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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Possible newbie w/ questions

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Stardog
Captain

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USA
319 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 11:32:39

Hi Cecil,

If you are new to sailing, I highly recommend taking sailing lessons on a dinghy. Anyone who can handle a dinghy well can easily handle a big boat, but not necessarily the other way around. The reason is that weight/balance/sail trim all affect a dinghy very profoundly and if you don't have it right, it quickly becomes very obvious. You can learn more in sailing a dinghy for a day than you can learn by sailing a big boat for a month. Incidentally, get the big boat either way, the C-25 or C-27, whichever makes you happiest.

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 12:00:26

Just try to buy parts for a Cal 25 like a pulpit, hatch, grab rail, lifelines, sheaves. Then try to buy the same parts for your Catalina 25 whatever vintage. You will find what you need for your Catalina at Catalina Direct or the factory.

Case closed.

Now I have not sailed a Cal 25 but I have a Cal 27, and Cal 28. The Cals are better built, better finished, stiffer, faster, and sail very well. They also have less freeboard and are wet rides.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3478 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 13:26:37

If you sail Lanier singlehanded with a 27 foot Catalina at 17 feet below normal pool you are going to be spending a lot of time tacking and wondering what you are approaching hidden behind a big jib.

Lots of boats on that lake.

The new rental houseboats are pretty funny. Lots of new "Captains" trying to cross in front of me last weekend. They always seems suprized at how fast a sailboat can move when the wind freshens up.

And anchoring a 27 on lanier is interesting also. Better keep an extra anchor. I've winched up more than a few trees myself.

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Stellaluna
1st Mate

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53 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 14:44:23

I'm a relative newbie also, and we also looked at a Cal 25 at the same time as a Catalina 25. As mentioned above, and as you have already learned, you'll have way more resources and support with the Catalina. This influenced our decision greatly. We thought we might need a new mail sail for the Cal-25 if we bought it, and the whole time we were looking online to see what we might have to spend, we kept finding ourselves thinking that if we had a Catalina we'd have no trouble finding this or that part, and we even found very inexpensive sails for the Catalina.

We sailed a Catalina 25 this past weekend and it is very easy to sail, even single-hand, and we found the cabin much roomier and more comfortable than the Cal. I am only 5' tall, though, so I had headroom galore, lol!

Due to the shallow spots we will be running into on the Chesapeake and its tributaries, as well as the relatively big water you can encounter on the Chesapeake itself, we decided on a swing keel for our sailing needs. We ran aground a few times last weekend and being able to crank up the keel, sail off, and crank it back down to a full 5' was convenient.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 15:32:54

Liz... If you plan to leave her in salt water, the wing keel (later years) is a nice alternative to the swing. It only draws a couple of inches more than the swing fully raised. It doesn't point quite as well, but if you're not racing one-design, it's a negligible issue. The biggest plus is maintenance (none versus annual)--the biggest negative is that if you run aground, you're just aground.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 15:56:51

I think, Dave, that a swing keel can be considered more of a trailer sailer(admittedly a lot of rigging work, etc.) The wing, sure it's trailerable but not as easily. Yes?? No??? The annual maintenance thing was the reason the swinger was excluded from my search early on.

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Stellaluna
1st Mate

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53 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 16:58:47

The trailerability is a pretty big issue for us, and that's one reason we decided, at this point in our lives, to stick with the steppable mast and swing keel. We just sailed on a boat with a completely eaten up winch hub assembly - the thing was GONE - and we recognize the importance of maintaining this as well as replacing the cable at intervals, etc. It is worth it.

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Cecil Gregory
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 17:48:52

Thanks again everyone,

The dingy idea is a good one but I have sailed some. I own a ComPac SunCat now and have sailed it a number of times. I just think it would be nice to have something at the dock when I arrive and not have to worry about the trailering. Also it's a bit of a pain to get set up at ramps around Lanier Lake.I plan to keep the SunCat as it is a lot of fun and I can take it to other places. I have a place on the gulf ( Gulf Shores, Al ). I do however know that I will be looking at a lot different type of sailing with a C25. I've got a lot to learn.I plan on looking some this week again and hopefully by next week have a decision.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 08/12/2008 : 18:16:29

In my mind, the annual inspection and less frequent replacement of parts is a small price for 5 feet of draft. I can't say first hand, but I doubt that trailerability is much different between the wing and swing. Proper maintenance is important, especially annual inspection, but it doesn't take long. I have yet to have a keel or winch problem. I had the keel barrier coated and I do annual touchups; I use zincs. Some suggest that zincs are unnecessary, that may be true, but since I have been trouble free, I will continue to try to prevent rather than repair. Both keels have trade offs and benefits and both are serviceable approaches to a competent boat. For me, the benefits of a deep keel offset a little maintenance

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.