A Cruiser
for BoomersThe four judges of the Cruising World 2005 Boat of the Year contest come from diverse boating backgrounds and approach design with different priorities in mind. But during our dockside inspection of the boat, we all noticed thematic details that were apparent from stern to stem. The aft scoop is wide and low for ease of access from dock or dinghy. Although the pushpit makes a good handhold, an additional rail fixed inboard of the top-side/transom line would improve safety. The life raft can be launched from a designated locker on the scoop, thus avoiding the Herculean task of fishing a 100-pound raft from the depths of the lazarette and heaving it over high coamings and lifelines. Two wide yet shallow steps lead up into the cockpit through an offset transom aisle. This opening is secured with a slide-in splashboard and two stainless-steel wire gates that retract cleverly into the railing when not in use. A 10-inch bridgedeck prevents downflooding, and enormous drainage capacity aft lets this cockpit quickly shed boarding seas.
The steering pedestal on the test boat featured the customary instrumentation plus a GPS chart plotter. The 44-inch wheel is large enough for easy steering but small enough to walk around. The primary winches are within arm's reach from behind the wheel. All mast control lines are led through rope clutches to a two-speed electric power winch on the cabin top.
A large folding table with stout handholds protrudes forward from the pedestal. The high coamings create a deep and secure cockpit. The captive washboard companionway hatch can be locked from above and below without having to fit or stow heavy pieces, and lifting the locker lids is assisted by gas springs.
At 31 inches, the lifelines are exceptionally high and have gates to port and starboard. While the cabin sides have a boxlike look and substantial windage, they also have handholds that complement the lifelines at the same height. Three-inch bulwarks and an aggressive nonskid surface fit well into this secure layout.
Stanchion bases wrap around the bulwark and are fastened from two angles, making a stiff attachment. Deck hardware attaches by means of threaded aluminum plates laminated into the underdeck. This system results in a hundred fewer holes in the deck and in simple maintenance access. The stem has a long overhang for ample anchor clearance. The rollers, lockers, cleats, and the Maxwell vertical windlass accommodate two sets of ground tackle. The windlass can also be used to haul the dinghy, but its switches should be capped for safety. A set of deep chocks for stowing the dinghy right side up on the foredeck would eliminate the struggle of inverting it.
Solid Impressions
A teak rubrail capped with rubber protects the topsides. The moderate canoe hull is solid hand-laid glass below the waterline and balsa core above, and vinylester resin is used to counter osmosis. The deck is through-bolted to an internal hull flange with 1-inch 316-stainless-steel bolts on 4-inch centers and bonded with 3M 5200. The encapsulated-foam rudder with a 2-inch solid stainless-steel stock hangs on a partial skeg.
The Charleston tapered mast is 62 feet 4 inches high, leaving room for wind instruments and a VHF antenna while still sliding under bridges along the Intracoastal Waterway. The 4-foot-11-inch wing keel is appropriate for the skinny waters of the Bahamas or Belize. U.S. West Coast customers may prefer the 5-foot-4-inch fin keel.
About 80 percent of the 440's new customers ordered the boat with the standard in-boom Leisure Furl. While I have a natural suspicion of any complicated equipment, I'll concede that hauling, reefing, and handling a large, stiff mainsail is perhaps the most physically demanding task on board. The advantages of in-boom as opposed to in-mast furling are that the sail can have roach, battens, and a boltrope, and if all goes awry, it still can be dropped manually like a conventional sail.
The meticulous attention to ergonomic detail is most apparent at the companionway entry. Three wide, scalloped steps covered in nonskid extend down to the cabin sole at a gentle angle. A banister borders the steps, and handholds run forward in the saloon at well-planned intervals.
More Than a Cabin
The clear benefits of a raised deck saloon are the brightness, the visibility, and the enormous space created below the sole for machinery, tankage, and stowage. Changes in the cabin sole's level in the 440's saloon are made in small and equal increments, minimizing the tripping hazard.
To starboard is a spacious yet secure U-shaped galley. A front- and top-loading fridge/ freezer runs on AC or DC power. Large, 10-inch-deep double sinks, a three-burner stove, and plenty of counter space make this a viable work center. A garbage can is neatly molded under a flip-up companionway step.
The saloon lounge comes with an overstuffed sofa to port. The central seat folds down into a cocktail/game table, and with the flip of a lever, the outer two seats slide out to become full recliners with headrests. The dining table seats six for meals but swivels and folds down to a smaller size for cocktails. It also drops, with the help of an electric motor, to be converted into a double berth. For social occasions, a small nav station with a sliding and swiveling chair adds to the seating capacity.
The island double berth forward in the owner's cabin offers easy access from both sides, and the spring mattress will soothe aching bones. Under the berth, an enormous stowage drawer runs on ball bearings for easy opening when heavily loaded. Both a small vanity with mirror and chair and a cedar-lined hanging locker sit to port, and a private head/shower lies to starboard. The head is large and well laid out, with a polished stainless-steel sink, a medicine chest, and Corian counter tops. However, all four judges had safety concerns regarding the sharp corners of the folding glass shower doors.
The aft cabin has a split double mattress that allows lee cloths to be fitted when real sea berths are required. An escape hatch opens into the cockpit and provides good ventilation.
Access to the aft head/shower on the port side is gained either from the main saloon or the aft cabin. To starboard aft lies a work/laundry room that can be converted into a quarter berth, should the grandchildren invade.
The height of the raised deck saloon precludes the use of dorade vents, but five Lewmar Ocean Series hatches with shades and screens should provide sufficient ventilation for coastal cruising. Passagemakers may wish to fit low-profile solar ventilators.
Value and Vision
I discovered some inconsistencies in the quality of the joinery work, but overall, I found the interior to be big, bright, and well designed. A massive floorboard on gas springs lifts for unequalled access to an orderly bilge with a proper collection sump. The tankage is generous, with 176 gallons of water, 117 gallons of fuel, and 55 gallons for waste. Equally generous was the electric-power supply on the tested boat, which had a bank of two 8D deep-cycle house batteries, a separate starting battery, 115–volt/50-amp shore power and adapter, an 8-kilowatt Fischer Panda genset, and a Heart 2500 inverter.
The easily accessible 75-horsepower Yanmar auxiliary diesel drove the boat with power to spare. It handled well in tight turns and backed nimbly. Despite the light winds during our test, all judges agreed that the boat was manageable and responsive; it generally outperformed our expectations.
Ultimately, value is determined through a combination of original cost, reliability, and customer service. Catalina, like other companies in the boatbuilding industry, employs new materials and construction techniques that improve durability and reduce maintenance costs. Also, Catalina has long been considered a leader in customer service and support.
In summary, the Catalina Morgan was voted the Best Production Cruiser from 40 to 45 Feet because it's an interesting and appropriate choice for sailors looking for a roomy, comfortable, and affordable cruising boat. And especially for the more mature crowd, whose members are increasingly challenged by the physical demands of sailing, the 440 offers a host of features specifically designed to keep them sailing longer. And that's a very good thing.
To get
yourself from any Southern California harbor to Catalina
Island, you're typically going to set full sail in a
moderate breeze. Half a day later you'll moor in a sunny lee
where you will hang out and probably socialize boat-to-boat
for a few days before reaching back home to your freeway
connection.
Catalina
Yachts has always had a knack for knowing what the general
sailing public wants and once again it has produced a
winner. Not too big, not too expensive, with lots of space,
the Catalina 350 should provoke a lot of interest in
Northwest sailors. 