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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

RE:Outboard Port or Starboard ?

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Michael B
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/14/2007 : 17:35:14

Hey Guys,
I read a article from this guy who said the boat was designed for the outboard to be on the Starboard side and when the boats came out of the factory they were all on that side.The article said the boat also sails better with it that way.We have all seen them on both sides but I was just wondering what you all thought.Sorry but I don't remember where I read it.

Mike

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4312 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2007 : 17:38:53

Everything I've ever heard or read said the OB goes on the starboard side on the 25 and on the portside for the 22.

GaryB

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2007 : 21:57:42

My '81 has the O/B on the port side.

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piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2007 : 22:31:07

My 03 250 is on starboard and most other manufacturers I have seen are on same. I have only seen a handful on port side. Are you considering mounting on port?

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Michael B
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2007 : 22:59:50

I don't own one yet but I've been reading everything I can get my hands on about them.I've seen the o/b on both sides and would want a boat with it on the starboard side if that's where it's suppose to be.Thanks

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Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 06:55:57

I do not know the exact model years, but the first few C-25 model years had the outboard on the port side. I have a 1982 and it is on the starboard side. Another change with the early models is that the fuel locker was not sealed off from the cockpit locker. Fumes could leak into the cabin in those previous setups. Again, I don't know which year they made the change, but it was before the 1982 model.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 10:35:17

I have the sealed fuel locker, but in the "warehouse" locker there is still the original shelf for the fuel tank!

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 11:08:37

Derek must have the "transitional" model... According to posts by Bill Holcomb and others (Bill was once a Catalina dealer and probably knows as much about the C-25 as Frank Butler does), after Catalina started making the cockpit fuel locker to get the fuel out of the "dumpster" (where it could potentially end up in the bilge), they found that it was much easier to mount the outboard bracket in the back of the quaterterberth than to mount it behind the new fuel locker--thus, they switched. Before that time, all were mounted on port. Your "article" is wrong about that.

Whether the C-25 sails better one way or the other is doubtful. The little 100# (+/-) weight is close enough to the centerline that it is unlikely to influence the balance or favor either tack. If anything, the motor on starbord should favor a starboard tack and disfavor a port tack, but I doubt that it measurably does either. Many posters here have complained about slight listing to one side or the other, sometimes related to, for example, whether the water tank was full (further from centerline). Then again, judging from Derek's success on the racecourse, I guess we should conclude that the boat sails better with the outboard on port. Then again, mylar sails, a slick bottom, a crackerjack crew, and even (possibly) the skipper might also have something to do with it...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 10/15/2007 11:15:51

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 11:11:53

Here is the scoop on outboard bracket placement...

Here's the real story about why the motor mount was moved from the port side of the boat to the starboard side in the early '80s. The original design for the fuel locker placed the fuel tank in the big portside locker on a tray built into the locker. This was OK unless there was a fuel leak of any sort. The leak would disburse gasoline fumes throughout the boat - much to the displeasure of both skippers and crews.

In the early '80s Catalina redesigned the portside locker and molded in a seperate fuel tank locker on the portside of the cockpit and aft right at the transom. This fuel tank locker is completely seperated from the inside of the large portside locker and is part of the portside cockpit seat. This solved the fumes problem nicely.

However, since the outboard bracket was an option that dealers could order installed by the factory or sell as an aftermarket item at the dealership, Catalina did not install the bracket until the boat was pretty much completed in the production process. With the earlier design, it was easy to drill through the transom on the portside and secure the washers and nuts on the inside of the cockpit locker. But, with the new fuel tank locker obscuring access to the transom on the portside, Catalina began installing the OB bracket on the starboard side of the transom. The install crew would have one person crawl back in the quarterberth to secure the nuts and washers while another person held the bracket and bolts outside.

So, the change was for convenience during manufacturing......pure and simple.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 11:25:38

Another way to think about it... Stand with your feet against the sides of the cockpit seats. Shift your weight (for many of us, about twice the weight of our outboards) from one foot to the other and see how much it affects the mast. That will give you a rough idea of how much the position of the outboard will (or won't) affect the balance of the boat and therefore favor one tack over the other. In any case, "overall performance" will be the same--one tack will be favored to the same extent that the other is disfavored.

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Michael B
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 15:04:35

Thanks for the info Don.

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Michael B
Deckhand

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USA
13 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 18:02:29

Hey Don,
I found the article about the o/b being on the STBD side it's in the Tech tips section.What to look for when buying a 25.Thanks

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 20:30:19

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Michael B
 Hey Don,
I found the article about the o/b being on the STBD side it's in the Tech tips section.What to look for when buying a 25.Thanks
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah, I know the article of which you speak. This is from that article...

...The outboard is supposed to be mounted on the STARBOARD side of the transom. If you see a C-25 with the outboard mounted on the PORT side, some previous owner goofed. The boat will be poorly balanced, with a marked list to port, and it's sailing performance will be poor on Starboard tack. You will occasionally find these, most often installed by a former owner of a Catalina 22, which has the outboard on the port side, wherein he (or she) incorrectly assumed that the C-25 would also have the outboard on the port side... 

As with other items in that article, this little tidbit is absolute horse hockey...

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jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2007 : 20:34:43

I'm happy its on the port side, as it allows me to control the o/b tiller w/ my right hand.

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newell
Navigator

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USA
113 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2007 : 13:00:42

Since I have recently considered this issue in some depth, I will give all my thoughts and observations. My boat is a 1984 model and the OB is mounted on the port side. The boat does list to port and all along I have thought that it was due to the mother being on the "heavy side" of the boat (galley, holding tank, head). However, one day I decided to take the motor off the boat and observe what happened to the list.....it pretty much stayed the same as with the motor in place. SO...I don't think that motor placement makes much difference in either sailing characteristics or of trim while lying in the slip. I have scratched my head over and over trying to think of why the boat might list to port.My only conclusion is that the fiberglass lay up must be heavier on the port side!!!

newell

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2007 : 16:08:32

Newell, I am confused, your text says '84 and your sig says '80. An 80 on port is no surprise, an 84 would be. However, I have a friend with an 84 TR wheel and his OB is port to allow for the wheel crap.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2007 : 16:18:44

"I guess we should conclude that the boat sails better with the outboard on port. Then again, mylar sails, a slick bottom, a crackerjack crew..."

Come now, Dave. My 100%, my 150% light air and my new main are all dacron. The only hi-tech one I have (kevlar with carbon fibers) is the heavy air 155% which I've only had to use about 4 times! But thank you for the compliment - I think!

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2007 : 19:56:46

OK, Dacron main... So what's that you were saying about it recently??

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Johnny Whaler
1st Mate

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30 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2007 : 20:37:05

My 1980 C25 has the outboard bracket on the port side. There is no way it was ever on the starboard side. I notice no list what so ever. My fuel locker is alone by itself however there is a hole in there that the electricial lines are routed through for the outboard(electric start and power tilt- my engine is HEAVY!)

I sealed this up with a tube of Goop to keep the fuel fumes out of the cockpit locker with all the electricial connections there.

Edited by - Johnny Whaler on 10/17/2007 20:40:16

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3323 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2007 : 22:16:14

Dave - the main is hi-tech design, not hi-tech fabric!

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