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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

An introduction long overdue and my story

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cyclenski23
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/01/2014 : 15:44:32

After moving my C25, “Tangled-Up” from NY to Nashville this summer, I have spent numerous hours on this forum and decided I should be a member since I’ve had TU since 2006. So here is my introduction story (ill keep it short)…
I bought TU at the young ripe age of 16 instead of a car, sailed her for a year in New England waters, then moved to KY for college. I’ve sailed all my life with my parents and always wanted a boat of my own. So when I was a kid, instead of working two jobs to buy a car, I got a boat, which I realize now, was a great idea.
TU is a 1981 C25, standard rig, fin keel. She uses an 8hp Honda outboard, not sure on year. Has the pop top, and is in pretty great shape for a boat of this age. The farthest we have sailed it is from Mamaroneck to Block island.
While finishing my degree my father, graciously, watched over her. I finally got done with school, opened a business, got married, got a house, dog, etc, and decided I could move TU down to Percy Priest lake in Nashville, with an active racing community, decent wind conditions, and great accommodations.
Shipping the boat was harder than I expected it to be. I searched for a trailer for months with no luck and decided to use a shipping service. After being burned on U-Ship, I went with joule Yacht Transport. While it still was not a 100% smooth transaction, the boat got down mostly unharmed.
TU now resides in a slip on Percy priest lake.
While my dad did a great job of making sure the boat staying in an acceptable condition, there was plenty of projects since may that I have completed. These included (and ill try to upload pictures as I find them):
-Refinish all exterior wood with cetol
-Scrub deck and hull, then wax
-Install all new running rigging, sheets, etc
-Install all new led bulbs in cabin, running lights, masthead, windex, deck lights, etc
-New speakers (old ones were blown out)
-Carpet in cabin
-Install new rope clutches, fill old holes and seal up
-Installed new (used) self-tailing winches, moved smaller old ones to aft of cockpit for spinnaker control

Some of the past upgrades I completed with my dad when we originally bought TU included:
-New head with holding tank, instead of the porta potty
-Bigger, stronger batteries
-New DC electrical panel
-New AC shore power inlet
-New (used) cabin light fixtures
-Garmin GPS map2006c

One of the things I have always wanted to do is race this boat. I have begun to do just that on our lake in the local PHRF races. We have been getting 5th and 6th place (out of 15-20) for the past few weeks in the spinnaker category. One of the weak points of TU has been the 25 year old sails. That will change by next week. I have been working with island planet sails on getting a new racing set cut for the boat. We are going with an STS 150% jib and a racing Dacron main. I’ll have pics as soon as I get them and report back on any performance gains.

So thanks for all the insight that I have been combing over for the past few years, and I look forward to being able to help out new owners in the future.

Here are some photos (click on the link for the album) and some of the upgrades are in them, ill do some more specific posts to things i think would be helpful to you guys as i get time.
[url="https://www.catalina-capri-25s.net/cgi-local/MBR_gallery.cgi?Album+2796+197"]

<b>Tangled Up</b>[/url]

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 08/01/2014 : 16:29:07

Hi Ryan and welcome!

Good to see a younger generation coming up through the ranks. How did you get introduced to sailing?

Also nice to hear your dad is involved. I'm on the reverse side of that . . . my son has helped me with many of the retrofits.

Edited by - OJ on 08/01/2014 16:59:25

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 08/01/2014 : 17:20:20

Good story Ryan! I also had to choose between a nice car and a C25 early in my life, and the C25 won the tug of war, and I have never regretted the choice. Welcome to the forum. We'll benefit from your experiences, and you'll benefit from ours. It's cool how it works out that way, eh?

Aside to OJ: I fell in love with the Mc Vay sailboats before the Catalinas. A guy in my home town had a brand new Minuet and a new Bluenose for sale, and I almost bought one. They're gorgeous!

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9014 Posts

Response Posted - 08/01/2014 : 19:12:45

Welcome Ryan! (...although I see you've posted a few times in the past.)

Wonderful story on how you've arrived at this point--there's probably a back-story to go with it. (Mine has to do with a flat-bottomed rowboat with a square rig and some leeboards, at about age 8...)

Regarding racing, sails are certainly a factor... How's your bottom? (That can be close to as important.)

Best of luck, and let us know how you work up through the fleet. No need to keep it short! You've made some great upgrades. On a non-racing issue, do you have the early Catalina "to-hull" fittings (bronze pipes set in epoxy "volcanoes" inside the hull), or proper thru-hulls (with flanges on the exterior)? Just curious...

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/01/2014 19:15:31

cyclenski23
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Response Posted - 08/01/2014 : 20:04:36

I got into sailing before i was born, if that makes sense, basically, born on the boat.

My dad had a catalina 30 until i was 10 then got a westerly 41. So i basically grew up on a boat and it was the natural progression for me.

My bottom is recently re-done right before we put her in this year, so it should be decently fast and i have been cleaning it whenever i drop a hook. Obviously im sure i could do faster things to it, but good enough for this year.

I do have the proper through hull fittings. It seems like this was a more updated c25 for its year

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 08/01/2014 : 21:54:52

very good planning for the boat and your sailing. Racing is best way to perfect your sailing and to get to the front of the pack. Good going and post the rest of the story as it happens.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2014 : 17:21:47

I liked the old days when we used to use suction cup handles to hang onto while we scrubbed the hull in the middle of the lake. I miss tin based paint.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2014 : 18:08:08

Nice Burgee Ryan.

paul

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krobsten
1st Mate

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46 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2014 : 13:44:54

Welcome, Ryan!

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2014 : 14:19:04

Welcome Ryan, to Nashville and to Percy Priest Lake. Did you get a slip at Hamilton Creek Marina? That's my home port.
Glad you joined the forum here and I look forward to seeing you on the lake. Perhaps we've met already.

Edited by - dmpilc on 08/04/2014 14:22:47

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3994 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2014 : 06:20:33

quote:
I liked the old days when we used to use suction cup handles to hang onto while we scrubbed the hull

What do you mean old days? I have one of those handles, They still sell them and I have cleaned the bottom 2 times this season. At 6'3" and long arms I can reach the entire hull but not the keel without putting my head under. It makes a big difference in boat speed!

Edited by - on

cyclenski23
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2014 : 12:57:06

David, im at elm hill marina, but im part of PPYC and race with them on wednesdays right now

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dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 15:21:59

Great, I think I saw you out a few weeks ago. I was racing with another PPYC member on a C-22 named PLAN-B.
Home sick with Bronchitis, otherwise I would be out there this evening.
We were at Elm Hill for several years before HCM was built.

Edited by - dmpilc on 08/06/2014 15:24:36

cyclenski23
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 19:37:36

yes, i know the boat...was out tonight...got 5th with some of the s2's and the j80, we had gotten an early gust of wind and broke free from everyone else.
im sure ill see you out there soon. Hopefully by next week with new sails.

Edited by - on

BCG-Woodbury
Mainsheet Editor

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USA
396 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2014 : 19:54:48

Hello Ryan - Great story, best of luck with your racing. I hope the sails do the trick. Keep us informed of your successes. I'm the editor of the C25/C250/Capri 25 Owners Association in Mainsheet (if you are a subscriber). We would love to have an article on you and your boat. Let me know if you would like to submit something for the next issue. The deadline is September 1st. A 1500 word article and photos would certainly be something that the readers would be interested in. Contact me at mainsheet@catalina-capri-25s.org or bgleissner@aol.com if you are interested.

Regards,

Edited by - on

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