BoatsCatalina Yachts 42

Catalina Yachts 42

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1989–1995

A high-volume cruiser built on a Nelson/Marek racing hull, featuring a masthead rig and a 1.83-metre fin keel

Designed by Nelson, Marek & Catalina.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Catalina Yachts 42, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelyComfort 25Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 2.03Bluewater
LightD/L 196Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 17.1Powered-up
TenderBallast 40%Stiff

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

  • Beamier than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2658 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Catalina Yachts 42 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
2channels looked into buying
$100,000Median asking

For sale

  • A specific Catalina 42 was recently for sale at Bay Harbor Brokerage, recommended for viewers looking to buy one

    from Practical Sailorseen February 20260:55

Weighed buying

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.1
Displacement / length
196.2
Comfort ratio
25.4
Capsize screening
2.03
Hull speed
8.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1779
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1989–1995
Units built
477
Designer
Nelson, Marek, Catalina
Builder
Catalina Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.8-metre cruiser featuring a fin keel with bulb and spade rudder, designed for offshore stability and speed
Back on land after nearly 3 years - nasty surprise?? Shipyard part 1/20:47from Eternal Sailing
Catalina Yachts 400 MK II12.65 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.65-metre cruiser with a deep 2.11-metre bulb keel and a balanced displacement-to-length ratio for offshore stability
This 40 Foot Sailboat Has the Best Owner’s Bed Ever Built | Catalina 400 MKIIfrom Practical Sailor
Baltic Yachts 42 DP12.78 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson design with a 2.41-metre draft, available in tall mast and keel-centerboard configurations.
Sailing Kaliningrad, Russia, in our American-flagged vessel. Canadian and American crew.0:10from Sailing Northern Brees
Dufour Yachts 425 Grand Large12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-meter fractional sloop with a 2.1-meter bulb keel, optimized for a stable 8.13-knot hull speed
Dufour 425 Grand Large Boat Tour | Our home at seafrom Sailing Blue Prince
Grand Soleil 40 (Polli)12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Matteo Polli-designed fractional sloop optimized for ORC competition with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Sailing Alone in Fog Without Losing Your Cool11:09from The Mariner
Pearson Yachts 424 Ketch12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch featuring an aft cockpit layout and a 1.6-metre draft for versatile coastal and offshore cruising
The MIGHTY But CHEAP Pearson 424from Practical Sailor

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Catalina Yachts 42 MK IIOne of the most popular sailboats in its size range, this masthead sloop features a fin keel and spade rudderCatalina Yachts 34 MKIIA redesigned hull with a widened aft deck that maintains the original waterline to ensure one-design racing compatibilityCatalina Yachts 36 MK IIA refined 1994 update to the classic 36-foot platform, featuring an enlarged cockpit and modernized interior layoutCatalina Yachts 30 MKIIFeaturing a redesigned T-shaped cockpit and updated deck, this masthead sloop offered optional wing keels and tall rigsCatalina Yachts 34A high-volume production cruiser with 1,438 hulls built, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for coastal performanceCatalina Yachts 400 MK IIA 12.65-metre cruiser with a deep 2.11-metre bulb keel and a balanced displacement-to-length ratio for offshore stability

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Catalina Yachts 42, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Catalina Yachts 42

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue