Catalina 25, not really in love

[we5coopers]

Hi there!

We have a Cat 25 after having owned a SJ24. I must say it is quite different and I really cant say I like the way it sails compared to the SJ24. It feels like a tub in the water and the heal makes it feel even worse. Not very good control with the rudder so wondering if a blue water would make a difference as she doesn't respond well at all.

Any pointers on healing? I don't like to take her out if the wind is more then 12-15, feels out of control and tippy.

 

[we5coopers]

to add.. we sail in a lake in North TX (not in a bay or river)

 

[Stu Jackson]

Re: Catalina 25

All boats behave differently. We had a C25 for over 12 years and loved it. Reef early and often. You should get to know the skippers on the C25 forum. Google it.

 

[Jackdaw]

The boats were designed for different audiences. Your SJ was a Bruce Kirby designed race boat. The c25, while being about as fast, is a bigger cruiser. It's going to respond slower. Sit back and enjoy twice the space!

 

[sinnettc]

If you have a tall rig then you'll definitely need to go to a smaller jib or first reef at 12-15 as previously mentioned. Our Capri 22 tall rig is great in light air but the extra 3 feet of mast makes a big difference when the wind pipes up.

Old sails vs new sails can make a difference too. I was amazed at the difference it made when we went from the factory main to a new racing main.

 

[jrowan]

We had a C 25 & they can get a little tender when the wind really pipes up. But all boats in this size range or similar in that regard. I am assuming you had a J24 (not familiar with the SJ) which is really a race boat, & handles much better then a C-25. The first thing to do is reef early. The second piece of advice is that the C 25 does not come standard with a boom vang. This is really necessary to help keep the boom from rising & stops excessive twist of the main at the foot of the sail. Is your boat a swing keel? If so always sail with the keel fully down to improve performance. With the board down she has a 5 foot draft, which is actually very deep for a boat of this size, & improves windward pointing & performance.

 

[we5coopers]

Thanks for your replies! Yes she has a swing keel and its always fully down. The sails are a bit older and we do not have a boom vang, all good suggestions. The boat we had before the cat was a San Juan 24 a Bruce Kirby racer. She was much thinner and could handle all types of wind. I really don't like the rudder on the CAT and we are thinking of replacing, but before all of the new items to see if we can get her under control we may just sell her and go back to a SJ or a J boat. We liked the idea of more room but really didn't think that the sail would be that much of a difference. Any suggestions on where we can get a boom vang for the cat?

 

[hewebb]

I have a Wing Keel 25 and am pleased with it. Sail it at Lake Texhoma, Possum Kingdom, Eagle Mountain and the Gulf and occasionally in some stiff winds. I have reefed it a couple of times and used a partial furled 150 genoa. The boat will round up in a strong wind close hauled but it is rare that I have buried the toe rail. Did get knocked down once. I normally prefer a wind in the 10 to 15K range. I have not owned/sailed other keeled 25's so cannot compare it. I have been on a water ballast and to me that was a tender boat.

 

[ftworthsailor]

Any suggestions on where we can get a boom vang for the cat?

I am the proud owner of two Catalina 25's, one is a Standard Rig, Fixed Keel and the other is a Standard Rig, swing keel. At our lake, the swing keel boats are definitely slower than my FK, in most wind conditions. I am also located in North Texas (Lake Worth) and while our lake is very small compared to other lakes in the area, I find that it is fine for day sailing and provides some interesting challenges (a bridge tall enough to sail under) and some great scenery (rolling hills and the added bonus of a naval air station that flies some state of the art aircraft over the lake).

When I purchased both of my C-25's, neither came complete with all hardware and rigging. I used EBAY and CatalinaDirect for acquisition of most of what I was missing. I also found a great resource in the owners of the other 5 C-25's that sail on this lake.

As for a boom vang, you can either purchase one complete or you can simply do as I have and purchase the same hardware you would for the sheets and tacle for your boom and make your own. In my case, I replaced all the hardware with slightly larger pulleys as I enjoy using 7/16" line for my halyard and sheets (they are easier to handle for my old and worn out hands...).

My C-25's are not in pristine condition, however they are clean and very sail-able. You can usually find me out on the lake every weekend and sometimes on Wednesday evenings....

Roy

 

[Alansails]

We previously owned and sailed a Catalina 25 Tall Rig/Swing Keel for 10 Years, we sailed her the last four on Lake Erie. Check and see if you have a balanced rudder that will help.But with the tall rig, one has to reef early and shorten headsail (do you have Roller furling?) but we sailed the 25 in ALL kinds of wind and weather (we are NOT fair weather sailors), on Lake Erie and enjoyed it. The 25 is a Great boat. Hope you enjoy her to the max.

 

[SailorJeffToo]

It feels like a tub in the water and the heal (sic) makes it feel even worse. Not very good control with the rudder . . . she doesn't respond well at all.

You are describing what happens when your rudder is overpowered by your sails; the Center of Effort (CE) is either too far forward or too far aft and the rudder doesn't have enough power to overcome. The excessive heel is caused by CE being too high. When you reef your main, you also need to adjust your jib (usually either by reefing or changing sails to a smaller jib). It's all part of adjusting to wind and sea conditions. It's also possible that your sails aren't cut quite right for your boat (resulting in the CE changing in an incorrect way when you reef). I haven't sailed Cat 25s in some years, but when I was, we sailed in 5 knots of wind up to 30 with 2 mains (for light air & heavy air, cut differently and with different weights of cloth) and up to 5 jibs (40%, 60%, 100%, 120% & 140%, I never had roller furling in those days). Cat 25s are good cruising boats; if you want something that handles like a racing boat, you may want something different.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Garhauer makes great and inexpensive hardware for all boats. We sailed our C25 with an 85% jib in the heavy summer winds here, with a 110 for winter. I do the same with our C34 since 1998. I never reef a jib, I use the appropriate jib for the conditions, since a masthead rigged sloop has its drive from the jib. Use the right sized jib and reef the main first and the boat willl sail much better, even with old sails (which we had!).

 

[sinnettc]

If you can find one, a Capri 25 is both sporty and a lot roomier than a J24.

 

[Alansails]

At the Chicago Boat show we saw the New Catalina 27, Just break out the plastic credit card... nice boat..looks fast

 

[alfreddiaz]

So did you sell or keep at it with the Cat 25 Tall Rig? I just bought one and have taken it out a few times. And I am new to sailing. I will say when I look at all the boats in our marina, my boat's mast is taller than other 25s and equal to all the 26s and 27s. I image this is going to come in handy in lighter winds. And we tend to get a lot of 5 to 8 mph days in the summer. Had it out on one recently and it was great. Then we had an 18 mph day and I decided to skip sailing till I got better at it. I think I will like the boat because I need a big family cruiser. But what has me confounded is that long and low mainsheet adjuster. I see now that it is a common problem with the Cat 25 tall rig. And I am considering moving the mainsheet and traveler or just the mainsheet and forego the traveler (as I am too green to use it now property) up forward to the middle of the cockpit. So how goes it? Did you do any modifications? Any advice? Thanks.

 

[markwbird]

sell it

I had a C-25 standard rig with a swing keel. It was my first boat so I did not know it was a pig. I sold it and bought a Hunter 25.5 and I realized what I had been missing. The C-25 is a camper on the water. It was actually easier to sell than the Hunter 25.5 because it had the amenities that prospective buyers are looking for. No one understands until later the difference between a boat that really sails well and a camper. If you decide to hold on to it for awhile put a large genoa on it like a 155. She likes a big headsail.