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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Distance racing/cruising

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ArgonautEC
Deckhand

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USA
11 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/11/2005 : 12:27:48

What are some of the distance races and cruises available to Catalina 25 owners? What's the longest distance anyone has sailed in a Catalina 25?

Earl
s/v Screamin' Seaman
'87 C25 WK/SR
http://www.perryyachtclub.com/index1.html
Home Port: Lake of the Forest, Bonner Springs, KS

Edited by - on

Alan Clark
Captain

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406 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2005 : 15:00:42

That is a GREAT QUESTION,

I can't wait for the answers. I have heard that the Catalina 25 Has done extensive cruising but as far as distances/races I dont have an answer

Edited by - on

ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2005 : 20:16:10

Wasn't there a guy some years back who circumnavigated in a 25? Or was that a 27? I know it was one or the other. Ron, Orion #2343 srsk in SW FL

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2005 : 20:58:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ronrryan
 Wasn't there a guy some years back who circumnavigated in a 25? Or was that a 27? I know it was one or the other.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I think you're thinking about a C-27, which was extensively modified. I believe a C-25 has raced from Chicago to Mackinaw, which is over 300 miles... For most of that route, you're within something like 5 hours of shelter if you need it.

When one talks about real distances, one should keep in mind that the C-25 is for many reasons NOT an offshore ("blue water") cruiser. She is simply not designed to handle the adverse conditions you have to be ready for when you're days away from hiding-places. If she rolls, the pop-top could easily let go, and down she goes. If the cockpit is "pooped", there's no bridge deck and the companionway opening is lower than the transom and coamings. The roll-ratio is strictly that of a medium-duty coastal cruiser. The deck-stepped mast, rig, and cabin ports are light-duty compared to blue-water boats. The outboard and transom-hung rudder are just asking to be demolished. The tankage is miniscule, and adding very much will affect trim and stability.

In short, she was designed for inland and near-coastal cruising, and she's a great value for that purpose. "Distance" cruising in a C-25 should be limited to routes that allow for hiding from weather and frequent reprovisioning and refueling. Distance racing is... well... IMHO, you should think about another boat for that. (The Transpac to Hawaii, for example, would never, ever let even Captain Jim Baumgart's boat in.)

OK, guys--tear me apart!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 10/11/2005 21:22:22

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2005 : 09:21:51

Dave,

I agree with your assessment as it pertains to extended ocean racing and cruising and all but the most extreme weather lake sailing. Jim Baumgart can attest to the long distance coastal cruising capability of the C25. I and others (John Vining and Frank Hopper for example) have sailed our 25s extensively on the Great Lakes and find them adequate for the task. My longest trip was 8 days and over 400 miles. Granted, I put into a harbor of refuge every night but I am confident that I could remain at sea for several days in most conditions except the very extreme. This year I completed my first 100+ mile solo sail in which I experienced 20-30 mph winds and 5 foot seas for an 8 hour stretch without incident. As my boat is currently equipped, I believe that I could weather 40 mph conditions although I certainly would not want to try it on purpose. It scares me just thinking about it.

As you said, our boats have many limitations. Compitent, prudent seamanship, with a boat properly equipped and prepared for expected conditions, can make many of these limitations superfluous. If an owner is committed to a certain style of sailing, whether it's racing or distance cruising, you also have to commit to spending the money to make it rewarding, and above all, as safe an experience as possible given the conditions you may encounter or are willing to weather.

In the final anaysis, the only real limitation our C25s have when it comes to distance cruising is space and comfort. From a solo sailing standpoint even that has little relevance. What I really need is a motor that gets better gas mileage and a dodger to keep the wind and water out of the cockpit. The dodger in particular has relevence on Lake Superior.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2005 : 10:12:36

About a year ago someone posted some photos of a C25 that someone modified and sailed from (I think) Hawaii to Australia to San Diego. It was so heavily loaded with extra hardware and equipment that it sat way below its lines.

When the prototype Hobie 33 was raced in the Transpac, people said it was too lightly built, and would break up. It didn't. It beat everything not only in its class, but up to about the 47 ft. class.

Robert Manry crossed the Atlantic in a 13 ft. modified wooden lake sailboat.

Almost anything is capable of making long passages, including a C25, but, in a small, lightly built boat, you're taking more of a chance that the boat will be damaged by a storm or otherwise. It's a matter of how much risk you're willing to take. Bigger, stronger boats present less risk.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2005 : 10:16:47

Earl,<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">What's the longest distance anyone has sailed in a Catalina 25?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Although it's certainly not the longest distance anyone has sailed a 1979 C-25, in the spring of 2003 I sailed mine about 750nm from Port Canaveral, Florida to the Abaco islands in the Bahamas. I did a lot of work on the boat before taking the trip. I wouldn't want to have done it in a smaller, or less well prepared boat. I wouldn't be in any hurry to take on longer trips in more open water with a C-25. As the others have pointed out, the C-25 is a fine trailerable coastal cruiser, but not a blue water boat.

On my Bahamas trip, I went about 7 days between resupply 'pitstops.' My C-25 has a 12gal internal fuel tank, 32gal water in two tanks, a marine head w/16gal holding tank, two well insulated ice boxes, a propane stove, and two group 27 batteries in the house bank. There are two solar panels, the outboard has an alternator, and I also carried a small portable generator.

Yes, the smallest Catalina to circumnavigate that I know of was a well prepared 27. It was featured in the book "Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" by John Vigor. I don't think many experts would recommend the C-27 as a world cruiser, but it's hard to argue with success.

-- Leon Sisson

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2005 : 10:48:39

In 2001, Greg Jackson, owner of the C25 Compass Rose, participated in the Chicago-to-Mackinac Solo Challenge sponsored by the Great Lakes Singlehanded Society. The race is around 335 miles and he finished with an elapsed time of 86:59:18.

Pretty impressive!

Edited by - dlucier on 10/13/2005 14:50:06

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2005 : 12:37:42

The C-25 has been sailed in the Newport to Ensenada offshore sail boat race, 125 miles one way (plus you have to come home). My boat placed 12th in class (PHRF-L). I may race her next year in the double-handed division.

This year I sailed 450 miles solo San Diego to Santa Rosa Island and back.

Last year I sailed 325 miles solo San Diego to Santa Barbara Island and back.

These are islands pretty far offshore (50 miles or so).

Next year I'm planning a significant trip down Baja.

I sail nearly every day and reckon I log over 2000 miles per year, for 3 years now, and nothing has broke (nothing significant).

Check out www.indiscipline.org and click on the C25. Lots of cruise and race photos and trip logs.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2005 : 15:11:44

We've gone from Cleveland to Buffalo, Cleveland to Detroit. When I was in the Bahamas back in 98/99??? we were anchored next to a guy with a 25 off Hawksbill Cay in the Abacos - don't know how he got there.

take a look at this story from our main website -

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Michael Hetzman, skipper of the Catalina 25 "Jabberwocky", wrote the following letter to Bill Holcomb a few years ago when Bill served as the Association's editor (Telltales & Mainsheet). The 10 month, 5,385 mile odyssey of Jabberwocky is recorded in the links at the bottom of this page<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

http://www.catalina25-250.org/cruising/Odyssey%20Intro%20Letter.htm

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