On the Catalina, the impression is of a more basic, but much lighter and equally airy boat. Engine and shaft log access was very good on the Beneteau, superb on the Catalina. Below, both boats use some wood to visually warm up the otherwise mostly white interior. Both boats have swim platforms and stainless swing-down swim ladders. From the outset she was designed to be affordable (some have even said cheap) for weekend excursions, club racing and coastal cruising – offshore work was always outside of the design scope. The thorough taping job you did on the spreader ends may actually accelerate the problem by holding in water. The Catalina easily wins the Ladder Sweepstakes with a four-step, 24-inch wide ladder with flat plastic treads, compared to the Beneteau’s three-step, 8-1/2-inch wide ladderI with treads only 1-1/4-inch wide, tW made by flattening the stainless tubing a bit. We did our testing on the Manatee River off the pier of Massey Yachts in Palmetto, Florida. My daughter even got teary-eyed the day we sold her (here the pronoun ‘her’ references the boat, not my daughter.) This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The only rea downsides are a lack of storage, (to be expected in a 27 footer) and the steering gear cover in the aft berth. Moving further aft, the Catalina’s six stanchions are fitted with double lifelines and, being 24-:3/4 inches off the deck, give a good measure of security. The Catalina’s masthead rig, even with double spreaders (permitting use of a lighter spar than the Beneteau), is more conventional. We will bring her home in ... International Catalina 27/270 Association - Digest #179 7 messages. Which boat, we wondered, is the better buy, and for whom? Deck hard ware (blocks, tracks, hatches, ports) on the Catalina is mostly made by Garhauer, Nibo, and Beck­son, all vendors noted for producing decent-quality but low-cost equip­ment. I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (http://www.youtube.com/editor) Patience paid off, I was able to find a boat whose previous owner had taken excellent care of everything. On both boats, the pulpits and stanchions are fastened to the deck with a single large threaded stud, projecting down through the deck and secured with a large washer and nut. The Catalina’s rig design strives for simplicity (no backstay bridle ad­justment, no line-adjusted genoa car position as on the Beneteau), and ease of use. An upgrade was in order. Both test boats have inboards. There is no fixed ballast, and for tracking the boat relies on an unweighted centerboard. Still, we question what will happen to the deck when someone falls against a stan­chion; four through-bolts and large backing plates to distribute the load would be better. As already mentioned, both boats use Lewmar winches. Though hard to judge in such strong, shifting winds, we think the Beneteau had the edge in sailing speed, as her statistics would indicate. In con­trast, the Beneteau has only four stanchions, less than 18 inches high, with sin­gle lifelines. These overall similarities make the differences between the designs more obvious. The wing keeled Catalina 270 drafts a skinny 3’6″. There is a marine head with shower. Accommodations often become spacious enough for two couples or a family of four to live aboard for a couple of weeks without strain. The Catalina 28 Used Boat Review Posted March 28, 2017 While it’s certainly great fun cruising on small boats, there comes a time in many sailors’ lives when they long for the comfort of double berths, hot water, a decent size ice box, standing headroom, and a shower you don’t have to hang in the rigging. The rigs of the two boats may ap­pear quite similar at first glance, but upon close inspection a number of important differences emerge. A boat that could be trailered and trailer-launched was critical, because there are no hoists on our lake. The Catalina’s ladder swings up to form the center part of the push pit, a clever and neat-looking design. Upgrades. Catal­ina does not offer an outboard option as it once did with its old 27. All boats are compromises, and personal taste and prejudices do enter the picture. The Beneteau has a slightly shorter LOA but longer LWL (length waterline), and a nearly plumb bow. And when the wind kicks up into the upper teams, she heels gently and really picks up speed. She’s always up for an adventure, and she brings a bright cheery attitude even on a night like this with an into-the-wind sail for 7 miles up the lake. Manufacturers. We’d go for the Catalina without hesitation. Tall folks will appreciate the larger Beneteau berth. 