This was the first Fortuitous.

I suppose that makes her an implied Fortuitous I or Fortuitous the First, but we knew her only as Fortuitous at the time.

Sailing Fortuitous 1

The following is from Fall 2009

The Model

The 22 was the first model produced by Catalina founder Frank Butler under the Catalina Yachts brand. Calling her a “yacht” might be a bit of a stretch given her modest size and accommodations, but she’s big enough for a weekend getaway. Designed in the late 1960s and still in production today (at least in the “Sport” variant), they’re highly regarded as the definitive “pocket cruiser”…trailerable, relatively simple to rig and sail, and at a price point that doesn’t imply a closet full of blazers and ascots. The model’s contributions to the sport of sailing were recognized in 1995 when it became one of the five charter members of the American Sailboat Hall of Fame.

Fortuitous is a sloop, with a mainsail and a roller-furling 150 genoa or 110 jib—the headsails can be swapped out to accommodate a variety of conditions. Auxiliary power comes from a 5HP 4-stroke outboard motor. Catalina 22s have been offered over the years with a few different keel configurations, but ours has a swing keel, which is a 550 pound piece of cast iron on a hinge that provides ballast and hydrodynamic lift when down, but can be raised for motoring in shallow water or trailering. Fortuitous is also equipped with a pop top, which is a feature first introduced in 1973 that allows the roof of the cabin to be lifted for more headroom and ventilation at anchor, although we rarely use it.

The Vital Statistics

  • Make: Catalina Yachts
  • Model: 22 Swing Keel
  • Sail Number: 13831
  • Year: 1987
  • Length Overall: 21′ 6″
  • Length at Waterline: 19′ 4″
  • Beam: 7′ 8″
  • Draft: 2′ with the keep up, 5′ down
  • Displacement: 2250 lbs
  • Ballast: 550 lbs
The Catalina 22

The Manual

Click here to see the Owner’s Manual and General Handbook for the 1987 Catalina 22, hosted with permission from Catalina Yachts. Please see www.catalinayachts.com for more information.

1987 Catalina 22 Owners Manual