Catalina 25 advice

[tooltime63]

Looking for buying advice. My GF & I are new to sailing. She owns an Oday 16ft today which we have sailed for past 2 years to learn. We now feel it's time to move up. Ideally, the Cat 22 makes the most sense but we would like to be able to spend the night/weekend on the boat & the 22 just seems to small for us to comfortably sleep (she is 5'11, I'm 6'3). We also want to avoid expensive slip fees & would like to be able to visit different lakes on occasion which moves us to swing keel models. We have been looking at Cat 25 & feel this is the minimum for us to sleep comfortably. However, I have friends who are warning me how difficult it will be for me & my GF to rig the boat on a regular basis & feels it will require too much effort. This does concern me a bit & I was hoping someone could provide their own experiences on this.

Also, since we are sailing newbies, there is concern about learning how to properly rig the Cat 25. I'm looking at a used one now where the owner recently passed away & no one else from the family is able to teach us. I'm sure there are other Cat 25 owners who would gladly step in to provide lessons on rigging & sailing the 25 but wondered how others learned it.

Basically, I'm wondering if the Cat 25 is the way for us to go or should we really be looking more at the Cat 22. Open for any & all advice.

 

[Meriachee]

Decide on the boat that fits your need based on a larger number of criteria than length. Either boat would be around the same effort to rig, but if the 25 has enough headroom for you, then that's a serious plus. You can make a rigging system to raise the mast, and you'll find lots of help here to craft one.
There are not a lot of differences in sailing qualities between the 22 and the 25, in fact, the 25 may be a little more kindly.

 

[markwbird]

The C-25 is a good boat

I had a C-25 for a few years. It is perfect for your purposes. I guess by rigging you mean stepping the mast because you plan to keep the boat on a trailer. There are tricks and tools to this that make it much easier. Google and check out Youtube for ways to raise and lower your mast by yourself. The C-25 is easy to sail and roomy for her length. Good little pocket cruiser.

 

[TEM58]

Tooltime,
The cat 25 is a great boat. We bought ours a few years ago on Lake Travis, and later moved it closer to home in Belton. I also initially had ideas to keep the boat on a trailer and visit area lakes. The best advice I got was to keep it on the water, sail the crap out of it, then consider trailer sailing. Find some help, do some reading and you can practice lowering and raising the mast to your heart's content. If you start out with the boat on a trailer, then your learning curve revolves more around rigging not sailing. Believe me, that WILL keep you from sailing as often!

As far as trailering goes, yes the 22 would likely be less hassle. It's smaller, lighter, and much easier to pull. There are a ton of 22s available with trailers, not so the 25s. Many 1/2t trucks are hard pressed to manage the 25. In all other factors you mentioned I think the 25 has the advantage.

The swing keel has been an absolute necessity for us as the lake levels show no sign of going up anytime soon.

You'll get great advice here. Also look at http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/
Check them out.

Tim

 

[CaptDon01]

Tooltime63,

I would like to steer you back to your initial comment on the popular C-22. Do you know there have been 4 versions of the C-22?,(Original, New Design, MK-II, and the Sport). The V-bert on the New Design is quite roomy, and longer that a C-25, and has a large opening hatch right above your heads for real nice ventilation. Same with the MK-II version, which is even wider,(the MK-II version uses a completely different hull from the other 3 versions, and is 8" wider giving them an 8'4" beam). Like the C-25, the C-22's,(except the Sport), have a pop-top and a pop-top tent is available, which greatly improves the headroom while on the hook or in the slip. The MK-II interior is completely redesigned and more open. We've modified our MK-II interior turning the V-berth area into a semi-enclosed head with luggage storage. We sleep on the long quarter-berths, and recently had 3" memory foam toppers made for unbelievably comfortable sleeping. The MK-II version were also equipped for the factory mast raising system, which makes raising the mast a safe and easy single person job. Our MK-II is a wing keel model, which is still easy to launch and trailer, and the MK-II's also came in a swing keel version, and the new swing keel design eliminates a lot of the corrosion and maintenance issues of the cast iron swing keels,(similar to the cast iron swing keel on the C-25). As you already mentioned, your looking for a boat that's easily trailered. The C-22 fit's that bill, and is easily trailed with a 1/2 ton truck, where the heavier C-25 is going to need a larger vehicle. I've attached some photos of a stock MK-II interior, and some of our modified interior. The C-22 is just the perfect package for my wife and I to enjoy week long cruises,(8 days on board is our longest cruise to date), easy to trailer and rig, and more affordable with smaller sails and needing a smaller outboard.

Don

 

[hewebb]

I have a Catalina 25 WK, I have a trailer for it and have taken it to several lakes. It takes me about an hour from parking lot to sailing. I have an "A" frame to raise/lower the mast. I can do it by myself but prefer a helper. Admiral will not get on boat when it is on trailer.(ladder height issue) I will not move it unless we are going to spend several days on it. A couple of friends have Catalina22's that spend weekends on them. They add boards in the saloon that makes a queen size bed. A young, good size, strong person can raise a 22 mast by them selves without added equipment. The Catalina 25 is a great boat, well built and you can still buy parts for it, as is a Catalina 22. If budget allows you might take a look at a water ballast 250.