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. We learned to sail, progressing from lake sailing to chartering in the British Virgin Islands. If this vinyl is anything like the stuff used on boats 15 or 20 years ago, the foam backing can be expected to dry out and crumble to powder eventually. Neither is a racehorse likely to win much in competition. There are twin anchor rollers at the stemhead (one on the Beneteau). The 265’s draft is mid-range (4′ 2″ vs. the Catalina’s choice of 5′ 0″ deep fin or 3′ 6″ fin with wings). The displacement, being 6,400 dry and probably closer to 8,000 fully loaded, is very stable on the lake. I could almost sail that in my bathtub. Yanmar diesel motor with only 350 hours on her. Although the Catalina’s mast is shorter and its main­sail is smaller, the foretriangle height is two feet longer than the Beneteau’s, resulting in more total sail area when setting a big genoa. 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. Design credit for the Catalina 27 goes to Frank Butler and Robert Finch. Most of all, we like the Catal­ina’s greater value for the money-not just because the overall price is about 10 percent lower than a comparable Beneteau, but because of the better choice of standard items. From sail trim to boat systems to physics to history to exploration, sailing is a buffet for the brain. Both boats seemed quite stiff, well balanced, and very responsive to the helm. The original configuration only had cabin top winches which made single handing a little cumbersome. The Catalina 270 was designed to provide rewarding performance and comfortable accommodations for the active sailing family. freshwater-cooled; no en­gine tach or fuel gauge vs. both stan­dard; 8.25-gallon fuel tank vs. 14 gal­lons; 16.25-gallon water tank vs. 26 gallons; holding tank 11.5 gallons vs. 18; single-speed #16 self-tailing Lewmars vs. two-speed #30 STs; a 1.6- gpm Shurflo pressure water pump vs. a 2.8-gpm Shurflo pump: a gimbaled two-burner non-pressure alcohol stove vs. a gimbaled two-burner LPG stove, and so on. Both boats do well in heavy air. The mast is stepped on a hinge for lowering the spar at bridges, trailer ramps, or for maintenance, but Beneteau says use of the hinge is not recommended without side-sway preventers- currently available as an option in Europe, but not in the U.S. Shoal Draft Option. Beyond the ventilating prop problem, the reason is mostly economic: By the time Beneteau buyers acquire the outboard engine and associated paraphernalia, the difference between inboard and outboard shrinks to around $3,500-and those who opt for the outboard miss the shore power option and electric hot water heater option which Beneteau throws in” free” with the inboard pack­age. We’d also prefer to see the Beneteau’s cockpit­ mounted mainsheet traveler track moved forward onto the cabintop (as the Catalina is configured), so crew moving from cockpit to cabin don’t have to dodge the mainsheet and car. This can make it extremely inconvenient to fill the tank when line and chain are piled overt he cap. The Beneteau First 265. She is well equipped and features 3 sails, mast raising system, Westerbeke diesel, electric flush head, Raymarine electronics and … Screens for the ports (but not for either the forward or main hatch) are standard on both the Catalina and the Beneteau. 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 want to focus more on why I chose a Catalina 270 (1993) as the antidote for debilitating case of bigger-boat-itis. The Catalina 270 is a beamy boat at 9’6″, with the beam carried aft. This boat looks like new with in-furling main and furling jib. Catalina’s chief engineer, Gerry Douglas, doesn’t think it’s suitable for a 27- footer, especially one weighing 6,400 pounds-and, he says, neither did most buyers of Catalina 27s over the last several years. The size and placement is good for steering from either a sitting or standing posi­tion; brake and compass binnacle (4- inch Danforth Constellation) are stan­dard; pedestal-mounted brackets for additional instruments such as depth sounder and speedo are extra. 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. Catalina 270 Principal Specifications Length Length Length Beam Draft Overall 8.64m of Hull 8.23m at Waterline 7.24m 2.99m Fin Keel 1.52m Wing Keel 1.07m Ballast Fin Keel 834kg Wing Keel 933kg Approximate Weight Fin Keel 2827kg Wing Keel 2926kg Engine Diesel 2 cylinder 13.4 kW Sail Area (100% foretriangle) 29.38m2 I 10.16m J 2.82m P 8.58m E 3.50m 28’ 4” 27’ 0” 23’ … On the Beneteau, you can lower the table and set up the berth without undue commotion; but setting up the Catalina berth involves a lot of fussy positioning of the raised forward seat and locking it in place with a pair of hard-to-reach latches. 