CRITIC’S CORNER CATALINA 375 A Replacement for the C36? With a longer waterline and ample sail area, the Catalina 375 is quite happy on a reach in a light to moderate breeze. The new 375 expands to meet the needs of today’s Catalina owners. ow celebrating its 40th year in in California, the move to Florida brings change in 1995 to become the Mark II. Nbusiness, Catalina Yachts is one Catalina closer to its customers. Today, Combined, the two versions account for of the most enduring companies in more than 70 percent of Catalina’s new more than 3,000 hulls. Looking at the the U.S. sailboat building business. For boats go to owners east of the Rockies. wishlist of today’s Catalina owners, it was most of the company’s life, produc- This sort of foresight, alongwith But- clear that modifying the C36 was not a tion took place at two facilities: one in ler’s irrepressible drive, is what has helped practical option. Expectations called for Woodland Hills, Calif., where the com- Catalina weather the economic storms a longer boat, and a new hull form would pany has its roots, and the other is a that have sent other U.S. builders to the give more flexibility. factory in Largo, Fla., that Catalina ac- bottom. Butler’s contagious passion for Better performance, Douglas says, quired from Morgan Yachts in 1984. his work and his hands-on approach to was at the top of the list, and giving the Currently, the company website lists customer service have earned the loyalty 375 a longer waterline and greater sail Photo by Billy Black, courtesy of Catalina Yachts its fleet at more than 20 models—from of legions of Catalina owners. area-displacement ratio than the C36 the 8-foot Sabot dinghy to the 47-foot “We do well in a down market,” says ensured success on that front. Clearly, 470 cruiser—but a few of those, includ- Douglas, succinctly. “We always have.” the 375 has a greater potential for faster ing one of the best-selling boats of all Although the market for new boats passages than its predecessor, but it is, for time, the Catalina 22, have been re- has soured considerably, two boats in the all intents and purposes, a family cruiser, tired. (The Catalina Sport replaced the Catalina line are selling relatively well. with comfort taking precedence. Catalina 22, just as the C309 replaced The first is the Catalina 375, a mid-sized Comparing the fin keel versions of the iconic Catalina 30.) Total output is cruiser launched in 2008, the other is the the 375 and the 36 Mark II reflect the about 25 percent of what it was during Catalina 445, launched last year. Both thought process at work. The 375 has 41 the company’s peak, but if any com- boats earned high praise in the adver- percent more waterline, 9 percent more pany can float above the current crisis, tising-supported sailing magazines, so beam, 15 percent more displacement, 13 it’s Catalina. Practical Sailor was curious to see how percent less ballast, and 17 percent more One of the big three sailboat manufac- the boats held up to these reviews. Al- sail area. Its displacement-to-length ratio turers with facilities in the U.S.—Hunter though this article highlights the 375, of 169 puts it right in the middle of the and Beneteau being the other two—Cata- we hope to take a look at the 445 in a Hunter 38 and the Beneteau 37, with the lina is a privately held company. Since future issue. Beneteau being the more performance- 1998, it has been co-owned by founder oriented boat. (See table, page 12.) Given Frank Butler, Marketing Director Sha- DESIGN DETAILS the popularity of the tall rig version of ron Day, and Vice President and Chief The 375 replaces the very popular Cata- the C36 (with an additional 50 square Engineer Gerry Douglas. In addition to lina 36, which was first launched in 1982 feet of sail area), it is no surprise that the shedding the high cost of doing business and went through one major design design team added more sail horsepower 8 OCTOBER 2010 WWW.PRACTICAL-SAILOR.COM CRITIC’S CORNER CATALINA 375 In-mast furler PROS • High lifelines and wide sidedecks make moving forward safe and easy. • Convenient port-side traveller controls allow for easy operation. • The in-mast furling mainsail keeps the crew happy and makes reefing easy. • Plenty of cockpit stowage. Pro: Well-placed handrails CONS • No dorade vents for ventilation. • Traveller too short to be very effective. Garhauer • In-mast furling yields a lackluster perfor- traveller mance compared to full-batten mainsail. • Covered lifelines give little indication of wire condition beneath the plastic. Pro: Ample locker stowage Pro: Divided anchor