Which New or Nearly New 25' Boat Would You Buy?

rpwillia · Oct 10, 2009

Catalina, but I am biased

We have one guy on the Potomac out of Mount Vernon that regularly takes his Catalina 25 out and spanks everyone. That being said, I think he has a tiller and an outboard configuration. Plus it may just be he is a pretty skilled sailor.

I have owned a Catalina 22 and now a 310 and have liked them both. The little Hunter 25's are also cute boats (know a few that have them) but I am not sure what they look like these days. They also have tillers and outboards.

Stu Jackson · Oct 10, 2009

Is there a lot of choice out there?

Marcia,

It might save us a lot of time to know how many 25 foot sailboats are being produced new these days and/or what you are looking at (other than us doing your research for you). If you have a shortlist, that'd be great.

Catalina makes the C250, the C25 as a new production boat ceased years ago. Hunter probably. Compac maybe? I really can't think of any more after looking through a few sailing magazines. In that size you would be hard pressed to find a wheel except for the C250 with an outboard.

OK, our work is done, buy a C250!

They also have a great website: http://catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=4

Other than cost (always a consideration) going from a 23 to a 25 may not get you much in the way of significantly increased elbow room. We went from a C22 to a C25 which doubled our volume and made the C25 feel like the Titanic in comparison (traditional interior) and standing headroom under the poptop with the enclosure was a pure luxury, although we took our old engine with us when we moved on up.

So, my question back to you is what do you think you'll "get" by going up only two feet? Do you sail on a lake where there is a reasonable size limitation?

Ross · Oct 10, 2009

Re: Is there a lot of choice out there?

keel or centerboard? There is a lot of deep water around Norfolk but also a lot of thin water. I have friends with a 21 ft Venture center board and they just crank the keel up and keep going in thin water. If they do run aground they jump out and push off. Her complaint is that it isn't big enough to be a dry boat.

bffatcat · Oct 10, 2009

what to buy

There are a lot less choices in newer boats than in the past Today there is not much in the 25' size range Your pretty much limited to a catalina or hunter for standard cruising If your looking for fast and light there are J 26 or colgate 26 in the same price range There are semi custom boats from smaller builders available but they are pricey. If you were to consider an older boat there are many well built boats that would be a good choice at a reasonable price Bristol, Pearson, C&C Ericson, Islander Cal, to name a few Ive got a Pearson 26 W Ive had for 10 years It need some up grading when I bought It but the boat is a solid good
sailer and has no problems. One more comment: There are very few boats in this size range with wheel steering it would probably have to be a custom installation and it might make selling
the boat difficult when the time came

Steve Dion · Oct 10, 2009

Lots of choices if you are willing to go after an older boat. Much of the sailboat industry was wiped out several years ago and now you have a much smaller selection.

If you are sailing in the bay, then you have the choice of some water ballasted boats. If you are planning on going out of the bay, you may want to consider a keel boat. You really need to decide if the boat needs to be a trailer unit or not. The older Catalina, Hunter and other mfg. made some very nice boats in the 25'-27' range.

I am not a fan of the water ballast boats, but that is just my opinion. They do make towing much easier.

Jonrod222 · Oct 10, 2009

Take a look at the Seaward 26RK. The boat is trailerable, has wheel or tiller steering, inboard or out board. You can even get it with a/c. The web site is www.seawardyachts.com. It is an interesting looking boat.

higgs · Oct 10, 2009

Not new, but probably a stronger 25 than most anything built today is the Cape Dory 25.

David in Sandusky · Oct 10, 2009

Hunter makes a 25 with wheel steering.

http://www.huntermarine.com/Models/25/25Index.html

dserrell · Oct 10, 2009

jibes138 · Oct 10, 2009

A Great 25

I'd look at a Parker 250 or a Grady White

LANCE ON CLOUD NINE · Oct 10, 2009

Check out a Compac 25. Pricey but high quality. Bronze ports and cleats. Nice, nice, salty interior. See the lightly used loaded one listed on yacht world.com. It is in Oxford Maryland- you could sail it home. I have no connection to this boat I just saw it while window shopping after reading your post. Have fun!

Napa Ed · Oct 10, 2009

You can't feel with a wheel. What's the resale value of a 25 anything, new or old? Buy something used, have fun, move on. Otherwise get the Shock 25 for daysailing. Here's one listed for only 89k
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2009/Schock-Harbor-25-1455503/Corona/CA/United-States

higgs · Oct 10, 2009

I think a lot depends on what you plan to do with this boat. If you are going to be in protected waters then you can buy the boat whose interior meets your needs. If you are going to stretch your horizons and do a little open water sailing, then you want something more than a Cat, Hunter, or Mcgregor.

alexco38 · Oct 10, 2009

Why not a Macgregor 26? The newer once 26X and 26M has wheels. 12 inches more isn't that much more and there are plenty of them around. Don't buy a very limited production boat. You can't get rid of them later.

2 feet isn't worth upgrading.

Joe · Oct 11, 2009

forget the wheel on a 25 foot boat. You don't need them for mechanical advantage, there's no "feel", they take up too much room in the cockpit, it limits your steering positions....... but mainly because there are just too many great 25 foot boats that don't come with wheels...... so you eliminate your best choices.

Hermit Scott · Oct 11, 2009

The seaward 25 featured on the home page is one of the coolest 25' boats I have ever seen. It's set up like a larger cruising boat. Wheel steering included.

dserrell · Oct 11, 2009

Superbob · Oct 12, 2009

I've owned a MacGregor, a 505, a Hobie 16 and currently a Catalina 250 wing keel w/wheel steering purchased in April. Catalina or Hunter both manufacture fine boats. I looked at both extensively before buying a used the Catalina . . . a 1999 that looks new all due to the care of the two previous owners. If you plan on trailering I'd go with a boat with a low trailer profile - either a shoal keel Hunter or a water ballast Catalina. Either makes for easy launch and retrieving. Both have wheel steering options and many used Hunters or Catalinas are equipped with them. Having owned a Macgregor I'd stay away from purchasing one all due to the cost of one used (much higher than a used Catalina or Hunter) and that I can't get used to a sailboat being equipped with two rudders and a 40 horsepower plus outboard. My 1992 Mac purchased new was an older model that didn't have these features and I enjoyed it immensely. As for tiller vs. wheel steering, it's a toss up for me. I'd had both. There are ups and downs of both systems. I must say that I do like wheel steering. It's the difference between having power steering and not having it. On a wind and windy day it's a blessing. Good luck in your search.

jwandling · Oct 12, 2009

Wheel on such a small boat puts weight too far aft, aside from looking "funny", especially if the wheel is large enough to give you any feel. You have a nice boat now, if you want to move up to something faster, find a used J27, probably most speed per buck I've ever owned. If you are more interested in a dry daysailor with decent interior, find a used Cal 25 or 27.