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. Un­der power, however, her smaller engine and prop (single-cylinder, 9-hp., 26-CID Volvo, 15 x 12 optional fold­ing prop) was definitely not as effective upwind as the Catalina’s (three­cylinder, 18-hp, 3 7-CID Perkins, two­blade 13 x 10 prop). (A tall rig is optional.). See the full specifications for more details. 1993 Catalina 270 The Catalina 270 is one of Catalina's most popular yachts, this 1993 is very clean and was re-powered in 2007 with a 20HP Yanmar. It has an L-Shaped Galley with a gimballed stove, 2.2 Cu Foot Ice Box and a sink. Catalina still manufacturers replacement parts and upgrades for their boats, which simplifies boat maintenance. The Catalina 270 is a beamy boat at 9’6″, with the beam carried aft. And that doesn’t include a pair of “observation seats” built into each corner of the push pit. There’s a small nav station at one end of the couches and a full size electrical panel. That Catalina 25 found a new home with a new owner in the same marina. What started as lessons with my kids has turned into sailing certifications, a captain's license, and a life long hobby that takes us sailing all over the world. Other boat manufacturers’ designs in this size range did not appeal to me as much as do Catalina’s. 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. In a head-to-head comparison of entry level inboard cruisers, we think the lower price and practicality of the Catalina favors it over the glitter and gloss of the Beneteau. The Catalina also suffers from lack of sufficient galley top work­ing space. I like the lines of a Catalina 270. Please note that the purpose of these reviews is educational, to help you discern the differences in quality among boats generally. Both have highly engineered force grids molded into their hull liners, of particular note since the shrouds in both boats lead not to traditional chainplates but to intermediate tie rods which in turn are joined to metal plates for the most part hidden behind interior liners. The Beneteau has the edge on locker space, with three separate hanging lockers (including one open-air unit in the head), and a liquor cabinet under what a Beneteau brochure de­scribes as a nav station. It’s a very classic looking boat with a white hull and blue trim. But this year the marinas are being dredged, which means a deeper-keeled boat is feasible. This make for a comfortable ride on the water. The Catalina’s 32-inch stainless steel destroyer wheel on a pedestal is an Edson, a brand we associate with high quality and reliability. The cockpit table is a great place for lunch or dinner. The Wing keel version is offered with a short keel fitted with large winglets. No matter how well the spreader ends are protected, and whether you use ready-made vinyl spreader boots or conventional rigging tape, water will get through to the fittings inside. Actually, the condition of the vent was not the thing that precipitated the upgrade, it was the damm spiders,… Continue reading → The displacement, being 6,400 dry and probably closer to 8,000 fully loaded, is very stable on the lake. Catalina’s use of wood is sparing (varnished teak doors and trim, teak dining table, small patch of maple and teak sole forward), while Beneteau’s is lavish (varnished cherry bulkheads and trim, full teak sole). This beautiful Catalina 270 Luxury Edition (LE) was designed by Gerry Douglas and built in 1996. (Massey sells both Catalina and Beneteau). Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD, last fall: Small is beautiful. August 25, 2000. It’s not easy to grab the tracks/rails, which require feeding your fingers through a narrow slot molded in to the coach roof. The interior layouts on the two boats are quite similar: large double berth aft galley to port next to the compan­ionway, head opposite the galley, U­shaped dining area around a smallish table supported by the mast compres­sion post and V-berth forward. Sailing for Fun. Measurements Propulsion Engine #1 Accommodations Catalina 270 – Long Story Page 2 of 9 By Zuzana Prochazka. Trailerability. She was built between 1971 and 1991 by Catalina Yachts (United States) with 6662 hulls completed. ... Catalina 270 Can't find it here? Excellent comparison on both boats. The Catalina 275 Sport packs a lot of value and performance in a small, easy-to-manage sailboat. Although this design is somewhat non-tradi­tional, it seems solid enough. One engaging aspect of sailing is learning. The Catalina’s is not yet determined, but we would anticipate it will come in around the 195-205 range. Canvas & Covers. The rear full bed in the aft cabin is comfortable and roomy for a boat this size. The boat is very