General Info – Unsinkable 2

I think sailors begin dreaming of their next larger size boat about 1 year after purchasing their last next larger boat. This year, I made the move to my next larger boat, a Catalina 270. I loved my Catalina 25, it was the perfect boat for us for nearly a decade. We learned to sail, progressing from lake sailing to chartering in the British Virgin Islands. That Catalina 25 found a new home with a new owner in the same marina. My daughter even got teary-eyed the day we sold her (here the pronoun 'her' references the boat, not my daughter.) In this post I'm not comparing the Catalina 25 with the Catalina 270, they're different boats. I want to focus more on why I chose a Catalina 270 (1993) as the antidote for debilitating case of bigger-boat-itis. So in no particular order, here are the features and factors I considered. Shoal Draft Option. Our lake (Utah Lake) is a large but shallow lake. Late in the summer the marinas can be a little shallow, which could shorten the sailing season for a deeper-draft vessel. In a Catalina 25 swing keel this was not a problem because we could just raise the keel and still get out to deeper water. But this year the marinas are being dredged, which means a deeper-keeled boat is feasible. Deeper is relative, I still wanted a shoal drafted boat, something less than 4 feet. The wing keeled Catalina 270 drafts a skinny 3'6". I could almost sail that in my bathtub. Sailing for Fun. The majority of our sailing trips are evenings or Saturdays, with a few overnights each year. The kids will often bring friends and want to spend time hanging out on the boat. Since we don't overnight that often, it's less important to have a boat divided into separate cabins, as was popular in trailerable sailboats from the 70's and 80's. Starting in the 90's, manufacturers opened up the floorplan, foregoing bulkheads for large wraparound seating. The Catalina 270 had just such an interior, along with enough headroom for standing. The cockpit is actually large enough for 8 adults to sit while day sailing. We usually don't have that many sitting in the cockpit, with the wide side decks and comfortable interior, crew usually spread out while sailing with some sitting on the bow, some below, some in the cockpit, and some on the stern rail seats. Manufacturers. That's a tough choice, with as many opinions as there are manufacturers. I chose Catalina because I had great experiences dealing with them on my previous boat. Catalina still manufacturers replacement parts and upgrades for their boats, which simplifies boat maintenance. With so many Catalinas out there, there are several Catalina owners groups online as well, making answers and peer support just a web search away. Trailerability. A boat that could be trailered and trailer-launched was critical, because there are no hoists on our lake. The Catalina 270, with a 9'6" beam and weighing in dry at 6,400+ pounds, is at the outside limit of trailerability, but it is trailerable. I had to add a mast-raising system, but with the online owners groups there were lots of ideas and instructions to put one together. Upgrades. I looked for a boat that had been well taken care of and nicely outfitted. When reselling a boat one never gets out of it all that went in to upgrades, so additions that came with the boat are a great bargain. I looked at many Catalina 270's, and waited for one that had been nicely upgraded with things like spinnakers, racing and cruising sails, outside jib tracks, extra winches, refrigeration, boom vang, bimini, dodger, low hours engine, upgraded electronics, LE version with a water heater, nice trailer, cannons, etc. Ok, maybe not cannons. Patience paid off, I was able to find a boat whose previous owner had taken excellent care of everything. Learning. One engaging aspect of sailing is learning. From sail trim to boat systems to physics to history to exploration, sailing is a buffet for the brain. This 270 provides a great opportunity to learn about diesel engines, more sophisticated electronics, spinnakers, and more advanced sail and rig tuning. Because it's trailerable and comfortable for short term cruising, I can also enjoy planning trips to Lake Tahoe, Catalina, San Juan Islands, Great Salt Lake, and more. Exterior Appeal. I like the lines of a Catalina 270. It's a very classic looking boat with a white hull and blue trim. Other boat manufacturers' designs in this size range did not appeal to me as much as do Catalina's. I like the swim deck on the sugar scoop transom which makes swimming easy. The cockpit table is a great place for lunch or dinner. The hatches and ports create a really nice airflow through the boat to keep it cool. The perch seats at the back of the cockpit provide a great view and mean that the helmsman will always have company. The large cockpit easily has room for 6 or even 8 full size adults. Interior Appeal. The rear full bed in the aft cabin is comfortable and roomy for a boat this size. The bow berth has a great view out the forward hatch which acts as a skylight at night. Speaking of light, the interior is very bright and open, with translucent skylight panels on the cabin top to bring even more light in. The boat came with excellent snap-on bug screens for the companionway and forward hatch which keep the bugs out and the fresh breeze flowing. The table has plenty of room for the crew to eat, or the leaves can be folded for added legroom around the table, or removed entirely and stowed when preferred. The head and shower are nice, including a second shower back at the swim platform. The head has a fiberglass shell that make cleaning simple. There's a small nav station at one end of the couches and a full size electrical panel. The boat comes with a proper ship's wheel and a strong double spreader rig. Raising the mainsail Performance. The boat is very well-behaved, she balances easily and will easily hold her course while stepping away from the wheel for various tasks. She sails well in light air, so even when the wind drops to 3 knots the boat will still ghost along at a knot or more. And when the wind kicks up into the upper teams, she heels gently and really picks up speed. I keep a full main and jib out into the low 20's, which makes for exciting sailing without excessive heel. Above that, a partially furled jib and reefed main will take me up to about 30. With the addition of the outside jib tracks (the original design has jib tracks on the coach roof) there is lots of room for sail tuning. Sailing Unsinkable 2 on a warm June evening on Utah Lake Beam and Displacement. The Catalina 270 is a beamy boat at 9'6", with the beam carried aft. This make for a comfortable ride on the water. The displacement, being 6,400 dry and probably closer to 8,000 fully loaded, is very stable on the lake. Even when the wind and waves kick up, the boat rides the waves well and feels very stable in the water. This helps keep the mast in a consistent position to the wind and make sailing more enjoyable for the crew. Catalina 270 Cons. In searching forums and blogs for the down sides of Catalina 270's, I found the following. I'll mention them here, as well as my thoughts now that I've sailed her. Con 1 - Cabin top winches. The original configuration only had cabin top winches which made single handing a little cumbersome. On the boat I purchased, two additional winches had been mounted on the cockpit combing. I have made several single handed trips, and find that the extra winches, combined with the boat's steady balance, makes single handing safe and simple. I can leave the wheel and step forward in the cockpit to do most tasks. The only one I can't do from the cockpit is secure the tack on the reef, but it's on my list to rig. The reef line on the clew can be managed from the cockpit. Con 2 - Cabin-top jib track. The standard factory jib tracks were on the cabin top. On mine, a previous owner had installed a second set of jib tracks on the side decks. This opens the space between main and jib, and allows the jib's draft to have more options. The inside track would supposedly allow the boat to point higher, so I may figure out a way to reroute the jib sheets when sailing close-hauled, but so far I have been happy with her pointing ability. If I were rating the Catalina 270, she'd get 5 stars. One year into owning her I continue to be very enamored with her and have enjoyed every sailing adventure.