Catalina 25 Trailer

Sep 11, 2013
242
Catalina 25 6106 Lake Erie Metro Park
I'm looking at a Catalina 25 that's on a roller type trailer. All the trailer sailers that I've seen have been on bunk type trailers. The seller claims that the trailer is correct for the boat but I'm a little skeptical.

Wouldn't the rollers cause the weigh to be concentrated over a relatively small area and run the risk if damaging the bottom (oil-canning)?

If I buy this boat I'd been trailering a good 350 miles over some rough roads....

Tom G
 
Jul 21, 2016
42
san juan 7.7 wabamun
A friend has a Catalina 25, swing keel. His trailer is the roller type and hasn't had any problems. I know he has hauled it at least a couple hundred km at a time on at least 3 occasions. Hasn't seemed to hurt it at all.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
If they are good rollers (wide tires) and there a bunch of them they actually distribute the weight over a larger area of the hull than bunks. I think the problem sail boaters have with rollers is that they provide far less friction than bunks, so if you forget to hook up your bow hook or lock the winch strap and smash the gas going up the ramp the hull might just slide off the trailer. I'm almost 100% certain you could easily find a youtube video of this happening in a heartbeat.
 
Oct 11, 2017
8
Catalina C-25 Hendersonville
Okay, I am a newbie. However, I got my C25 as is on the trailer. The bunk-type set-up, which I believe is what I have, is perfect for the lift job at a marina. Do bare in mind the that my boat is a fin keel. Trailer-ing a swing keel or wing-keel up and down a boat ramp might benefit more from the roller-type set-up. See my rig by clicking the link below. We towed it from the graveyard around 200 miles. She still looks happy with her bunk!
https://rehabcatalina.blogspot.com/2018/01/welcome-aboard.html
 
Jan 21, 2009
253
Catalina 30 Lake Perry, KS
Had a 1978 Cat 25 which came with an EZ Loader roller trailer, as did most of the swing keelers had around here. Make sure the boat is well connected to the trailer winch and locked in place when launching , otherwise the boat will fly off the trailer.
 
Aug 20, 2019
2
Catalina 25 Hilltop Marina, Essex, MD
Hi All,
Newbie to SailboatOwners.
I just purchased a used trailer for my Catalina 25 swing keel. Does anyone know how much the rollers should be elevated to allow space for the swing keel? I plan to install guides and support for the keel. This leads me to my next question: Once the boat is on the trailer, is it advisable to lower the keel so that it's resting slightly on the support?
Thanks
 

TEM58

.
Apr 4, 2013
25
Catalina 350 35 Belton, TX
Yes, you absolutely need to lower the keel onto a support once you have the boat on the trailer. The keel is very heavy and will damage the lifting hardware if you keep it raised. As far as height goes, keep the rollers as low as possible but that will still allow you to lower the keel a few inches. The lower the boat rides, the easier it is to trailer, launch, and recover. Never allow the boat to rest on the keel— this could cause significant damage to the fiberglass keel trunk and hinge housing.

These are great boats, I had one for years, and are a blast to sail. Enjoy. 43A6DE20-F160-472D-AC5D-002A381B4D85.jpeg
 
Aug 20, 2019
2
Catalina 25 Hilltop Marina, Essex, MD
Yes, you absolutely need to lower the keel onto a support once you have the boat on the trailer. The keel is very heavy and will damage the lifting hardware if you keep it raised. As far as height goes, keep the rollers as low as possible but that will still allow you to lower the keel a few inches. The lower the boat rides, the easier it is to trailer, launch, and recover. Never allow the boat to rest on the keel— this could cause significant damage to the fiberglass keel trunk and hinge housing.

These are great boats, I had one for years, and are a blast to sail. Enjoy. View attachment 168659
Thanks for getting back to me. Yes, keeping the keel trunk and hinge housing intact is of utmost importance.
 
