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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Anyone tow a 27' Catalina?

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KiteKraemer
Navigator

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191 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/21/2010 : 20:13:04

A buddy wants to get one; it has a trailer. Moving a 25 around is a bit of a beast; wonder what a 27' is like. Nothing on searches came up.

Unicorn
78•C25•SK
Hood River, Oregon
http://www.eclipsefilms.com/unicorn.jpg

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 06/21/2010 : 20:33:33

Beam 8'8", LWL 21' 8", LOA 26' 8" displacement 7,300 lbs, ballast 3,150 lbs, draft 4', sail area 340 sq. ft.

I think you would need a dually truck like a F-350 for starters. I would not want to move one very far; you're looking at towing 9,000-9,500 lbs.

From the HunterOwners.com web site, per Tom Monroe of Carlyle Lake, IL, one excerpt:

go to the C27 association site

... and you'll find some tech articles on raising/lowering the mast. YOu can't do it like on a C22 ... too tall and heavy.

On trailering, lots of people do it with a C27, but it takes a hefty trailer and a lot of tow vehicle. I think with trailer and all you're probably pushing 10,000 lbs. That means a 3/4 ton pickup. I know two different C27 sailers who do it routinely. Both use float off/lift on trailers. A real long tongue extension helps one of them do it more easily than the other. I looked into the price of a good C27 trailer. Didn't want to go there!

One other thought ... there is a shoal draft model of the C27 that has something like a 3.5 ft keel. The "standard" keel is listed at 4 ft, but most of us that have them have measured keel bottom to scum line at more like 4.5 feet. There was never, to my knowledge, a wing keel.

I mention that because I think if I was going to buy a boat that I could tow, either is a bit much, at least for me. I LOVE my C27. But I wouldn't have purchased her if I needed to tow her.

Edited by - dmpilc on 06/21/2010 20:47:19

At Ease
Admiral

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672 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2010 : 17:32:24

A diesel pick up would be best. The true formula for towing capacity is the GCWR minus the weight of the tow vehicle when prepared for towing. Gas pickups are weak and have low GCWRs.

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Ed Cassidy
Captain

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USA
365 Posts

Response Posted - 06/22/2010 : 18:24:44

I think the 27 is 2 inches too wide to trailer without oversize permits. Federal regs say 102 inches (8 feet 6 inches). I doubt that you would ever get stopped, but if you were involved in an accident, it might get dicey.
Ed

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jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2010 : 07:55:25

I've towed a Catalina 250 WK a couple of hundred miles with a big (26 foot) U-Haul truck. That load was about 5500 pounds and "a beast". You are proposing about double the load. In my opinion the boundary between reasonable do your-self towing and professional towing lies between the Catalina 25 and Catalina 27.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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1709 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2010 : 10:43:42

I have a friend who tows a Santa Cruz 40 with a Toyota Tundra from his launch site (hoist) to his storage barn. About 25 miles. Interesting sight on the highway.

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jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2010 : 10:54:45

Are we discussing what is prudent or what some bubba will risk ?

Edited by - jbkayaker on 06/23/2010 10:55:28

piseas
Former Treasurer

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USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2010 : 13:10:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jbkayaker
 Are we discussing what is prudent or what some bubba will risk ?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Jim, I hope the former. We dont allow the latter as members.

Steve A

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Happy D
Admiral

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921 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2010 : 16:59:35

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> Gas pickups are weak and have low GCWRs.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Huh? My 2500 Avalanche is rated for 10,100 towing capacity. It has the wimpy 8100 engine. I think it might work for 9000 lbs.
2500 Avalanches are rather rare.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 06/24/2010 : 10:47:50

Mr Baker,

I was incredulous about towing such a large boat with that itsy bitsy Toyota as well but, he's been doing it for ten years, although more recently with a new Tundra.

Interestingly, he crosses a busy 1/4 mile lift bridge. One year he got the boat hung up under one of the span supports. It caused quite a stir particularly since he doesn't normally, or hadn't up till then, gotten a wide load clearance permit. The Santa Cruz 40 has a 12 foot beam.

By the way, his name isn't bubba but he's an engineer. Go figure.

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jbkayaker
Captain

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USA
299 Posts

Response Posted - 06/24/2010 : 16:15:04

Driving drunk many times without consequences does not protect against a charge of vehicular homicide if you kill someone. In my opinion he is taking the same risk putting a grossly overloaded vehicle on the road.

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 06/25/2010 : 09:31:43

I agree.

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WindyLegacy
Deckhand

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USA
23 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2011 : 07:08:47

Overload permits not withstanding, any diesel truck would pull that no problem.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2011 : 09:32:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by KiteKraemer
 A buddy wants to get one...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Does he want to "trailer sail" it or just move it a couple of times a year? If the latter, what distance and where? If the former, I'd say he's headed for a big disappointment.

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skybird
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USA
135 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2011 : 14:59:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by aeckhart
 I have a friend who tows a Santa Cruz 40 with a Toyota Tundra from his launch site (hoist) to his storage barn. About 25 miles. Interesting sight on the highway.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

sounds like a Toyota commercial---closed course, professional driver, etc--don't try this at home?!! OTOH I would not be uncomfortable weightwise with the 27 behind my F250 diesel, but i think the legal problem would eventually come up for width. 3/4 ton regularly used for 12000 to 14000# fifth wheel travel trailers.

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2011 : 15:05:39

I Googled "Catalina 27 trailer" and got a list of discussions on sites like Sailnet, Trailersailor, and Sailboatowners. Didn't bother to read them...

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2011 : 17:30:05

We have people who tow their 30s to town each winter, I have never noticed what they towed with but they were private vehicles. With drunks, texters, and imbeciles driving within inches of us all daily, I would not worry about a sailor who would have to have his act together to even get a rig put together.

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klassi1
1st Mate

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88 Posts

Response Posted - 01/03/2011 : 08:27:56

For the last 10 years, we haul out a Laser 28 each winter and tow it home about 50 miles thru the hills of Arkansas. Never had any problems. It's lighter than the C27 and I certainly wouldn't want to have to rig it more then once a year. We use a F250 and a trailer set up for the job.

Edited by - klassi1 on 01/03/2011 08:38:04

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