C275 New Owner (heavily biased) own review...

Jul 24, 2018
34
Catalina 275 36 Sydney Harbour
I recently purchased Australia’s demonstration model C275 (2016 fin keel) and LOVE this boat. I think I’m bang on its (not so) hard to imagine target market. Furthermore based on apparently low and now a while ago peaked sales for this boat I'm evidently perhaps also of an increasingly less prolific demographic.

I’m a lifelong ‘in the blood’ sailor with experience in all shape/size/displacement monohulls however being now forty-something with a wife and kid I make no apologies for wanting a low-maintenance down-scale compromise between new or old model production boats either too racy or too cruisy for a swim off the back day-sailing brief. Sapphire came 'as new' in so far as no previous owner, less than 30hrs on the diesel, barely used sails, a few nice upgrades/goodies (folding prop, asym with top-down furler, spinlock tiller extension etc) and was kept pristine condition as a dealer show pony.

It might sound naff to many SA devotees but I’m an old-school Corinthian/amateur/purist. That is to say when the afternoon sea-breeze kicks in I’m partial to going for a sail with a cold beer - for the sake of it. Happy either on my own or with friends, on a bash out through Sydney Heads and back just for the craic. the C275 is great for both. I even like the 70’s powder blue hull!

It’s not an ultra-light displacement flyer however kept relatively light ship with clean bottom folding prop and properly shaped mainsail for given conditions using its decent suite of rig/hardware/strings - in any breeze above 10 knots (you wouldn’t go surfing in little waves so why bother sailing in little wind) the boat is quick, easily driven, modest beam light helm under heel, and with just enough hull in the water to slice through a ferry wake. An absolute pleasure to sail.

The low cabin enables sight-lines to anywhere from anywhere in the cockpit (where you spend 95% of your time in this climate anyway) meaning it was never going to be a gin palace below deck, however if you do get back to your mooring too late to go home and/or want to stay anchored off some cracking beach overnight - it’s perfectly cosy digs and with adequate amenity for a family of 3 such as my own.

In summary: if you want to play house with minimum 4-5 star accommodation and/or need to keep pace with the latest carbon çr*p into a bucket sports-boat the C275 won’t cut it so keep saving up.

Otherwise… take off your shoes, put an open cold beer into a C275 cockpit drink holder, get the Dacron up and raked back (in no time) throw the buoy, then with tiller in one hand and main-sheet in the other… go for a sail.

Cheers All


C275.jpg
 
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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
This boat really appealed to me, but the cabin and $80k starting price is a problem. After getting to know my O'day I realize that a larger cockpit is really important, but at the same time my wife likes a real cabin so I need both.
 
Jun 6, 2016
204
Catalina 275 Wilmette, IL
Welcome to the "unofficial" C275 forum and congratulations on your new boat! Four years in and I'm still happy with my purchase. It really is a nice easy sailing daysailor and the furling spin adds to the fun. But to really enjoy it as a platform to have a beer on, you should consider the latches I added to the cooler door (see "pimp"). It makes even getting a beer fun!
 
Jul 24, 2018
34
Catalina 275 36 Sydney Harbour
Codybear, I (and I suspect many other C275 owners/non-owners) have gotten more info about this boat and its potential from your early appraisals + ongoing pimp upgrades than from anywhere else. From what I can gather amongst a relatively small online C275 community, you're the man.

I've told my wife about cool stuff 'this guy in America' has done to his boat… but reluctant to show her your pimp blog on basis she might see the pics then not let me rest until ours also has pressurized hot & cold + an push button toilet flushing etc etc.

Your eski drawer latches and the out-haul cam-clete are both inexpensive entirely practical solutions (both of which I will have to crib at some point) to niggling things that could have been designed out, or at least identified and tweaked during test phase.

Back on the subject of pressurized water, one thing I thought might be handy and suit the boat: one of those pull-out salt hand showers for post swim salt water rinse-off, I'm thinking located just to the right of the throttle leaver at the back of the cockpit (the type housed behind a flush close-able hatch). I've never seen a large open self-draining cockpit better suited. It might also better justify that 68 litre fresh water tank.
 
Jun 6, 2016
204
Catalina 275 Wilmette, IL
Then you also better not tell her the toilet is ceramic as well. Hot water? Now that would be a luxury for a C275. If I was in salt water, I definitely would have already added a hand-held in the back. With the pump (ie. water) in the cockpit locker, it would be a breeze.
 
Jul 24, 2018
34
Catalina 275 36 Sydney Harbour
This boat really appealed to me, but the cabin and $80k starting price is a problem. After getting to know my O'day I realize that a larger cockpit is really important, but at the same time my wife likes a real cabin so I need both.
The C275 lack of standing headroom is definitely a pain (in the lower back, to be precise). Its definitely all about being up in the cockpit.

Before discovering two locally available C275's I actually spent months online fixated by the Dutch Saffier Se 26 which I thought (and still think) is a beautifully crafted day-sailor. I kept showing photos/videos of it to my wife explaining it as my dream boat, and on basis there are no distributors down here it was really only ever going to be just that. My wife also liked the social and ergonomic cockpit, but didn't rate the portapotty under the V-birth (or the idea of somehow having to crouch down in a cabinless space to use it).

So then more recently I find and show to her photo's of this new and YES locally available C275 thing... with its fully enclosed head/galley cabinet/solid table, portholes etc... and she's a fan!

Yes, the moral of this story is all about inadvertently (even if accidently) setting modest expectation from the off!
 
Jul 24, 2018
34
Catalina 275 36 Sydney Harbour
Damn. Truth be told: I suggested the cockpit hand-shower half thinking you might run with it and post pics of the set-up describing easiest way to do it! (my laziness gets in the way of starting many projects)
 
Jun 6, 2016
204
Catalina 275 Wilmette, IL
Sorry, but I just didn't see the purpose of rinsing off with fresh water after climbing out of fresh water. But now you can add one to your boat and look like a hero to your wife by saying that guy in America doesn't even have one. Maybe she'll forget about the electric flush toilet.
 
Jul 24, 2018
34
Catalina 275 36 Sydney Harbour
Sorry, but I just didn't see the purpose of rinsing off with fresh water after climbing out of fresh water. But now you can add one to your boat and look like a hero to your wife by saying that guy in America doesn't even have one. Maybe she'll forget about the electric flush toilet.
I understand, initially hadn't appreciated you were fresh water lake sailing. I finally showed her your pimp blog this morning. Straight away she zeroed in on your sink and basin taps...
 
Jun 6, 2016
204
Catalina 275 Wilmette, IL
I finally showed her your pimp blog this morning. Straight away she zeroed in on your sink and basin taps...
What were you thinking? Well, now that you are going to have to add a pump to support your new taps, the cockpit hand-held will be a breeze.
 
Jun 6, 2016
204
Catalina 275 Wilmette, IL
"Fresh" water does not mean "clean" water.
Yes, Lake Michigan has something like 400+ chemicals in it and most are not filtered for the tap. So at that point, swimming or drinking is almost the same. Eventually you are going to die from something. The anti-fouling paint is probably at the top.
 
Jul 24, 2018
34
Catalina 275 36 Sydney Harbour
What were you thinking? Well, now that you are going to have to add a pump to support your new taps, the cockpit hand-held will be a breeze.
It was a moment of madness. I went to show her the solution for main traveler line getting wrapped around the car block (a job even I could find motivation to start and finish using a cable tie) but I didn't scroll down fast enough.