[DesertDreamer]

To all current or past owners of Catalina 22's with swing keel.

How good or bad does she handle in 3 to 5 foot waves?

I am wanting to do some coastal cruising, once I buy a boat, in Long Island Sound, Fishers Sound and generally off the Connecticut coast.

Worried if I venture too far from a safe harbor and get caught out in a storm the Cat 22 might not handle the rough conditions.

Also, I will be a beginner at sailing, thus, the idea is a Cat 22 to learn on and move up to a larger boat after a few years.

So...how does a Cat 22 handle 3 to 5 foot waves???

 

[chip]

It depends on the waves. A 3-5ft swell like you might find on in the ocean is no big deal. 3-5ft steep chop in a shallow bay is really annoying.

I mostly dealt with the latter on my C22. For me, it was fun at first, and then progressively less fun. I don't think we were ever in danger, but any kind of chop made for a rough and frustratingly slow ride. The boat didn't have enough mass to punch through much, and if you'd get caught in a couple sets, the boat would tend to ride up a wave, crash down into the next, and basically stop. By the time we got going again, there would be a couple more larger waves and it would just keep happening.

Usually if you're getting that kind of chop on otherwise protected waters, it's coming with strong winds, so knowing when to reef and when to drop sails entirely is also part of it.

The boat can certainly take it though.

Here are a couple of my boat logs of sailing in rougher weather:

Small Craft Advisory | Sailing Fortuitous

Our Weekly Beating | Sailing Fortuitous

I was just re-reading these myself, and it's obvious how much the excitement wore off between the two entries.

 

[DesertDreamer]

Thanks Chip,

Your videos and comments were very helpful.

Just trying to decide on what my comfort level is in starting out sailing.

Larger boat with more stability and sleeping room or smaller boat easier to learn on and easy to trailer, raise mast and launch quicker.

Now considering just keeping it at a mooring during the "season" in CT.

Oh yea, costs. Looking to spend $4000 to $5000 so I assume I will get a much more seaworthy Cat 22 at that price then a more slightly worn out Cat 25???

Thanks again,

Greg

 

[chip]

I have zero regrets about owning the 22. I think it was a great boat to learn on. Sounds like you're weighing the right sorts of questions though, and your decision will mostly come down to your local waters and how you'd like to use it.