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No, I haven't disappeared - moving Catalina 25

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2011 : 21:43:32

That's the same outboard--a 90s vintage Honda--that came on our C-25 when we bought her. We motored about 80% of our 90 mile delivery voyage, and the only problem it had was when the cooling hose popped off a fitting inside the cowling and sprayed saltwater all over everything in there. I fixed it and hosed everything down midway through our journey, and it took us home. (The coil went out a few months later... No mystery about that.)

As long as the "pisser" is showing a good flow and it starts and runs well all the way to fully warmed up, there should be no issue. If you're wondering, run it for an hour--it can be at the dock, in gear, against your spring-lines. Check the crankcase oil (inside the cowling). We replaced that motor to get a longer shaft and electric start (and sold the 10-year-old one for about half the price of the new one). I also replaced the bracket for the heavier motor--you already have as good a bracket as there is.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2011 : 06:28:05

Although I would have liked to see Jim get his boat to his home waters this fall, it's never good to start a trip with an engine who's reliability is dubious. It's much better to get it serviced this winter, and then make the trip in the spring with a sound engine.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 10/02/2011 : 20:51:13

Thanks Steve, I agree. And Dave, thanks for the background on the Honda. I think I'll spend the money this winter to have the engine properly tuned up, replace the impeller, etc., and then be in a better position to motor the boat home in the spring. The good thing about the Toms River area is that there are a lot of marinas that are sailboat-friendly, so hopefully I will be able to find a good mechanic in that area.

After a less-than-satisfying day of looking for a trailer, I've decided to give up on my agressive search and instead accept that the boat will be spending the winter there. I'll keep looking for a trailer (and if anyone knows of one...), but putting her up at a marina in town will help me deal with the "time pressure" of having to move her, and I can move her in the spring (by land or by sea) on my own timetable.

Edited by - on

Frank Law
Navigator

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USA
159 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 09:42:44

Jim It sounds like the owner did not say there was a problem with the motor but rather they only ran it for X minutes .. I would question him on the whys he stated that short time . I have a 2002 honda 8 hp and run it at least 3 1/2 hrs often . Take it out yourself and run it for several hrs in the direction you want to go as a test.
Frank Law
"ABOUT TIME "
1983 # 3519
sr swk

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 13:08:58

Frank, you are REALLY trying to tempt me, aren't you? :) The weather this weekend is supposed to be beautiful, too! When we went out for our "test sail" the other day, I was struck by how similar everything was to the American 14's on which I learned to sail. Everything was bigger and heavier, but that's not a surprise. The pigtail for the boom was new, and there were a few other little differences (like the addition of a winch!), but over all, it's still "just" the roller-furled jib with its sheets and furling line, the main halyard, and the main sheet. Seemed pretty simple!

Alas, I think I'm better off having her hauled on Friday, and spending Saturday at the sailboat show in Annapolis. Keeping her in Toms River this winter and getting the engine properly tuned up is probably the most prudent course of action.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4312 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 17:08:46

How did the motor run on your test sail? Did it start easily? Did it run smoothly. Was it putting ut a nice stream of water showinw the water pump was working OK? How long did you run it on the test sail?

If it will run for 10 - 20 minutes without any problems it should work fine for hours.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 17:34:54

It seemed to run OK. At the dock, it had a good trickle of water, but not a steady stream. While we were underway, I was too busy doing other stuff to notice. It seemed to run OK for the 20 or so minutes we were out. It had a little trouble starting, the choke had to be in a "sweet spot", then it started ok. But it took 8-10 tries of 2 pulls each to find that sweet spot.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 18:46:52

So having seen thepics and read your writeup, what I would do were this me...

1. Spin the boat 180° and tie up on the opposite side. Easy to do with boathooks and docklines, no engine needed.
1b. Run the engine for an hour while you get some work done on other things. If it dies you know there is trouble and now you cn get to it to putter with it. Check sparkplug and filter and easy stuff. If the engine runs fine, no worries. Go home with the boat. If it runs like poop, continue to next step.
2. Angle the boat outwards with he engine in close to the dock.
3. Raise the engine up and take it off the boat.
4. Tie boat back to dock, take engine to OB shop, pay about $500 for them to tank test and say nothing is wrong with it.

