thumb|[[Catalina 27 racing on San Francisco Bay.]]
Catalina Yachts is a U.S.-based builder of fiberglass monohull sloop-rigged sailboats ranging in sizes from eight to 54 feet in length. It was founded in 1969 in Hollywood, California by Frank Butler .
Catalina Yachts is one of the largest boat manufacturers in the world, with over 80,000 boats manufactured to date. Though Catalina produces boats from as small as eight feet under their Capri nameplate, the company is best known for its production of mid-sized cruisers.
History
In 1961, Catalina Yachts founder Frank Butler (January 17, 1928 - November 15, 2020) took over the production of his own boat when his original boat builder ran out of funds and borrowed money from Frank; unable to repay the debt, the builder instead gave Frank the tooling to continue building the boat. Many early Coronado 25 boats have the Wesco Marine nameplate on the transom.
Among the first models built by Coronado were the Victory 21 and the Super Satellite. In 1964, the Coronado '25 was produced, becoming the first boat with a one piece interior, making the boat stronger, lighter, and less expensive than previous models. By 1969 the Coronado 27 and 30 foot models were being produced. In 1969, Frank sold Coronado to the Whittaker Corporation which had already acquired Columbia Yachts; Whittaker continued the Coronado line until 1974 producing the Coronado 34 with the center cockpit models 35 and 41. Frank remained with Whitaker for only one year then left to begin Catalina Yachts.
The first model built by Catalina Yachts was a 22-foot design previously rejected by Columbia. By 1977, Frank had designed and produced three more models: the Catalina 25, Catalina 27, and the Catalina 30. The Catalina 22 and the Catalina 30 were both inducted into the now-defunct Sail America American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1995 and 2001 respectively.
In 1978 Catalina developed the Catalina 38 based on molds for a Sparkman & Stephens racing design purchased from the bankrupt Yankee Yacht Company. Frank redesigned the interior, he gave it a "Catalina deck", a taller mast, a shorter boom, and moved the rudder.
In 1984, Catalina acquired Morgan Yachts and introduced the Catalina Morgan 440 in 2004, now discontinued. The other Morgan models, including the Catalina designed M381 and M45 center cockpit, were recently retired as well.
Catalina Yachts today
thumb| The [[Catalina 310, won Cruising World Magazine's Pocket Cruiser Boat of the Year in 1999]]
Catalina Yachts has produced more than 80,000 boats manufactured to date.
Cruising World "Boat of the Year" winners
- 2019 - Catalina 545
- 2017 - Catalina 425
- 2014 – Catalina 275 Sport
- 2013 – Catalina 315
- 2012 – Catalina 385
- 2011 – Catalina 355
- 2010 – Catalina 445
- 2009 – Catalina 375
- 2007 – Catalina 309
- 2004 – Catalina 440
- 2001 – Catalina 390
- 1999 – Catalina 310
- 1997 – Catalina 380
- 1996 – Catalina 28 Mark II
- 1995 – Catalina 36 Mark II
- 1992 – Catalina 270
Catalina Models
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
|+
|-
! Model name
! Notes
! PHRF handicap
|-
| Catalina 14.2
| Derived from Catalina's Omega 14; introduced in 1983, Mod 2 in 1990, Mod 3 in 1996
|
|-
| Catalina EXPO 14.2
|
|
|-
| Catalina 16
| Introduced in 1987 as the Capri 16 and produced until 2005
|
|-
| Catalina 16.5
| Introduced in 1994 as the Capri 16.5
|
|-
| Catalina Capri 18
| Introduced in 1985 as Capri 18, name changed to Catalina 18 for 2000 model. Only Catalina cabin model with full positive flotation.
|
|-
| Catalina 22
| The first and longest running model
| 117
|-
| Morgan 381
| Introduced in 1993, the first Morgan design after Catalina bought Morgan
| 126
|-
| Catalina 380
| Introduced in 1996, is a Morgan 381 modified to a rear cockpit - no similarity to the C38. An updated version MKII was released around 1999/2000.
| 120
|-
| Catalina 385
| Introduced in 2012. The C385 replaced the C387 and is almost a foot shorter in overall length and 9 inches wider in the beam than the C387, but has a similar weight to the C36 and C375.
|
|-
| Catalina 387
| introduced in Jan 2003 and stopped production in 2009 after 151 C387's were built. The 387 is a modified 380, which replaced the C380 and C390 boats. The 387 is a superior cruising and performance boat, but production was stopped in 2009 due to the down turn in the economy in 2008. The C387 was eventually replaced with the C385 which was smaller, lighter and cheaper to build, but was considered a new design.
| 120 Wing Keel, 111 Fin keel
|-
| Catalina 390
| Introduced in 2001 and is identical to the C380, but the rear stateroom was divided into two small cabins (same hull, deck, & rig).
| 120
|-
| Catalina 400
| Introduced in 1995. Discontinued in 2012.
| 102
|-
| Catalina 42
| Introduced in 1989, more than 1,000 built; production discontinued in 2011.
| 102
|-
| Catalina 425
| Introduced in 2016.
|
|-
| Catalina Morgan 440
| Introduced in 2004, is a radical departure from previous Catalina designs.
|
|-
| Catalina 445
| Introduced in 2009; the first of the 5 Series
| 105
|-
| Morgan 45
| Introduced in 1991. Discontinued in 2004.
| 168
|-
| Catalina 470
| Introduced in 1998.
| 90
|-
| Catalina 50
| Introduced in 2001. Discontinued in 2004.
|
|-
| Catalina 545
| Introduced 2019, delayed due to worldwide shortages
|
|-
|}