The October 2010 issue of Practical Sailor, now available online at www.practical-sailor.com features a bilge pump test, a comparison of UV-protective clothing, an update on antifouling paint, and a boat review of the Catalina 375.
The 375 replaces the Catalina 36, which was first launched in 1982 and went through one major design change in 1995 to become the Mark II. Combined, the two versions account for more than 3,000 hulls, making it one of the most popular models of all time in this size. Looking at the wishlist of today’s Catalina owners, it was clear that modifying the C36 was not a practical option. Expectations called for a longer boat, and a new hull form would give more flexibility.
We sailed the 375 with a shoal keel in winds that ranged from 8 to 15 knots, with occasionally higher gusts. Combining a shallow-draft fin keel with a beamy hull presents several challenges for a designer. Some concerns that were discussed in our article on modern sailboat design (February 2009) are the effect that the shape of the immersed hull and the lead (the fore-and-aft distance between the center of effort and the center of lateral resistance) can have on helm balance when the boat is heeled. That article also points out how shallow rudders can lose effectiveness when the boat is heeled.
According to Douglas, the boat was given plenty of working sail so that it would be fun to sail in light air, without raising the spinnaker. Equipped with a 140-percent genoa, our boat was clearly at home in the lighter wind ranges.
In 10 to 12 knots of wind, we were able to reach along nicely at 6 knots, and the boat was particularly sure-footed on a beam reach. It is worth noting that, unlike Hunter’s B&R Rig, Catalina’s cruising boats do not have swept-back spreaders, allowing sailors to ease the main more without worrying about sail chafe.
However, when beating to windward in gusty 12- to 15-knot winds under full sail, the boat rounded in the puffs and weather helm was persistent. Reducing sail eased the weather helm, but the resulting sail shape was less than ideal. Achieving a lightly balanced helm in these gusty—and somewhat challenging—conditions required attention.
As pointed out in our February 2009 article, this sort of behavior is more the rule than the exception among many contemporary boats, and it can be exacerbated when in-mast furling enters the picture. The fin-keel version, with its longer keel and rudder, would probably be less prone to these tendencies.
The 40-horsepower Yanmar and fixed three-bladed prop move the boat well, pushing it at about 6 knots at 2,000 rpm, 7 knots at 2,800 rpm. The boat backed and turned responsively in tight quarters, and a bow thruster is one of the many options available.
Clearly, we were not as smitten by the performance of this boat as were some of our cohorts in the advertising-driven media, but Catalina has made several key decisions that add significant value. A good example of this is the Catalina 375’s lead ballast keel, something that both Beneteau and Hunter have replaced with iron in their entry-level boats of this size.
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