locker Con: Basic Con: No gasket or latch for windlass propane locker lid to the 375. Its sail area to displacement DECK DETAILS piling all this weight aft does not come ratio is close to that of competing boats As a family cruiser, the Catalina 375 without consequences. from Hunter and Beneteau. tries to strike a balance between its dual Genoa sheets lead to two Harken ST44 There are two versions of the hull missions of providing safety and effi- winches mounted on the coaming near available: a deep-draft model that draws cient sailhandling at sea and providing the helm. A two-speed Harken ST40 and 6 feet, 10 inches and a shoal-draft model comfort and convenience at the dock, at a gang of four Spinlock XTS rope clutches that draws 4 feet, 8 inches. The deep draft anchor, and underway. to port of the companionway take care model is more than a foot deeper than the An obvious example of the challenges of the halyards, main outhaul, and boom C36, and this is consistent with current of this undertaking is the roomy cock- vang. A matching winch and three rope trends. When it comes to performance pit, where a fixed centerline table with clutches on the starboard side manage the dividends, a well-proportioned deep keel drop-down leaves takes up a large chunk spinnaker halyard, mainsail furling, and offers plenty of bang for the buck. of real estate. Coastal cruisers will find mainsheet controls. A convenient dou- While owners clamored for more the convenience of the table’s two cup ble-ended line controlling the Garhauer headroom below, Douglas said he wanted holders and center-bin storage worth mainsheet traveller leads to a pair of cam to maintain a fairly low profile like that the hassles of having a mid-cockpit ob- cleats, making it easy for one person to of the C36. As a result, the deck house stacle. Wednesday-night racers, on the adjust the traveller. extends farther forward than that of the other hand, may want to make room in Sidedecks are wide and clear, and C36—reducing the working area in the their garage for the furniture during race the 28-inch-high lifelines are a welcome bow—but the overall profile remains season. improvement over the 24-inch lifelines fairly low. Two aft opening ports instead Ample cockpit storage allows room on the original Catalina 36. A divided of the fixed glazing on the C36 make for fenders and lines, and there’s even a anchor locker meets the needs of coastal good sense and give the boat a slightly fixed mount for a small outboard. Stor- cruisers and rail-mounted 10-inch bow more salty appearance. The profile view age in huge cockpit lockers leaves room cleats avoid chafe while benefiting from of this boat, in our opinion, is one of the for a generator, watermaker, and air- the beefed-up solid glass at the hull-to- nicer ones in the Catalina line. conditioning unit, although the effect of deck joint. PRACTICAL SAILOR OCTOBER 2010 9 INTERIOR NOTES CATALINA 375 Blond teak veneer with solid teak trim are balanced by the white overhead to create a warm interior that is not too dark. The standard layout (above left) features a long drop- down table that can be folded in half to serve as a coffee table. A removable bench seat can be placed along the boat’s centerline to accommodate up to six for dinner. The nav station (left) is a compact nook with few creature comforts, while the galley (above) offers good ventilation and plenty of room for meal preparation. A 12-volt Maxwell 1000 vertical wind- has been improved (with eight ports and tice that the galley has been shifted to the lass manages anchor duties. For most five opening hatches), and the cabin has a starboard side. While some argue that the coastal cruisers, this unit will provide new layout. The combined result is more traditional portside galley is more desir- adequate service, but it would not be our spaciousness, particularly in the main able when crossing oceans, the point is first choice for long-term cruising. Un- saloon. This roominess quickly loses moot for a family coastal cruiser. fortunately, since the vertical windlass is its appeal at sea, when you are search- Our tester liked the galley’s twin sinks integral to the locker design, installing ing for something solid to brace against, located well inboard for self draining, but a more robust horizontal unit is not a but Catalina has made an effort to lp ace noted that putting a front-opening fridge simple upgrade. grabrails where they are convenient. right next to the engine compartment The deck-stepped mast is supported Varnished teak presents a warm inte- flouted the laws of thermodynamics.