well-behaved, she balances easily and will easily hold her course while stepping away from the wheel for various tasks. Yet des… Two of the newest 27-foot cruising boat designs are from Beneteau and Catalina, both huge builders. Contact the listing broker to see her today! Catalina succeeded the long lasting design with an all-new water-ballasted and trailerable weekender, the Catalina 270. Unfortunately, the Beneteau failed both tests, even with the height adjustment screw at the rudder head in the extreme “down” position. Beneteau bills itself as the largest sailboat company in the world; Catalina lays claim to being the largest in the U.S. The test Catalina was the wing-keel version; the Beneteau had the standard rig. Hello all, I look forward to diving in: I was just gifted a 1976 Catalina 27 (helluva gift!). Catalina 275 Sport Review: Affordable, Easy, Smart, and Fun. 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. We judged all branded hardware on both boats to be of acceptable quality. Catalina Direct, publishers of the Catalina 22 and Catalina 25 Owner's Handbooks and the largest supplier of parts and Lewmar winches for Catalina Yachts in the country. The Catalina 250 is one of a group of relatively lightweight, shallow-draft trailerable cruising boats that appeared in the mid-1990s, utilizing water ballast to provide stability. I’ll mention them here, as well as my thoughts now that I’ve sailed her. (Of interest to “Buy America” advocates is the fact that both boats are built in the U.S., the Catalina in Woodland Hills, California, and the Beneteau in Marion, South Carolina.). The Catalina 27 is a 26’10” (8.18m) cruising sailboat designed by Frank Butler (United States) and Robert Finch (United States). The Catalina 270 LE vs. The choice is also between the Beneteau’s lighter hull with quicker acceleration, and the Catalina’s equal­ly maneuverable but heavier hull with greater load-carrying capacity and liv­ing space below. Even when the wind and waves kick up, the boat rides the waves well and feels very stable in the water. In reality, there’s not enough space to unroll even a small chart on the work surface presented, which is effectively cut in two by a fiddle across its middle. For ven­tilation, the Catalina has six opening ports plus a forward hatch, while the Beneteau has eight plus a forward hatch. Helping to make sailing the Catalina a no-hassle experience is an impressive array of standard equip­ment not seen on the Beneteau: A double-ended mainsheet, adjustable either at a cam cleat on the traveler car or at a cabin top stopper, where a winch can be used; a pair of two-speed Lewmar self-tailing #30s (compared to Beneteau’s single speed #16s); a standard 135-percent genoa on a good­quality Hood single-line furler (compared to Beneteau’s standard 100-percent jib and furler hardware available only as an option); a total of five cabintop stoppers (vs. three for the Beneteau); Dutchman mainsail flaking sys­tem; and single-line reefing (though the Catalina test boat did not have single-line reefing rigged). This helps keep the mast in a consistent position to the wind and make sailing more enjoyable for the crew. I love sharing what I'm learning along the way and helping others get into sailing. That’s 7 as... Hope you enjoy 60 seconds of sailing races, overnight voyages, and windy June sailing on Utah Lake. So did the Catalina, which was at least as stable on a breezier day (wind 20-25, occasional gusts to 30) with full sail, only burying the rail once in a particularly vicious wind burst. Frank Butler launched his first Catalina 22 in July of 1969, by 1975 he had built 5,000 of the 22's and introduced the Catalina 27 and the Catalina 30 (the best selling 30 of all time). That said, we admit to a clear preference for the Catalina. In searching forums and blogs for the down sides of Catalina 270’s, I found the following. Hatches & Ports. I chose Catalina because I had great experiences dealing with them on my previous boat. But, unfortunately, moving the track forward isn’t feasible because of the long companionway bridge deck, which reaches forward beyond the boom’s midpoint. The low lifelines are at “tripping height,” and while the scale may be aesthetically pleasing, safety is compromised. The Catalina is heavier, more stable, roomier, better equipped, and has a lower price tag. International Catalina 27/270 Association Visit the Catalina 27/270 Class Association and find out the latest information and \”whats happening\” in the Catalina 27/270 world. Locate Catalina boat dealers and find your boat at Boat Trader! And the combination bow light is mounted directly behind and partly obscured by the center support of