The Mk II version, sometimes referred to by the Catalina 22 National Class Association as the New Design, was introduced in 1986, starting with hull No. In Australia, the boat became known as the Boomaroo 22 and in Europe was marketed as the Alacrity 22 or Jaguar 22. By September 1980, production of Catalina 22s had reached 10,000 and the hulls were being cranked out at the company’s East and West Coast plants, in England, Australia and Canada. The swing keel was most popular among trailersailors who purchased the Mk I at such a pace it was difficult for the company to keep up with the demand.
The original Mk I sloop had a cast-iron swing keel, making it ideal for trailering, but Butler soon offered a fin-keel option for those planning to keep their boats in the water throughout the season. By February 1975, Butler’s projected construction of 100 Catalina 22s had been exceeded, with an astonishing 5,000 hulls in the water.
Met with runaway success, Catalina Yachts launched the Catalina 27 and shortly thereafter the Catalina 30. If things went well, he hoped to build 100. This petite, family-friendly cruising sloop was his fledgling company’s inaugural boat. In July 1969, he designed and built the first Catalina 22 in North Hollywood, California.
