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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Convert C25 to pop top?

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seastream
Navigator

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USA
242 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/17/2004 : 07:35:00

Hello Sailors!

Can the C25 sliding hatch be converted to a pop top? I've never read/heard of it being done, and I'm idly considering its' worth. It doesn't do anything for headroom forward of amidships but probably frees up headroom in the galley area. Also, what's the draft of the C25 fin? I've heard it's anything from 4-4.5 feet. I think it's four feet.

Bob

Seastream

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 02/17/2004 : 07:42:15

I would guess that it would be a huge mistake to attempt something of that magnitude without a sacrificial donor boat, and then it would be better to fix the donor and sell yours.

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 02/17/2004 : 07:59:16

The support rods for the factory pop-top attach to the boat with threaded plates embedded in the coach roof. I can't picture any way you could modify a non-pop-top boat with all the pieces that would be needed without going to enormous expense, and you would need to employ a professional fiberglass shop to do a lot of the work. Knowing what fiberglass repair costs from personal experience, I would guess that it would likely cost more than the whole blue book value of your boat to add a pop-top. This issue of return and resale value has generated a lot of controversy regarding big modifications, especially for the swing-to-wing conversion. Lowell at Catalina Direct once told me that in his opinion, it was a mistake to so the swing-to-wing on any Catalina 25 of pre-1986 vintage, since it costs about $4000 and you are unlikely to ever recover that cost on a pre-86 (meaning any boat with the old-style aluminum-framed windoews).

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 02/17/2004 : 09:37:33

I'd leave the coachroof as it is... IMHO You've got the better/stronger boat without the pop top, but everyone's preferences differ with their sailing venue and style.

As far as costs of conversions... heck, a sailboat doesn't make much financial sense anyway. Having one is an affair of the heart. Generally speaking, modifications or additions to a boat only return pennies on the dollar at resale time.

I may do the wing conversion on mine, but it's likely that I'll drive to LA to pick up the keel and do the installation myself.

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cat30
1st Mate

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73 Posts

Response Posted - 02/17/2004 : 10:53:36

my swing to wing conversion didn't cost $4000. we had the part shipped to a nearby dealer with another boat shipped to him. i did the prep work myself. the boat yard only did the heavy lifting to remove the swing and install the wing. since the boat had a crack in the swing keel trunk from the slamming of the swing keel when the cable broke, the cost of the wing installation was roughly equal to the cost of the repairs which had to be done or throw the boat away. as someone else said, the cost associated with boating don't make any sense anyway.

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Captain B
1st Mate

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USA
88 Posts

Response Posted - 02/17/2004 : 13:50:27

The draft on a fin keel is 4'

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RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 02/17/2004 : 15:05:01

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Having one is an affair of the heart. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Very well said.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">it's likely that I'll drive to LA to pick up the keel <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Give me a ring if you are interested in going out for a local cruise while you are down here.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 02/17/2004 : 23:22:25

Thanks for the invit... I will.
If things go as planned, the wing will be going on before the Sea of Cortez cruises.. (Winter 2005)

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osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 02/18/2004 : 06:30:23

I wouldn't convert a un-pop top c25 to a pop top. I would be concerned over the structural integrity of the converted boat. Catalina worked that out in design, and I suspect it would be difficult to incorporate in conversion.

If the pop top was important to me, and I had a non-pop top model, I think I'd sell the non pop top model and get a pop top version.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.