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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

1978 Catalina 25 Fixed Keel

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KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/18/2009 : 18:04:48

Hello,

This would be my first post and I would like to say thanks in advance for the repsonces and so forth here... I am not new to forums or sailing. I am 29 years old and I sail Canyon Lake in Texas.

I bought the below pictured boat at auction from the Marina. The guy before me decided to fall behind on his slip fees at the marina and come in and write a check for them after they were behind for months and then cancel the check the next day. The sold it to me for his slip fees..

i paid 1050.00 USD for it... I got a deal for sure.. but I am now going to put all pics here for you to see and tell me if you see anything that would be a concern.

I started sailing snipes and sunfish, and then moved onto hobbies, and finally these types of boats... the boat I had before this is a 1978 S2 7.3. I have a wife and 6 year old son.. this boat was a godsend on the room inside compared to the s2 I had...

anyways... I have a few questions, and would like to know what to look for on this boat... It does leak quite a bit in the rain, but I have been tightening bolts and calking what I can and it seems to be getting better... The windows on these things leak like a sive though... oh well... I will fix them up as well..

The boat came with new sails a 155 genoa and a main, new.. a new bimini, a custom made deck cover. a 2006 6HP engine 4-stroke. brand new outside seat cushions. ECT ECT ECT...

I took off the 6HP and put on my 9.9 that i bought 4 months earlier for my other boat. it is a remote linkage controlled engine with a generator. its just better.

I was reading alot about the stays and that I should replace that shroud bracket? they say if its aluminum. btu from my pics it looks shiny, so maybe I got lucky.. I will look at that closer this weekend.

here are the pics... if you guys see anything that should be addressed, please let me know.

so far the upgrades that I have put on thus far is this:
Bilge pump with float. new engine, A/C, and i did a bottom job.

I also noticed that the bolts for the keel are pretty rusted however, I have read that unless the bolts are almost gone, that keel aint goin nowhere...

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2009 : 18:46:03

Welcome to the forum. It looks as if you got a great deal -- A boat for less than the price of the sails!

The windows are notorious for leaking. You'll find a lot of advice on replacement if you check the archives here. You'll probably want to re-bed the stanchions too. They're another potential source of water in boats of that vintage.

You might want to check the gasket sealing the forward hatch and the "dumpster" in the cockpit as well.

If I had a new mistress named Consuelo my admiral would be ticked!

There are a few Canyon Lake sailors here. I'm sure they'll speak up.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2009 : 20:00:36

Welcome! Nice find! There have certainly been some upgrades, such as the balanced rudder... She appears to be a standard rig (higher boom than the tall rig), although even for that, the bimini looks quite tall. If you can see a weld between the tube and the plate on the spreader sockets, you have the stainless upgrade.

For something like $10, you should get the C-25 Onwer's Handbook from [url="http://catalinadirect.com/"]Catalina Direct[/url], a third-party supplier of parts and upgrades. It has lots of ideas and specialized kits for dealing with things like leaky windows. It's essentially their catalog, but worth the price. They update it for free (loose-leaf) every year or so.

Another thing that many of us have found to be worth the investment--generally around $350--is a professional marine survey. You can attend with a clipboard and ask lots of questions. You'll get a list of things to attend to and a good idea of the urgency and priorities. Some insurers require a survey on older boats anyway. Ask the owners of some bigger boats on the lake about who they used and what they thought of them. (You don't need an engine survey, so it's simpler for you.) Fixing leaks, particularly on deck hardware, is probably where you'll want to start. There's a plywood core in the deck and cabintop--you don't want moisture getting into it. The surveyor can find areas where it has.

Best of luck!

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 06:55:04

Is it just me or in Pic 2 dose the boat look like the bow is rding really high?

Edit to add: You got truly great deal there. And th eboat looks like it has loads of cool toys aboard. Well done!

