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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Modified hull mold for C250 MkII

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TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/19/2015 : 21:09:08

Just curious about this: Do any of you know the story behind the change in the transom design of the Catalina 250MkII? The catalog continued to show the traditional transom design, but there are pictures out there for used MkII boats that show a very different transom design:

Modified transom:

Traditional transom:

Does anybody happen to know how many of these modified transoms were made? They appear to have come in right at the end of the production run. Why would they make a major change like that (new hull molds) on a boat that is about to be discontinued?

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2015 : 11:37:53

Wow! Yup--the 2012 WB on Yachtworld has that transom. Never saw it before. If you look at the latest models (like the 275), you'll see they were going to more geometric transom styles in place of the "sugar spoon." They probably had this in the works for a while before they decided to drop the 250.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

gerardolau
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2015 : 18:15:44

The catalina 250 is about to be discontinued? Personally I like the traditional transom better..

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Gerardo
1995 C250 WB
#115

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2015 : 18:26:24

It was discontinued two years ago.

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

gerardolau
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2015 : 17:52:02

And what will they make instead of it.. Or just stopped production? Why did they stopped? Economy?

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Gerardo
1995 C250 WB
#115

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2015 : 18:08:30

quote:
Originally posted by gerardolau

And what will they make instead of it.. Or just stopped production? Why did they stopped? Economy?

They introduced the C275 in its place. It has similar features, except longer LOA, shin-mangling traveler placement, less interior space, and $80,000 price tag.

Do I sound biased? Naaaahhhh....

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

gerardolau
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 09/23/2015 : 20:39:12

Woww.. Lets check out some images..

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Gerardo
1995 C250 WB
#115

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2015 : 05:47:24

As I see it, Catalina tried to update the C-25 in the late 1980s by replacing the swing keel with the wing, which allowed them to lower and flatten the cabin sole. They also updated the cockpit, windows, etc.--to my mind, the best value ever in a 25' cruising sailboat... all leading to sales that continued to spiral downward, and production costs too high for its apparent market. So in 1991, they pulled the plug, with no replacement ready to go. The assumption was the market wanted either a bigger boat, or a more trailerable one.

The C-250 was introduced in 1995 with water ballast, the open interior floorplan, a beamier cockpit, open transom, lower price (than they could have sold the C-25 for),... a family-oriented, "trailerable" boat to compete with Hunter and Macgregor. In eight years, Catalina sold fewer C-250s (a little over 1000) than they did C-25s in 1984 alone. By 2010, the C-250 molds were languishing in the yard, waiting for an occasional order (maybe 30 hulls made in the last three years or so). "Hey--where's Larry? We have a 250 order!" "He's supervising a pair of 375s." "Well who's gonna run this one?" "Find a 22 guy and give him the book..."

Meanwhile, Hunter was acquired by Marlow and no longer makes anything close to 25'. MacGregor went out of business, and their 26 is now the Tattoo 26. (Ever heard of that? I'm sure they'd love to make one for you.) Seaward still makes a few 26s--have you checked the price??

25' is the new "donut hole" in production cruising sailboats. It looks like almost nobody is willing to pay what the manufacturers need to make one. Today's new-boat buyers have decided it's too big to trailer-sail, too small to cruise or party on, and if it can do either of those, too slow for club racing. And the used market is taking care of the demand as well as setting the prices...

So you now have a "classic"!

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/24/2015 06:10:34

gerardolau
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2015 : 20:19:16

The 25/250 is excellent for trailering in my opinion.. how about spare parts for repair and stuff like that. Will they go up in price? Or catalina yachts will continue manufacturing them? How's the cat 22 selling.. Or is it gone as well?

Thanks
Gerardo
1995 C250 WB
#115

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2015 : 21:15:59

The Catalina 22 Sport is in production for the many club one-design fleets. It is also probably the most successful trailer-sailing pocket cruiser ever built, with over 15000 sold as of some number of years ago. Catalina has stuck by it, apparently due to fleet demand.

The C-25 and C-250 can be transported on trailers, but trailer-sailing (rigging, launching, retrieving, and de-rigging) is another matter. The market for new, $30K+ boats is evidently less interested in the compromises of a 25' pocket cruiser and willing to pay for (and maybe finance) a 30+' cruiser.

Another thing I suspect works against the new pocket-cruiser sailboat market is that sailors as a group are more willing to invest in used boats than powerboat buyers are. The depreciation for powerboats compared to sailboats would seem to support this suspicion, even though the market is so much larger for powerboats. A prospective Sea Ray buyer wants a shiny, spotless boat that still smells of curing resin--not a boat with a questionable power-plant, bottom paint, and systems, with no warranty. This is the "turn the key and go" boater who wants no issues, and wants to impress at the marina.

Sailors, in my experience, are more interested in the most boat for the money. That very often means used. Sailing is different from simply "driving", and the sailor's gratification comes from the sailing, perhaps more than from the boat itself. They recognize a good value on the used market and will grab it, even if some upgrades are due.

A Viking sport-fisherman owner I knew summed it up: "Rag-boaters are a different kind of people." I'm proud to be at least an ex-rag-boater, who will pull a sheet for anyone, any time!

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/24/2015 21:21:39

Tomas Kruska
Admiral

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Czech Republic
522 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2015 : 00:34:47

I think it also depends on the sailing area in your country.
In Europe we are also up scaling for bigger and bigger sailboats, but especially in the Poland, they still produce many trailer-able sailboats under 8m with retractable centerboard for shallow waters they have. They are not the best built (like Catalina

) but price is competitive, under $35000 for an average 24 footer.
Everyone else is making only the daylight-racing boats within this size, but I think that's because many EU countries has a sea with it's different needs.

Even that, towing a new 21 footer is not a cheap either. I have second hand car and trailer but with a new Polish boat and this combo costs me almost fifty grands!

Now I really enjoy sailing new waters without annoying "old lady" maintenance, but still having the opportunity to install new gizmos

Dalpol Phobos 21, 2013, Sole Mio, hull #27, current adventures - We sail Phobos 21

PO of Catalina C25, 1978, High Anxiety, hull #701, SR, FK, L-dinette, inboard diesel Volvo Penta MD2010C w/saildrive - more info

gerardolau
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2015 : 10:38:07

Id like to upload a pic for a question I have,. Anyone know how to do it?

Thanks
Gerardo
1995 C250 WB
#115

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2015 : 12:27:16

1. Upload the picture to any photo site, such as Shutterfly or the Members' Area here.

2. "Copy" its URL (right-click on the picture).

3. Click the

button in the toolbar for your post here.

4. "Paste" the URL between the [ img ] and the [ /img ] created in your post by that button.

Done. It helps to put a blank line before and after the picture.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/25/2015 12:30:05

gerardolau
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 09/27/2015 : 17:31:23

thanks i will try.. not too good with computers..

Thanks
Gerardo
1995 C250 WB
#115

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