Hello, I am in serious persuit of buying my first boat within a month or two, and have I have a strong preference for the Catalina 25. Question on placement of the outboard. I read somewhere that this model boat was designed and balanced to have the outboard placed on the starboard side. One of the items to look for on a used Catalina 25 is the fact that many owners that upgraded from the 22 to the 25 placed the outboard on the port side, thus creating a blance problem. Is there some truth to this? Would seriously appreciate some enlightening on this subject - on my way to possibly make an offer on a boat this weekend. Thanks, Esteban
- Status
C25 Info Source is the Association Website
You need to go to the related link to the C25 website. They have all the answers. Check out the C25 survey on their message board. Stu
You need to go to the related link to the C25 website. They have all the answers. Check out the C25 survey on their message board. Stu
Chances are that . . .
the C25 you buy will already have the motor mount installed. You will probably want to go with it as is unless you experience difficulties. The C22 has the motor on the left and the sliding galley is on the right (both of about equal weight). I'm sure the folks over on the C25 site will have a lot more to say about it. Best of luck with your pending purchase. Regards, Ted
the C25 you buy will already have the motor mount installed. You will probably want to go with it as is unless you experience difficulties. The C22 has the motor on the left and the sliding galley is on the right (both of about equal weight). I'm sure the folks over on the C25 site will have a lot more to say about it. Best of luck with your pending purchase. Regards, Ted
C-25 outboard on port side
The primary reason that an outboard of the roughly five to fifteen horsepower size that is normally placed onto a bracket on the transom of a C-25 is placed onto the port side of the transom is because the tiller that nearly all these engines have is on the engine’s port side. Were the engines to be placed onto the starboard side, these tillers when moved to turn the boat right or to starboard would possibly bump into the top of the rudder and limit the turning of the engine. Note that as this is performed, the rudder itself is pivoting its rear towards the engine and hence is coming closer to the engine tiller as well. Therefore, the engine is placed onto the port side. Most likely the C-25 that you are looking at will have at least an engine bracket, and possibly outboard, mounted on the port side. However, this boat may not have ever had an engine, much less engine bracket installed. If such is the case, then your next question will be were to mount the engine bracket, preferably on the port side, for which the best answer will come from the link that Stu graciously provided. Nevertheless, the C-25 may possibly have its engine mount on the starboard side. In that particular instance, I would inquire of the owner why that is the case, such as the possibility of the tiller on the engine being removed and a device connecting the engine to the rudder employed in its place. In addition, if such specific cause were the reason for the engine on the starboard side, I would definitely see if that engine and device could be sold with the vessel as well. I do know that at least some Yamaha engines have their tiller placed more amidships than to port as other engines. As such, these may be successfully used on the starboard side of a C-25, although I have never seen this performed. BTW, if you think that a left handed person has an easier time handling an outboard tiller than a right handed person, well being left handed, I can tell you that such cannot be the case.
The primary reason that an outboard of the roughly five to fifteen horsepower size that is normally placed onto a bracket on the transom of a C-25 is placed onto the port side of the transom is because the tiller that nearly all these engines have is on the engine’s port side. Were the engines to be placed onto the starboard side, these tillers when moved to turn the boat right or to starboard would possibly bump into the top of the rudder and limit the turning of the engine. Note that as this is performed, the rudder itself is pivoting its rear towards the engine and hence is coming closer to the engine tiller as well. Therefore, the engine is placed onto the port side. Most likely the C-25 that you are looking at will have at least an engine bracket, and possibly outboard, mounted on the port side. However, this boat may not have ever had an engine, much less engine bracket installed. If such is the case, then your next question will be were to mount the engine bracket, preferably on the port side, for which the best answer will come from the link that Stu graciously provided. Nevertheless, the C-25 may possibly have its engine mount on the starboard side. In that particular instance, I would inquire of the owner why that is the case, such as the possibility of the tiller on the engine being removed and a device connecting the engine to the rudder employed in its place. In addition, if such specific cause were the reason for the engine on the starboard side, I would definitely see if that engine and device could be sold with the vessel as well. I do know that at least some Yamaha engines have their tiller placed more amidships than to port as other engines. As such, these may be successfully used on the starboard side of a C-25, although I have never seen this performed. BTW, if you think that a left handed person has an easier time handling an outboard tiller than a right handed person, well being left handed, I can tell you that such cannot be the case.
Move it to starboard
My previous boat was a 1980 C25. It came equipped with a Honda 10 Hp outboard on the port side. With the engine, galley, head and holding tank all on port there was about 3 degrees port list at the dock. It always drove me nuts, especially when trying to sleep. I moved the motor bracket to starboard and lived happily ever after. The boat sat level and I had no problems with the tiller and motor interfering. The motor tiller/throttle behind the main tiller due to the bracket.
My previous boat was a 1980 C25. It came equipped with a Honda 10 Hp outboard on the port side. With the engine, galley, head and holding tank all on port there was about 3 degrees port list at the dock. It always drove me nuts, especially when trying to sleep. I moved the motor bracket to starboard and lived happily ever after. The boat sat level and I had no problems with the tiller and motor interfering. The motor tiller/throttle behind the main tiller due to the bracket.
C25 Outboards II
Bayard Nice analysis and well written. My understanding is that the C25 started with the engine on the port side on the earlier boats and then moved them to starboard starting in the early 80's. In any event, given the distance from the bracket (even in the DOWN position) and the front of the motor, to the transom, most all C25 sailors HAD to find a way to keep the throttle handle in the UP position, since there was never enough distance to have it down. On our Mercury 7.5 HP on our 1981 C25, we simply hooked a bungee cord around the engine throttle handle and hooked it into the handhold on the aft end of the engine motor cover. I almost always only used the rudder to control the boat (gee, like real BIG boats) rather than play the rudder and the motor together, unless the space was really tight. The C25 site has a very good discussion on motor locations in their recent message board posts (one of the members is doing a survey of all the C25s ever built), so before you move your motor from one side to the other, check the C25 site out. Stu
Bayard Nice analysis and well written. My understanding is that the C25 started with the engine on the port side on the earlier boats and then moved them to starboard starting in the early 80's. In any event, given the distance from the bracket (even in the DOWN position) and the front of the motor, to the transom, most all C25 sailors HAD to find a way to keep the throttle handle in the UP position, since there was never enough distance to have it down. On our Mercury 7.5 HP on our 1981 C25, we simply hooked a bungee cord around the engine throttle handle and hooked it into the handhold on the aft end of the engine motor cover. I almost always only used the rudder to control the boat (gee, like real BIG boats) rather than play the rudder and the motor together, unless the space was really tight. The C25 site has a very good discussion on motor locations in their recent message board posts (one of the members is doing a survey of all the C25s ever built), so before you move your motor from one side to the other, check the C25 site out. Stu
my C25 had the motor
mounted on the starboard side. she was 87 tall rig, fin keel. I never had any the problems discussed with the steering. the motor was a 8hp Johnson xlong shaft. like Stu all steering was done with the tiller except in real tight places.
mounted on the starboard side. she was 87 tall rig, fin keel. I never had any the problems discussed with the steering. the motor was a 8hp Johnson xlong shaft. like Stu all steering was done with the tiller except in real tight places.
- Status