Catalina yachts were born in Southern California in the 1970’s. You thank Frank Butler, who pioneered this 22 foot cruiser and geared it toward families. Butler has been compared to Henry Ford, in the fact that he didn’t invent these yachts, but he built a great product at a fair price. Butler was a hobby sailor and looking to buy a new 22 foot cruiser for his family. His boat hadn’t even started production when we they said it would be ready for him to pick up. Instead of asking for a refund, he took charge and eventually ended up buying the company and from there founded Catalina Yachts. Something we admire about Butler and Catalina yachts is that they are designed for families and made by families.Â