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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

towing C250

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bjohnson
Deckhand

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USA
1 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/22/2003 : 22:57:54

Please help, after a few years of not sailing I am looking for another trailerable boat. I've had a Macgregor 26, C22 and C25. I am looking for something to tow with a new Ford Explorer, towing capacity
about 5k pounds. I would like to stay with a Catalina and the C250
looks interesting. I am looking to see what people are towing these
with. I live on Humboldt Bay in Eureka, Ca but have towed boats to the San Juan Islands for 5 years and plan to do this with my next boat. I would like honest opinions on towing these boats. I would appreciate any advice I can get and thought this would be the place to get straight answers. I really don't want to look at other boats if possible. Thanks for the help. Barry J

Edited by - on

bren737
Captain

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291 Posts

Response Posted - 07/22/2003 : 23:26:06

Barry,

Welcome to the forum! I have a 250 water ballast which I tow with a 4x4 Suburban 1500, with towing package. It tows just fine, even up and down some of steeper hills here central Texas. Of more importance to me than 'street towing', the ramp I use is rather long, steep and slippery, so the four wheel drive is nice (even a must, some days when the ramp is really wet). Recently, someone lost oil on one lane of the ramp. I thought it was just wet until I hit the spot about halfway down while launching. It was an exciting slide of about twenty feet! Had to slide the truck off to the side of the ramp in a quasi jack-knife into some rocks to get the tires to hold again.

The following link is for a web site which addresses some towing considerations in general, though not specifically the C250: http://www.mascom.com/sail/tow_vehicle.htm

One owner of a water ballast weighed his rig at a truck scale and reported: "Boat, Motor, Trailer, and sails - 4620 (lbs) + 415 (lbs) on the bumper for grand total of 5035 (lbs)." I believe the wing-keel versus the water ballast (with the water tank empty) weighs about an extra 800 pounds more. I may be wrong about the exact additional weigh; someone else on the forum may know for sure. However, the WB, when pulling it out of the water with the tank still full, does indeed weight more than the WK.

I'm sure others will give their inputs. This is a GREAT resource! Enjoy.

Bren Peterson
C250WB, #642, "Ruah"
San Antonio, TX

Edited by - bren737 on 07/22/2003 23:51:09

Edited by - on

HGraham
Deckhand

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USA
21 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2003 : 13:58:48

Hi Barry;

Welcome, and enjoy this forum! It is invaluable.
I sold my C22 this spring and bought a C250WB at the boat show.
We towed it 75 mi home from the dealer, and it definately tows "heavier" than the C22, but no problem with our "96 Ford Explorer, 6-cyl. The surge brake system works fine, and there was just a little fish-tailing at 60 mph. We keep the boat at a "dry-slip" at the local lake with the mast up, so launching and retrieving is about a 20-minute ordeal. Our trailer does not have a tongue extension, which means backing down the ramp until the rear bumper is almost totally under water.
Other than all the little quirks of water-ballast model (see threads on the forum for more info), we are very pleased the boat compared to the C22.
If we were trailering any distance, I would definately want a heavier tow vehicle, and yes, 4WD-Low has been necessary to pull it out on a slippery ramp. But otherwise the combination works for me.

Good luck and smooth sailing.

Harry

Ovation C250WB#543

Edited by - on

azexploder
1st Mate

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USA
78 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2003 : 16:12:45

I towed a WB 2400 miles from east to west with a borrowed Chevy Blazer 4.2L. Handled great, though it was empty.

I tow around town with a 91 Explorer 4x4 loaded with gear and food and it was OK. Not something I would want to do in rush hour. Getting going is fine, it is the stopping that I worry about. Hauling out was easy, use 4low for that duty after sitting just out of the water for a few min.

Mike
bluebyu2 #48

Mike
C250 0048
Bluebyu2

Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2003 : 18:21:46

Hi Barry;
I will share some thoughts on what I tow my C250 WB with and how I do it. My 250 is wet slipped in upstate N.Y. for the sailing season. I tow my boat with my Toyota Tacoma 4x4 with the big 4 cylinder engine. Never more than 50 mph. I blow the water ballast before removing the boat from the lake in the fall and remove everything that
is easily removable from the boat. When we tow it [45 miles] twice a year the only thing in it is the motor, fuel tank, mast, boom and sails. We start removing stuff I.E. porta potti, table, anchors in a
gradual manor at the end of the season. Most people I have communicated with take the logistics of how to move a boat and what to do with it as an equal consideration in the purchase of the boat.
Hope this helps. "Bear" on Brandy C250 WB

Edited by - on

bill bosworth
Navigator

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USA
172 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2003 : 21:14:47

Hi Barry;
We have had our c250 wb for about 3 years. We normally keep the boat in the water and only haul at the beginning and end of the year. We purchased the boat 750 miles from home, the tow home was uneventful, even through the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. We have since moved to North Carolina and towed it back the 750 miles.
I normally blow the balast before hauling, so it pulls out very easily. My tow vehicle is a full sized GMC pickup with a small block 8. I only have two wheel drive but a positraction (sp?) rear end. The positraction helps a great deal on slipery ramps.
We're very happy with our choice of this boat.
Good sailing;
Bill c250wb Serendipity

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2003 : 22:24:39

Here's my two cents after 3000 or so towing miles:

*2002 Suburban 1500 4x4 Not a problem, a little hunting gears uphill. (In spite of the "tow mode")

*Hitch extender is a must, especially on shallow ramps.