 

[tooltime63]

Tooltime63,

I would like to steer you back to your initial comment on the popular C-22. Do you know there have been 4 versions of the C-22?,(Original, New Design, MK-II, and the Sport). The V-bert on the New Design is quite roomy, and longer that a C-25, and has a large opening hatch right above your heads for real nice ventilation. Same with the MK-II version, which is even wider,(the MK-II version uses a completely different hull from the other 3 versions, and is 8" wider giving them an 8'4" beam). Like the C-25, the C-22's,(except the Sport), have a pop-top and a pop-top tent is available, which greatly improves the headroom while on the hook or in the slip. The MK-II interior is completely redesigned and more open. We've modified our MK-II interior turning the V-berth area into a semi-enclosed head with luggage storage. We sleep on the long quarter-berths, and recently had 3" memory foam toppers made for unbelievably comfortable sleeping. The MK-II version were also equipped for the factory mast raising system, which makes raising the mast a safe and easy single person job. Our MK-II is a wing keel model, which is still easy to launch and trailer, and the MK-II's also came in a swing keel version, and the new swing keel design eliminates a lot of the corrosion and maintenance issues of the cast iron swing keels,(similar to the cast iron swing keel on the C-25). As you already mentioned, your looking for a boat that's easily trailered. The C-22 fit's that bill, and is easily trailed with a 1/2 ton truck, where the heavier C-25 is going to need a larger vehicle. I've attached some photos of a stock MK-II interior, and some of our modified interior. The C-22 is just the perfect package for my wife and I to enjoy week long cruises,(8 days on board is our longest cruise to date), easy to trailer and rig, and more affordable with smaller sails and needing a smaller outboard.

Don

Thank you Don! You may have just steered us in a different direction with this info. The C-22 seems to be a more logical upgrade for us but the interior room for 2 people our size was a huge concern. I will start my search for a C-22 New Design and MK-II to see how these might work for us. Can these also be considered good for racing should we decide to eventually try that?

 

[Jackdaw]

I've owned both. The 25 is HUGE compared to the 22 sitting on the trailer. IMO the 25 is too big to be regularly trailered to the lake. Most would get tired of the work. If the goal is to get out on the water a lot, The 22 is the way to go. The extra head room of the 25 will not matter if you are not sailing it.

 

[watercolors II]

22, 250, 25 catalina.

Even the 22 is just a little large for trailer sailing every time sailing. A 19.5 would be a better choice for daysailing and an overnighter, even though small it will be used much more!

If the boat is moored, then the 25 is the way to go. At your body size the 25 is the better choice although the inside standing height is 5.8, the 22 is 4.8 and the 250 roomier than the 22 is 4 inches less than the 22.

The 25, as stated is much easier to sail than the other 2 models and will handle twice the wind and sea loads.

They make a 25 in a pop top model like the 22 which would give you plenty of standing head room at you height for overnight.

As stated the 25 is a little bit more of a load to rig and haul, a modern day vehicle should handle the towing and with a lot of crafting a mast raising setup could make it easy to set up the mast by one person, (don’t let a furler be a purchasing plus, both Don and I feel a furler is not worth the problems on a trailer-boat). A 35 footer yes but, they are not trailerable!

 

[Meriachee]

I'd like to disagree with the furler statement if I may. We had a furler on our previous Mac26c and it didn't take anything away from the ability to rig, or sail the boat, in fact, a lot of the time the genny was simply rolled up and the whole works just lashed to the mast for short travel. We kept the boat for almost 15 years, so it can't be said that it didn't work.
For short handed, lesser experience, or simple comfort in knowing the sail can get dumped in a hurry without leaving the cockpit, a furler can't be beat.

 

[azguy]

while I'm sure it has been done millions of times I wouldn't call the C25 a trailer sailer, it's massive when it's out of the water and on the trailer. Sure you could move it here and there, maybe seasonal relocation, but if you really want to explore I think the C22 is better.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Based on this input, you have to make YOUR decision based on how you plan to use the boat. We trailed our 1981 C22 every summer to a lake a few hours north of here, and trailer sailed it during the winter on SF Bay. We were fortunate that we could keep the mast up during the winter and either drop it in the water with a hoist in our marina (PITA) or drive one block to a launch ramp (illegally driving through a office building's parking lot!!!. Trailering got tiresome quite quickly.

We eventually bought a C25 and sailed it for over 12 years, in the water at a slip.

Two different animals. I wouldn't trailer a C25 unless I had a big truck.

Take Tim's advice and visit the C25 Association website. Post your ? there and they'll be able to help you, too.

As far as room is concerned, one's a small closet and the other is a ballroom. Really. Two very different boats for two very different uses. Only YOU can decide.

Good luck, can't go wrong either way.

 

[Don Guillette]

When I got back into sailing, after getting sick of our children bringing our jet boat back in pieces each time they used it, our first choice was a Mac22. It's like a C22 and we used it up and down the Colorado River. We had more fun with that boat than any I've ever owned. When I took it to Long Beach, Ca my wife was a bit concerned when we took it out in open ocean waters. Shortly, she said those magic words every husband likes to hear --"perhaps we should think of buying a bigger boat!! BANG and I was on that idea. I wanted a C30 but our jobs were shaky so I felt if things turned bad I could get the C25 onto a trailer where I'd be stuck with the C30 in the water. I found and bought a beautiful C25 owned by a boys school in Ventura, Ca. We had as much fun with the C25 as we did with the Mac22 and did enjoy the extra room. After 3 or 4 years and job security I heard those MAGIC WORDS words again and purchased a C30.

If your intention is to trailer sail the way to go is the C22. The C25 is a pain to deal with when launching and towing.