Edited by - Prospector on 06/19/2009 07:56:51

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 07:54:14

the bow is not riding high... i was putting it on a trailor to pull it out of the water...

thanks for all the ideas and upgrades...

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 08:54:05

Great deal! CDI Furler and genoa cost more than that and I see a spinnaker pole on the port deck. Did the sail come with it? Since I also have a 1978 fin keel I can speak somewhat regarding the keel bolts. There is no way to inspect them as they are galvanized bolts and long ago melded to the cast iron keel. Unless there are apparent problems such as a visible crack between the hull and keel or water seeping into the bilge I would write it down as a "nice to do chore" rather than a "need to do chore". I read that someone who replaces keel bolts on older Catalina's once said the adhesive that holds the keel on is almost as strong as the bolts and it takes a special chisel type tool attached to the end of a forklift to separate the two. So unless you sustain a hard grounding you should be okay as long as you maintain vigilance. I added additional bolts to mine last month and this job can be done while the boat is sitting in the water. I waited five years to get around to it though and I sail in the Pacific. Put a tarp over the windows and go sailing. Had a question, my 78 is the only one I have ever seen without a pop-top. Does yours have a pop-top? I could not tell from the pictures.

Edited by - Sloop Smitten on 06/19/2009 09:35:10

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 09:09:23

yes mine has a pop top....

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 09:10:29

Interior shot of the settee shows pop-top supports. Also, the pole on deck looks more like a 3-section whisker pole, maybe an ADJ7-15HD pole?
Looks like one heck of a great deal. The furler and headsail cost more than what you paid for the whole boat.
Welcome to the forum!

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 09:12:56

Kwik,
Welcome to life at sea aboard a C-25. You seem to have gotten a great deal on a functional boat. Your survey will tell you everything you need to know. ...and more!

Sloop,
Yup, his photo #10 shows the aft two pop-top folding struts.

I sure make good use of my pop-top.

Edited by - on

mlg3733
Navigator

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118 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 10:32:05

Great deal!
The windows, stanchions and chainplates are all prone to leaks, an easy fix.
Happy sailing!

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 10:51:50

It appears you got a very good deal indeed. Nice interior! Welcome to the fleet!

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Bristle
 There have certainly been some upgrades, such as the balanced rudder...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Although it is somewhat hard to see, I do believe he has a balanced rudder on his boat.

Edited by - on

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 11:45:03

How do I know if its a balanced rudder?

Edited by - on

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 11:52:00

yes it is a 3 piece whisker pole...

Edited by - on

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 11:55:38

Edited by - on

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 12:10:05

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 12:36:22

Is that the Armed Forces rec area at Canyon?

Cool 5-ton tow vehicle.

Edited by - John Russell on 06/19/2009 12:42:31

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 13:09:59

it is not the Ft. Sam Houston Rec area... thats about 4 miles up the road... The Marina owns the 5 ton truck...

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 16:48:30

Balanced rudder looks like this. What a steal! Good luck!

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2009 : 20:10:17

Welcome aboard KwikSilvr! Looks like you got a really good deal! I used to sail on Canyon Lake when I was a lot younger. Sailed a Hobie 16 and had a friend who's dad had a Cal 29. I've lunched boats on that ramp a couple of hundred times. Canyon Lake Marina is a great place to keep your boat.

Can't tell for sure, in some pictures it looks like your slip is on the South side of the main walkway and in others on the North side. Derek Crawford is a member of this forum and I'm sure will speak up soon. Look for his C25 "This Side UP". Maybe you'll see him at the dock this weekend.

Edited by - GaryB on 06/19/2009 20:15:04

KwikSilvr
Deckhand

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11 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2009 : 20:26:53

I am at a slip on the marina.. I know Derek with "This Side Up" As a matter of fact He crewed with my today racing in a series of races... We took 2 out of 3 and won the series on the catalina 25. I get a trophy for it... HEHEHEHE... Thanks Derek for your crewing experience... I had a blast....

Edited by - on

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