*Watch the bowroller, it can scratch up the bow, but its also a must have.

*I'm going to try blowing the ballast tank before retrieval next time. It brings the boat up quite a bit.

Make sure what you do is legal...ie within all manufacturers specs and limitations. Both for the trailer and the towing vehicle.
Picture the scene in the courtroom where the attorney for the otherside shows the jury the results of weighing the wreck.......

Good luck.

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay on the Chesapeake:
<img src="http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/Images/familypics/Forumshots/chesapeake.jpg" border=0>

Edited by - on

Robert
1st Mate

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USA
75 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2003 : 11:30:13

Hi Barry;
I live in Nor.Cal and keep my C250WB on Whiskeytown Lake. I tow my boat with a Ford 150, Super Crew Cab(short bed)that has the larger engine and 4X4. I have never had any trouble pulling the boat or climbing the mountains.

2WX@55

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 08/14/2003 : 14:21:25

I've towed my c250 cb more than 15,000 miles with a half ton extended cab with limited slip rear end and mid size V8 and had no problems.

Oscar, see the tech tip on my site for protectors to stop the bow roller from getting the hull. About a one hour project...

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
<img src="http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/rr.jpg" border=0>
N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruisin Stories[/url]

Edited by - on

Ray Seitz
Captain

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USA
416 Posts

Response Posted - 08/15/2003 : 22:10:46

I tow my C250WB with a Chevy Tahoe with a tow package. No problems towing. After two years and 6-12 different ramps I have yet to use the extension or blow the water out of the WB tanks. This does usually require that my back tires be in the water, so 4wd is a must for my lazy habits.

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d831b3127cce891ba4a976e00000001010" border=0>On the water
C250 WB Sea Major #628

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 08/15/2003 : 22:52:41

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> This does usually require that my back tires be in the water<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

By that time the bumber is dipping too on the Suburban, something I don't really want to do in salt water. Love my extension.

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay on the Chesapeake
<img src="http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/Images/familypics/Forumshots/sunglitter.JPG" border=0>

Edited by - Oscar on 08/25/2003 13:31:47

Edited by - on

willy
Captain

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USA
422 Posts

Response Posted - 08/18/2003 : 10:46:44

Toyota 4 Runner here with the small block V8. I have to look in the mirror to make certain the boat is still on there!

Edgy, WB#655
Rehoboth Bay, DE

Edited by - on

mday
Navigator

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197 Posts

Response Posted - 08/18/2003 : 18:42:01

Oscar,

What's this about blowing the ballast? How are you set up to do that?

Thanks, Max

Edited by - mday on 08/18/2003 18:42:30

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 08/18/2003 : 21:41:23

Haven't tried it yet, but I got a $12.- air-pump. (For airmatrasses etc. Target)
There is someone on the forum that does it, I forget who, with a high volume foot pump. Open the valve, stick the hose on the vent hole and pump. This person claimed it took about the same amount of time as draining it...ie around seven minutes.

If my experiment is successful I will report back.

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay on the Chesapeake
<img src="http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/Images/familypics/Forumshots/sunglitter.JPG" border=0>

Edited by - on

bren737
Captain

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291 Posts

Response Posted - 08/18/2003 : 22:38:56

Oscar,

It's Arlyn that has the low-down on 'blowing the ballast tank.' I know he's mentioned it on several threads over the past year or so, but can't recall which ones. You may be able to do a search for it.

Bren Peterson
C250WB, #642, "Ruah"
San Antonio, TX

Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 08/19/2003 : 18:01:13

Max,
I have used the method of "blowing" the ballast for two years
now. What you are doing is blowing the water out throught the ballast fill valve. I have access to power at my dock and use a low volume vacumn cleaner hooked up to blow air. I open the ballast fill valve and then pop the vent plug in the anchor compartment and start air going through that, care to be taken with someone holding the seal down that goes around the ballast shaft seal until you get the water moving. Most of the water can be removed this way. Eventually you will see bubbles coming up from around the bottom of the boat. You can figure the rest out. It does raise the boat and of course makes it lighter to take out of the water. Arlyn does have a thread on this.
"Bear" on Brandy C250 WB

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 08/25/2003 : 22:30:47

At a Walmart Super Center while in Michigan this summer I found this goody... It seems quite well made, has both a 12 v cig lighter adapter for charging/using and a 110v wall plug for charging.

The rechargable batteries when I used it lasted long enough to blow the ballast. I inserted it in the vent line, started it, then went to hold the ballast valve shaft firm against the upper seal... when the battery ran low, I closed the valve and turned off the pump. Easy enough.

Some tape around the middle sized filler worked perfectly to fit it to the vent line.

<img src="http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/air_pump.jpg" border=0>

It would be very possible also to install a dedicated air pump in the V berth hatch and tee it into the vent line though some precautions should be observed. The pump would need to be such that its maximum pressure was quite low as to have it inadvertantly turn on without the ballast valve open could create more problems than one would hope for in a life time.

This pump might work for that task as it is a squirrel cage fan and likely not capable of very high pressures and of course is designed for 12v and its cheap. However, its so easy to put it in the vent plug... why bother.

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
<img src="http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/rr.jpg" border=0>
N/E Texas and Great Lakes

[url="http://www.cox-internet.com/arlynstewart/"]Arlyn's C250 Mods n Cruisin Stories[/url]

Edited by - arlyn stewart on 08/25/2003 22:42:28

Edited by - on

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