Sample Boat Reviews
Here are some sample boat reviews that represent the type of useful information you'll find in all Practical Sailor pieces.
Catalina 22 Boat Review
For those to whom price is all-important, the Catalina 22 is appealing—but it’s lacking in performance. Catalina is the largest boatbuilder in the world in dollar volume and the firm is one of the lasting success stories in the industry. It foregoes national advertising in favor of local dealer-sponsored ads, and has remained a privately owned (in fact, one man—Frank Butler) company while the trend has been toward conglomerate-owned boatbuilding. Simply stated, Catalina builds boats to a price—a low price—making the most of volume buying of materials and hardware, long-lived models, a high degree of standardization, and all the cost savings of high volume production. The Catalina 22 was the first boat built by Catalina.
The Pearson 37 Boat Review
In the decade prior to its demise in 1991, Pearson Yachts was noted for building mainstream cruiser/racers of above average construction with decent sailing and cruising characteristics. During its long history, Pearson’s boats can be divided into three fairly distinct categories. Though the company was formed in 1956, its first large successful sailboat was the Triton, in 1959. Into the mid-1960s, Pearson built solid, single skin boats, like the Vanguard, Rhodes 41, Invicta 38 and Countess 44, that were capable of offshore sailing. This was due in part to their moderately heavy displacement, full keels and all-wood interiors, which allowed bulkheads to be tabbed to the deck, as well as all furniture to the hull.
The MacGregor 26 Boat Review
MacGregor Yachts, one of the largest builders in the US, has a well-established reputation as the producer of inexpensive boats. Located in Orange County, California, its plant sits across the street from the former headquarters of Westsail and Islander in a neighborhood that in 1973 built more than 24,000 boats with a retail value of $88 million. A year later, the number of boatbuilders shrank from 46 to 22. MacGregor endured by sticking to a business plan that is strong on financial and management principles and devoid of romance.
C&C 33 Boat Review
C&C Sailboats have been known for good-looking moderate designs, a tradition started by the original part-ners and the company’s chief designer Rob Ball.Some models—like the early Corvettes and C&C35s—have become classics of production sailboats,and (except for the Mega, a one-design 30-footer ofthe late 70s) it’s hard to think of any C&C which has been extreme or unattractive to the eye.
