Looking for advice, I have never owned my own boat, but love sailing. My intention is a trailer sailer adventure on many lakes and coastal cruising. My homework has lead me to Catalina 25 or Hunter 25. Your thoughts are appreciated. Thanks, Jack
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What model year are you thinking about?
It makes a differance... They are both good for different reasons. I like Catalina's construction engineer a little better than Hunter's. A little more solid and not as many short cuts. Hunter does have a more cutting edge design. The overall construction is good (except for the shortcuts).
It makes a differance... They are both good for different reasons. I like Catalina's construction engineer a little better than Hunter's. A little more solid and not as many short cuts. Hunter does have a more cutting edge design. The overall construction is good (except for the shortcuts).
trailer sailing
I really can't advise you on a Catalina 25 vs Hunter. I had an Aquarius 23 that I kept on a trailer for one year. I do know that setting up the mast and launching the boat each time I went sailing got to be very old after a while. I finally kept the boat on a slip the last two years that I had her and enjoyed the boat a lot more. Good luck with your adventure and be sure to get a trailer that is designed to launch and retreive frequently. I am buying a Catalina 25 that is on a trailer that is nothing more than a cradle mounted on a tandem chassis--works ok for me as I launch/retrieve once a year. Wish I had time to go up and down the intercoastal sounds like a blast Richard--Owner to be of Irish Ayes-Catalina 25
I really can't advise you on a Catalina 25 vs Hunter. I had an Aquarius 23 that I kept on a trailer for one year. I do know that setting up the mast and launching the boat each time I went sailing got to be very old after a while. I finally kept the boat on a slip the last two years that I had her and enjoyed the boat a lot more. Good luck with your adventure and be sure to get a trailer that is designed to launch and retreive frequently. I am buying a Catalina 25 that is on a trailer that is nothing more than a cradle mounted on a tandem chassis--works ok for me as I launch/retrieve once a year. Wish I had time to go up and down the intercoastal sounds like a blast Richard--Owner to be of Irish Ayes-Catalina 25
Catalina Standard/Tall Rig
Back in the '80s the Catalina 25 came with a standard rig and a tall rig. For trailer sailing the standard rig was easier to set the mast on where as the tall rig took much more effort. Learned this from a group of Catalina 25 owners I met once in Northern California that were returning from a trip. Wound up talking to them and this is the one thing I remember. For what it's worth.
Back in the '80s the Catalina 25 came with a standard rig and a tall rig. For trailer sailing the standard rig was easier to set the mast on where as the tall rig took much more effort. Learned this from a group of Catalina 25 owners I met once in Northern California that were returning from a trip. Wound up talking to them and this is the one thing I remember. For what it's worth.
Which Hunter?
Hunter made a few boats in the 25 foot range. The 25 and the 25.5 2 very different boat's. We sailed and trailored a 25.5 for a few year's. We would haul it to Lake MI. for a 2 week cruise. The Catlaina 25 and the Hunter 25.5 are not really boat's you will want to trailer every weekend. But if plan to haul it drop it in sail a few weeks and then haul it home that will work. The Shoal keel H 25.5 will allow easier on and off the trailer but the deep keel H 25.5 is the better performer. The C 25 has a swing keel for ease in trailoring but then you will have all the swing keel problem's. Broken cable and winching it up and down and also the cable humm. Out of these 2 boats the H 25.5 is bigger and faster offer's allot more space and in my opnion a better boat. Wider side decks bigger cockpit bigger down below with allot of storage. We raced with our 25.5 and did very well beating the C 25 most every time. The H 25.5 is sure one not to over look. Cliff H 23,H 25.5, H 28.5 and now J 29.
Hunter made a few boats in the 25 foot range. The 25 and the 25.5 2 very different boat's. We sailed and trailored a 25.5 for a few year's. We would haul it to Lake MI. for a 2 week cruise. The Catlaina 25 and the Hunter 25.5 are not really boat's you will want to trailer every weekend. But if plan to haul it drop it in sail a few weeks and then haul it home that will work. The Shoal keel H 25.5 will allow easier on and off the trailer but the deep keel H 25.5 is the better performer. The C 25 has a swing keel for ease in trailoring but then you will have all the swing keel problem's. Broken cable and winching it up and down and also the cable humm. Out of these 2 boats the H 25.5 is bigger and faster offer's allot more space and in my opnion a better boat. Wider side decks bigger cockpit bigger down below with allot of storage. We raced with our 25.5 and did very well beating the C 25 most every time. The H 25.5 is sure one not to over look. Cliff H 23,H 25.5, H 28.5 and now J 29.