Oct 16, 2019
1
Catalina 25 Lake Texoma
I'm new to this site, but have been sailing my C-25 swing keel for about 10 years. Like probably many others, I bought my boat on the water and don't have a trailer. :-( I've paid someone a few times to move the boat to some different local lakes in the Dallas area, but now I am considering moving it several hours away and most of the haulers want to charge more than the boat is worth, so it might be a better option to just sell the boat and buy another one where we are moving to. So...

Does anyone have any clever options for obtaining a trailer temporarily or permanently? I could potentially buy one outright, but again, I might be better off selling the boat. I would consider paying a fellow C-25 owner who wanted to move my boat (300 miles away). I would happily pay someone to borrow their trailer for a few days and would consider buying a used one. I'm guessing there are numerous serviceable trailers sitting unused in various places around the country, but how does one find them? Anybody within a few hours of Dallas that would be interested in loaning theirs out for the right price? I'd appreciate any suggestions or tips. Thanks!
 

TEM58

.
Apr 4, 2013
25
Catalina 350 35 Belton, TX
I feel your pain looking for a way to move your Cat 25. I looked for nearly a year when I was trying to move mine from Austin to our home lake. Ended up modifying a powerboat trailer. It was not a fun experience. Give Fred Schroth a call at Schroth Fiberglass in Austin. He moves boats on occasion and may be able to help, or connect you with someone. Especially if you are moving south fromTexoma.
 
Nov 18, 2019
3
Catalina 25 Deltaville, va
I had the same issue. Bought a c25 in Kerr Lake Va. but wanted her in the Chesapeake or take her to Key West.
Moving her using a mover would've cost over $1k. I just kept perusing marinas and craigslist and found a dual axle for $900. I modified the trailer by using thick wall square tubing bolted to the frame(added 8 different points, 4 on each side for a total of 6 on each side) then used scaffolding adjustable feet inverted and dropped into the square tubing with carpeted plywood 18x18" squares for support against the hull.
This can be done to any tralier so long as it a dual axle which can support 4500#. My axles support 3500 each.
You can modify a single axle trailer as well by adding another axle. It gets a little tricky where the springs meet but well worth having a trailer to take your boat anywhere! Mine sits in my yard ready to roll!
If you need help let me know and I'll try.
Cannot post pics due to size of the file but just web search catalina 25 on a trailer then hit images to get the idea.
 
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Nov 18, 2019
3
Catalina 25 Deltaville, va
I had the same issue. Bought a c25 in Kerr Lake Va. but wanted her in the Chesapeake or take her to Key West.
Moving her using a mover would've cost over $1k. I just kept perusing marinas and craigslist and found a dual axle for $900. I modified the trailer by using thick wall square tubing bolted to the frame(8 different points, 4 on each side) then used scaffolding adjustable feet inverted and dropped into the square tubing with carpeted plywood 18x18" squares for support against the hull.
This can be done to any tralier so long as it a dual axle which can support 4500#. My axles support 3500 each.
You can modify a single axle trailer as well by adding another axle. It gets a little tricky where the springs meet but well worth having a trailer to take your boat anywhere! Mine sits in my yard ready to roll!
If you need help let me know and I'll try.
Cannot post pics due to size of the file but just web search catalina 25 on a trailer then hit images to get the idea.
I also made a tongue extension (20' of 4-5" square 1/4" thick walled steel tubing which bolts to the trailer tongue over 2 1/2 feet for leverage. Put a new braking trailer coupler on and can launch in very shallow waters with the steel tongue wheel down.
Very cool. Lol.
 
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Aug 16, 2021
1
LaserPerformance Laser Lake Huron
Looking at a few early/mid 80's Catalina 25 swing keel boats with the intent on purchasing soon. The only issue is that most are over 200 miles from my location. From the photos that I've seen, the standard trailer did indeed have rollers. Can anyone confirm the axle/hub size for these trailers? I'd like to purchase bearings and seals before hand and perform that job prior to towing an unknown trailer 300 miles. Are the bearing and seal sizes standardized enough that I can purchase ahead of time or am I going to have to disassemble on-site, measure, and purchase locally before driving home?