remember is we're coming from an Ericson 34 that accelerated in a light puff and scooted right along to pass many on the Bay in stiffer winds to a significantly larger, heavier boat that will take more to get her going. I will just be happy to be back out there...

[John on the Bay]

I've sailed the Benetau 42 in the BVI and I own a Catalina 42 shoal draft, which is good for where I am on the Chesapeake. Deeper draft definitely sails better, but it depends on where you'll be. Catalina has more head room, which is why I bought a '06, and I really enjoy it. Lots of space. I have a roller furling genoa, and a mail that rolls into the mast and auto pilot. It almost sails itself. Good luck with your choice!

[Aprilmu]

Originally Posted by John on the Bay

I've sailed the Benetau 42 in the BVI and I own a Catalina 42 shoal draft, which is good for where I am on the Chesapeake. Deeper draft definitely sails better, but it depends on where you'll be. Catalina has more head room, which is why I bought a '06, and I really enjoy it. Lots of space. I have a roller furling genoa, and a mail that rolls into the mast and auto pilot. It almost sails itself. Good luck with your choice!

John... Thanks for your input! I know we'll get it nailed down soon... Hopefully before this sailing season gets too far along!

We love sailing the BVI as well, but go the catamaran route there. We typically have a relatively large group, 8-9. Plus the cats are such a great platform for all the snorkeling and living aboard for that many people.

Where do you sail out of on the Chesapeake? We sail out of Rock Hall as our home port.

Thanks again...

[scotty c-m]

We own a Catalina 400, which sails a lot like the 42. All these boats sail really well. Yes, you can push the boat a little harder to get more speed, and yes, various designs sail faster, or slower. However, I look at the whole package. Does the boat sail well, is it safe, comfortable? Does the cockpit and interior fit your needs? Do you like it? I love the 400 because it fits my needs. If the 42 works for you, it will be a great boat, the same as the others that you've mentioned.

[Amnesia II]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Yes, Tasmania! One of our all time favorite places, and we have been cruising full time since 1986.

Cheers,

Jim

Good to hear of your enjoyment of Tassie Jim as I'm on my way there next summer ( Nov) to explore it's many cruising attractions.

Regards, Alan

[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.

[Aprilmu]

Hello...

Take a look through this thread... I was asking the same question a couple of months ago and received some great comments. We recently purchased a 2004 C42, Mk II and are awaiting her arrival from Canada (once we did backwards cartwheels through burning hoops to get her through US Customs!)... hopefully this week!

Most I've talked/corresponded with feel the performance of the Catalina 42 as very good. Also 'have heard' of a lot of sailors cruising C42s off shore. We will be sailing the Chesapeake for the most part unless I can convince my Skipper to take her to the Islands (or maybe just the Keys) at some point.

Have fun on your quest!

Best...

[Amnesia II]

Originally Posted by Aprilmu

Dave,


Question for you... have you had problems with water leaking onto the cabin sole in front of the fridge? There is some water damage on the sole in a couple of places.

Kind regards,
April

A spot I eventually found to be a water leaking area is the mast step..you will see a small lip in the floor around the mast to contain water that drains down the inside of the mast. Immediatly behind the mast is a 3/4 inch hole into a drainpipe which takes that water away...mine was blocked with crud..a quick poke out fixed the issue!

As for sailing ability....excellent! A good stiff boat...stands up well in a blow. Sailing from Huatulco, Mexico to Galapagos we had a 40 kt overnight gale on the beam...3 reefs + small amount of jib showing we were doing 10 kts and never put the rail in the water!

[Aprilmu]

Originally Posted by Amnesia II

As for sailing ability....excellent! A good stiff boat...stands up well in a blow. Sailing from Huatulco, Mexico to Galapagos we had a 40 kt overnight gale on the beam...3 reefs + small amount of jib showing we were doing 10 kts and never put the rail in the water!

YAAAYYYYYYY!!! Thanks for that great info, "Amnesia II"! Can't wait to get our "Galatea" home to her new port and get aboard!

[jeremiason]

If you want to seriously race... Buy a race boat.

If you want a nice family cruiser that doubles as a Beer Can Race Boat, buy a Catalina.

I have raced on almost every Catalina made and owned three Catalinas. A C-27, C36 and my current boat a C-470.

Catalina makes a great family cruising boat. A 1999 C-42 is comfortable and easy to sail singlehanded. The draw back is that they don't put much fuel on board for cruising boat (46 gallons). Other than that they are great boats.

The biggest reason I buy Catalina is the factory support and the Owners Groups, which have a wealth of knowledge. I would suggest you posse this question to the C-42 Association, which I am sure can answer all your questions.

Catalina 42 International Association

[jeremiason]

PHRF ratings are done by regions and vary substantially...

For instance in San Francisco a C-42 has a rating of 102 and a Beneteau Oceanis 400 is not rated. In New England a C-42 is rated at 96 and the Beneteau Oceanis 400 is rated at 111. In Southeast Florida, the Catalina 42 is rated at 124, while the Beneteau Oceanis 400 is rated at 151.

The PHRF ratings are not normally done on all boats, but are added to the PHRF lists in various regions when one starts to race there.

This makes the PHRF ratings wildly different from region to region. It also will be less accurate if there are only one or two boats in that region. They become more dialed in if the ratings have been used on a fleet of boats for a substantial length of time