the pulpit. The bow berth has a great view out the forward hatch which acts as a skylight at night. The plastic turned a nice sun damaged yellow over time, and appears to get brittle. Every year before we change the clocks for daylight savings time we do a year in review of the mechanics and cosmetic changes to our incredible sailboat. In this post I’m not comparing the Catalina 25 with the Catalina 270, they’re different boats. I like the swim deck on the sugar scoop transom which makes swimming easy. It’s really annoying. The cockpit is actually large enough for 8 adults to sit while day sailing. I can leave the wheel and step forward in the cockpit to do most tasks. Even more dubious are the two parts of the backstay bridle on the Beneteau which are simply fastened to straps welded to the bases of the push pit,rather than to their own chain­plates. New members are now set to moderated as a result non-boating related postings from new members. This 270 provides a great opportunity to learn about diesel engines, more sophisticated electronics, spinnakers, and more advanced sail and rig tuning. The day we sailed the Beneteau, it was blowing 15 knots steadily and 20 in gusts, and the 265 heeled not more than 25 degrees close-hauled with full sail. Pocket Cruiser By Bob Perry. All berths on both boats have com­fortable 4-inch cushions. 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. For example, on the Catalina the entrance to the double aft is via a solid teak door, whereas on the Beneteau it is through a sliding curtain. The large cockpit easily has room for 6 or even 8 full size adults. The hatches and ports create a really nice airflow through the boat to keep it cool. Deeper is relative, I still wanted a shoal drafted boat, something less than 4 feet. To some extent, the choice between the Beneteau 2 65 and the Catalina 270 LE is a trade off between elegant French styling on the one hand, and no-non­sense American practicality on the other. Offering the best selection of Catalina boats to choose from. I've owned several sailboats over the past 15+ years and chartered sailboats around the world. Speaking of light, the interior is very bright and open, with translucent skylight panels on the cabin top to bring even more light in. © Belvoir Media Group, LLC. Righting moment comes from a flooding system that permits the double bottom of the boat to be filled with seawater, which is emptied when it comes time to leave the water and winch the vessel back onto the … Neither the Catalina nor the Beneteau forward berths have these prob­lems. This configuration provides an interesting draft / low … Above that, a partially furled jib and reefed main will take me up to about 30. We wouldn’t be inclined to sleep two in either aft berth, since the inside party not only doesn’t have much vertical roll-over room due to incursion of the cockpit sole, but also must crawl over the outside party to get up. In 1982 the Catalian 36, 1994 the Catalina 400, 2002 the Catalina 350, and by July of 2004 900 Catalina … 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. The boat has an Aft Cabin, forward V-Berth and 2 setees that also form a Centerline Dinette with a large wooden table. I think sailors begin dreaming of their next larger size boat about 1 year after purchasing their last next larger boat. Find Catalina 270 boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Interior Appeal. The Catalina 27 is as well listed, on Boat-Specs.com, in Wing keel and Tall rig version (see all the versions compared). We’d rather see separate handrails. Exterior Appeal. Having owned a Catalina 270 for about 8 years now, and having upgraded most of the systems to reasonably current technology, we’d say this boat is a pleasure to sail. The kids will often bring friends and want to spend time hanging out on the boat. Performance. Find Catalina 270 boats for sale near you, including boat prices, photos, and more. I have been looking at the B & C and your article cleared up many questions I had. 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. Neither boat has a roll­up sunshade over the forward hatch, which would be a nice touch. Learning. Their Euro-styled interior layouts were at least superfi­cially similar as well, as were hull and sail plan dimensions. On the boat I purchased, two additional winches had been mounted on the cockpit combing. So in no particular order, here are the features and factors I considered. That’s a tough choice, with as many opinions as there are manufacturers. How frequently do you bother removing spreader boots and taping to check the condition of the spreaders and rigging? 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