C25 vs. H25.5
The C25 was built with a swing keel, a fixed fin keel, and when the Ausie's took the cup, Catalina came out with a wing keel. Cliff is correct in all of his statements about the 25.5 Hunter (a nice boat), but he may not have raced against a fin keel tall C25. Either of these boats will be a very nice cruiser, but will be a lot of work trailering. I would recommend a fixed keel for stability (plus no hum). I just have not been a fan of a moveable keel.
The C25 was built with a swing keel, a fixed fin keel, and when the Ausie's took the cup, Catalina came out with a wing keel. Cliff is correct in all of his statements about the 25.5 Hunter (a nice boat), but he may not have raced against a fin keel tall C25. Either of these boats will be a very nice cruiser, but will be a lot of work trailering. I would recommend a fixed keel for stability (plus no hum). I just have not been a fan of a moveable keel.
H 25.5
All the C 25 were tall rig swing keel's. The C 25 guy's told me these were the fastest of the C 25. I even raced against C 25 National Champion and did not have a problem with beating him. Cliff
All the C 25 were tall rig swing keel's. The C 25 guy's told me these were the fastest of the C 25. I even raced against C 25 National Champion and did not have a problem with beating him. Cliff
Test drive them
Jack, See if you can find someone to let you take some of these boats out. Help them step and unstep the mast. I spent almost a decade "rigging" C25's for a dealer in the 80s. I would recommend something a little smaller if you plan on trailering the boat much. Stepping and tuning the mast, then dropping it to haul out is a bit of a pain for just a weekend. I don't know your physical condition, but it's definitely something to consider. As far as the swing keel is concerned, if you're going to sail in shallow waters, it's very useful but there are sacrifices, performance being the biggest. It's another potential point of failure to be watched (primarily the cable - inspect it frequently). Unless you're sailing w/ the keel partially lowered, hum from the cable shouldn't be an issue. Just give it some slack. Most of the C25s I worked on were swing keel. Of the Catalina fleet at the time, I believe these were their worst performance-wise. The tall rig makes up for it some, at the cost of trailerable convenience. A fixed keel makes a big difference. I don't have a lot of experience w/ the H25. My brother had one, but I don't know what year. It was a solid boat. It seemed to sail better than the C25s. Catalina makes (or made?) solid boats. When working for the dealer, someone brought in a C22 that they had been towing from NY to FL, when the hitch separated. The boat on the trailer passed them on their starboard at about 50 knots, hit a gaurdrail, and rolled over. A few stanchions were bent, and the companionway hatch was damaged, but the hull and deck looked fine. We sent it to our glass shop for a thorough inspection, but it certainly wasn't coming apart. Not sure sure that'd be the case w/ some other production boats I've sailed.
Jack, See if you can find someone to let you take some of these boats out. Help them step and unstep the mast. I spent almost a decade "rigging" C25's for a dealer in the 80s. I would recommend something a little smaller if you plan on trailering the boat much. Stepping and tuning the mast, then dropping it to haul out is a bit of a pain for just a weekend. I don't know your physical condition, but it's definitely something to consider. As far as the swing keel is concerned, if you're going to sail in shallow waters, it's very useful but there are sacrifices, performance being the biggest. It's another potential point of failure to be watched (primarily the cable - inspect it frequently). Unless you're sailing w/ the keel partially lowered, hum from the cable shouldn't be an issue. Just give it some slack. Most of the C25s I worked on were swing keel. Of the Catalina fleet at the time, I believe these were their worst performance-wise. The tall rig makes up for it some, at the cost of trailerable convenience. A fixed keel makes a big difference. I don't have a lot of experience w/ the H25. My brother had one, but I don't know what year. It was a solid boat. It seemed to sail better than the C25s. Catalina makes (or made?) solid boats. When working for the dealer, someone brought in a C22 that they had been towing from NY to FL, when the hitch separated. The boat on the trailer passed them on their starboard at about 50 knots, hit a gaurdrail, and rolled over. A few stanchions were bent, and the companionway hatch was damaged, but the hull and deck looked fine. We sent it to our glass shop for a thorough inspection, but it certainly wasn't coming apart. Not sure sure that'd be the case w/ some other production boats I've sailed.
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