Not that I have any experience with this (like 4 times in the first 2 years of ownership).

ETA: The sweet spot thing is the same on our engine. If you get the rich/lean, choke, and throttle just so it will start first pull, but then you have a micro second to set the choke and throttle or it will die. I think this is pretty typical for a lot of OBs.

Edited by - Prospector on 10/03/2011 18:48:50

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 19:08:01

Well Jim, after reading your thoughts above - you've certainly mapped out all the options!

One caveat about purchasing a used trailer not designed for a C25 . . . you will need to have the boat suspended over the trailer while you adjust the bunks or roller trains to the shape of the hull. The trailer frame will also need a secure place for the lower portion of the swing keel to rest on. With that in mind, your plan to acquire a trailer and fashion it to the boat in a week's time is pretty darn ambitious. Before lifting the boat - do you know the condition of the keel cable and related hardware?

Not to overstate the obvious, but your option to winter the boat over near Toms River would allow you to service the motor and look for a C25 trailer. It would also take a lot of the apparent stress off your shoulders! One thing I've learned during my long tenure of boat ownership is something you're hunting for always surfaces eventually.

Too bad I'm on the opposite side of the state as my C25 trailer and truck have been sitting idle since launch.

Keep us posted! We're all pulling for you!

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 19:11:31

Gary and Prospector, your comments are making it VERY tempting to try to move her at least part way this weekend. I have always REALLY wanted to do that, but have been reluctant due to the uncertainy of her being a new (to me) boat and me being relatively new to this whole sailing thing. Another idea I've been kicking around is to move her part way this year (this weekend) and keep her somewhere between Barnegat and Tuckerton. The problem, though, is access to her once I've moved her. It turns out that Toms River is closest to me (you can see a map [url="http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=montgomeryville,+PA&daddr=tuckerton,+NJ&hl=en&ll=39.926588,-74.792175&spn=1.284813,2.897644&sll=39.457403,-74.338989&sspn=1.293575,2.897644&geocode=FSEgZgId996D-ymZS4RQSaHGiTF4BLK688L0dg%3BFeZLXAIdz6iR-ykxYx1ENwLBiTFQnCZdCloYBw&vpsrc=6&mra=ls&t=m&z=9"]here[/url]. The trip to Toms River is an hour and a half. Barnegat is an hour and forty-five minutes. And Tuckerton is 2 hours. I think I'd rather take her out for our first "official owners sail" on my way to the marina on Friday, and then get her "home" next season. I might even rent a slip in Toms River for a week or two and try her out there before deciding what to do.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 19:26:53

OJ, it's only 6 hours from one end of PA to the other, plus 2 to get to Toms River. Heck, that's an easy day trip! :)

Thanks for the comments about the trailer. I was leaning toward going with rollers mounted to 2" square tube that had holes drilled in it to allow me to adjust the height. I had found some measurements that others posted about their trailer configurations, so I planned to set everything up according to those measurements and then build in the ability to "dial in" the fit for my boat as she sat suspended above the trailer. The keel guides I saw made a lot of sense, too, as did the keel support. Actually, it was the need for keel support that ultimately made me give up on the trailer I had found on Saturday. it was a nice one, big and beefy, and it had articulating supports so that as the keel rolled over the keel rollers, it helped lift the port and starbord side rollers against the hull. But because of the articulation, there wasn't a really good place to add a central keel support, and I saw that as a problem, so I abandoned the thought of using that trailer. I've learned that I need something with fixed longitudinal members so I can add a keel support, if one isn't already there. If I can find a 25' with a bunch of rollers (I'd settle for bunks) in the $500 range that had the weight capacity and brakes that I need, from what I could see it wasn't going to be $200-300 more to customize it to my needs. But, then I'd have a fully custom trailer for $800-900. That's still the plan, only now I don't have to do everything all at once.

I agree, in the end I think keeping her at the Toms River marina is the least stressful path. It's certainly not the most fun path! But I knew that the season was winding down when I made the offer, and I'm OK with (NOT happy about, but OK with) the fact that I'll have to wait until next season. This will give me time to clean up the britework and tiller, make a companionway cover, switch to rope halyards and move them inside the mast, and do all the other stuff that's already on my list. I will be starting another thread in a moment about setting her up better for single handing (before anyone asks, yes, I've been reading the many other threads here).

Hmmmm, I guess it's time to return the extra-strength ratcheting tie-downs and other stuff I bought in case I got the trailer!

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 19:44:07

Rollers versus bunks is only an issue if you plan to ramp-launch and retrieve, which is a good thing to avoid in salt water, which will try to destroy your brakes, lights, springs, and eventually the rest of the trailer--especially if it's not fully galvanized. Lifting on and off is a good way to make a trailer last.

Maybe you already know this, but when the boat first goes on the trailer (via ramp or lift), it should be entirely supported by the hull--the swing keel must not support any of the weight of the hull. After she's settled on the tailer, the keel is lowered onto its "rest" so that its cable is relaxed and does not take any road shocks. I recall at least one report here of apparent (or suspected) resting of a SK C-25 on its raised keel (as you are supposed to do with a fixed fin or wing keel), which caused damage to the top of the keel trunk.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/03/2011 19:46:31

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 19:52:15

When do the Flyers play Toronto? Buy me a ticket to the game and an airplane ticket and we'll get her home for ya.

(Oh and all costs associated with the move are on your shoulders)

BTW - I need my passport renewed, so you'll need to get me one of those too.

(Edit to switch to Hockey - baseball is done)

Edited by - Prospector on 10/03/2011 19:53:41

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 19:53:26

I read the story of the member whose keel trunk cracked when he was trailering it because (he suspected) the SK wasn't completely raised, and he wound up moving to a wing keel. I can be forgetful some times, but that's one I'm TRYING not to forget! Any reminders are appreciated!

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9087 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 20:27:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 I read the story of the member whose keel trunk cracked when he was trailering it because (he suspected) the SK wasn't completely raised, and he wound up moving to a wing keel. I can be forgetful some times, but that's one I'm TRYING not to forget! Any reminders are appreciated!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">OK, one more time

(just so we're sure you got the story straight):
1. Fully raise the keel before putting the boat on the trailer.
2. Put the boat on the trailer, supported only by the hull.
3. Lower the keel to rest on the trailer "pad" (e.g., piece of 2x6)

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 10/03/2011 20:29:51

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 20:43:48

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 OJ, it's only 6 hours from one end of PA to the other, plus 2 to get to Toms River. Heck, that's an easy day trip! :)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Yeah, one day each way!

I know your pain. We purchased in October and trailered from MA coast in December

Better to spread these tasks out over time. Rushing only results in more afterthought and less forethought . . .

Edited by - OJ on 10/04/2011 16:24:48

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
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Response Posted - 10/03/2011 : 21:10:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
Better to spread the tasks out over time. Rushing results in more afterthought than forethought . . .
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Agreed. Plus it spreads the cost out more, so it is less "apparent".

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 10/07/2011 : 20:05:31

We made it! Many thanks to everyone here for the comments and encouragement! My dad came down to go on our maiden voyage and what could have been a "three hour tour" of Barnegat Bay, but everything went essentially without a hitch. The engine was a little persnickety, but with a little goosing we were able to get it to start. We used it to push us out into the Toms River, and then let it idle while we hoisted the sails and gave everything a dry run. I managed to forget to unclip the pigtail, didn't hoist the main halyard all the way the first time, and probably should have dropped the swing keel to help us from exhibiting what I think was LOTS of leeway, but otherwise things went well. We got her into the dock without any major problems, either, and got her tied off in some approximation of a reasonable fashion. As we left, though, it didn't hit me that we tied her off at essentially the peak of high tide. I left slack in the dock lines, but my intent there was that we'd be able to get on/off the boat easily, and wasn't really intending it to also allow for the tidal shift. As we left, I did notice that the "play" seemed consistent with what I saw on other boats, so hopefully I won't find her hanging in the air or listing heavily to one side! The big one is the spring line; hopefully I didn't leave that too loose.

Edited by - on

Joe Diver
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1218 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2011 : 06:49:58

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 When do the Flyers play Toronto? Buy me a ticket to the game and an airplane ticket and we'll get her home for ya.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Monday 10/24 (home)
Thursday 2/9/12 (home)
Saturday 3/10/12 (away)
Thursday 3/29/12 (away)

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