I have a dilemma, and I want to ask you for your advice. I am in the market for a 25' trailerable sailboat, and have decided on either an O'Day or a Catalina. I have heard or read no comparisons between the two and I'm having difficulty choosing. I'm leaning toward the Catalina because I've read that the O'Day tends to have pretty heavy weather helm. Have any of you "old salts" sailed both, and if so, could you give me a comparison? Thanks
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Go with Catalina
simply because the company still exists and if you need help with something, the builder is only a phone call away. Rp.
simply because the company still exists and if you need help with something, the builder is only a phone call away. Rp.
choice
Chris I have owned a 22, 27 and now a 30 Catalina, I also owned an oday 272 between the cat 27 and 30. I can't talk about the characteristics of the cat 25 or oday 25 but I cannot say enough about the Catalina company support and the assistance of this "owners" web site which pools the knowledge of many Catalina owners. If the characteristics of the two boats and the condition of the two boats were similar I would go with the Catalina.
Chris I have owned a 22, 27 and now a 30 Catalina, I also owned an oday 272 between the cat 27 and 30. I can't talk about the characteristics of the cat 25 or oday 25 but I cannot say enough about the Catalina company support and the assistance of this "owners" web site which pools the knowledge of many Catalina owners. If the characteristics of the two boats and the condition of the two boats were similar I would go with the Catalina.
The chain plates in the O'Day
check them. Do they attach to the forward bulkhead? Is it in good shape!
check them. Do they attach to the forward bulkhead? Is it in good shape!
Pick the one you like!
Tour them, sail them, then offer for the one you like, being sure to find a good surveyor, and put a survey clause in the contract. It really is that simple! By the way, Catalina _does_ have a good reputation for on-going support. But classic plastic boats all have pretty much the same set of issues. Between this website, friends, WM, and Hunter, I've always ben able to get the answers and sources I need for our 26 year old boat. Good Luck! David Lady Lillie
Tour them, sail them, then offer for the one you like, being sure to find a good surveyor, and put a survey clause in the contract. It really is that simple! By the way, Catalina _does_ have a good reputation for on-going support. But classic plastic boats all have pretty much the same set of issues. Between this website, friends, WM, and Hunter, I've always ben able to get the answers and sources I need for our 26 year old boat. Good Luck! David Lady Lillie
We've Sailed Both
Chris Had a C25 for 11 years. Sailed an O'Day 25 in Victoria, BC one day. Not an exact comparison, but at least we've seen both. They sail pretty well, but the condition of the sails will have a lot to do with it. Never notcied the weather helm problem you described. Could just be bad sail trimming. The interiors are like night and day. The O'Day had a galley that went under the companionway steps, and there was no quarterberth, just a lot of storage in the cockpit lockers. The C25 has the quarterberth and three interior layout options: traditional, dinette and something in between. We felt that the C25 felt much bigger down below. Don't know if the O'Day had a poptop, either. Since Catalina is still in business, and Catalina Direct has parts, and the C25/250 Association has one of the best websites going for technical information about the C25, what's the dilemma? Good luck, Stu
Chris Had a C25 for 11 years. Sailed an O'Day 25 in Victoria, BC one day. Not an exact comparison, but at least we've seen both. They sail pretty well, but the condition of the sails will have a lot to do with it. Never notcied the weather helm problem you described. Could just be bad sail trimming. The interiors are like night and day. The O'Day had a galley that went under the companionway steps, and there was no quarterberth, just a lot of storage in the cockpit lockers. The C25 has the quarterberth and three interior layout options: traditional, dinette and something in between. We felt that the C25 felt much bigger down below. Don't know if the O'Day had a poptop, either. Since Catalina is still in business, and Catalina Direct has parts, and the C25/250 Association has one of the best websites going for technical information about the C25, what's the dilemma? Good luck, Stu
You should look at the Hunter 25.5
You will be missing the boat if you do not look at the Hunter 25.5. It is by far the best boat in this class of boats. The Shoal draft boat is as trailerable as both the Oday and Catalina. It has a beam of 9 feet has more room below bigger cockpit and will out sail both of them anyday of the week. It has a better PHRF number meaning faster than both boat's. At dock with the pop top up on a hot day is like having AC. Cockpit is bigger than both. It is a boat you should take a look at. We now have a Hunter 28.5 and are real serious about selling it to go back to a 25.5 so we can explore more of the Great Lake's. Cliff H 28.5 Red Dog Cliff
You will be missing the boat if you do not look at the Hunter 25.5. It is by far the best boat in this class of boats. The Shoal draft boat is as trailerable as both the Oday and Catalina. It has a beam of 9 feet has more room below bigger cockpit and will out sail both of them anyday of the week. It has a better PHRF number meaning faster than both boat's. At dock with the pop top up on a hot day is like having AC. Cockpit is bigger than both. It is a boat you should take a look at. We now have a Hunter 28.5 and are real serious about selling it to go back to a 25.5 so we can explore more of the Great Lake's. Cliff H 28.5 Red Dog Cliff
Cliff, my wife drives a 944 (non turbo)
Words have not been created yet to discribe HOW MUCH I HATE THAT CAR!!!!
Words have not been created yet to discribe HOW MUCH I HATE THAT CAR!!!!
no sir, Cliff
in your opinion the Hunter is a better boat. as a Catalina owner I have a different opinion. dont take the Kia comment as any more than the joke it was. my first reply to this thread was do you like Fords or Chevys! but, if you can afford a Porsche why aren't you sailing a Swan? GO CATALINA, THE MOST BOAT YOU CAN BUY FOR THE $$$$!
BTW, I drive an old Ford Explorer with 165,000 miles on it. IMHO another good value for the $$$.
in your opinion the Hunter is a better boat. as a Catalina owner I have a different opinion. dont take the Kia comment as any more than the joke it was. my first reply to this thread was do you like Fords or Chevys! but, if you can afford a Porsche why aren't you sailing a Swan? GO CATALINA, THE MOST BOAT YOU CAN BUY FOR THE $$$$!
BTW, I drive an old Ford Explorer with 165,000 miles on it. IMHO another good value for the $$$.Check this link
Here is a link to compare the Catalina 25 to the Hunter 25.5... Not much difference I'm afraid
Here is a link to compare the Catalina 25 to the Hunter 25.5... Not much difference I'm afraid
Another thought
I Knew the Kia was a joke. About the Porsche they are wonderful cars but need allot of care. I just dropped $3000.00 in it for a new clutch and some other needed maintence I have always wanted one. They are cars that need care but my like new 944 turbo is a real head turner. Not many people do a double take on Mustangs or Corvette's. There pretty common. The Porsche is kinda like owning a boat. I seem to just drop money in it and love driving it. I have sailed on both the Catalina and Oday 25 and raced against them for years with a Hunter 23 and then a 25.5. We had a group of us pull our boat's North to Lake MI for a weeks vaction. We had all 3 boats on this trip. All were about the same to launch and retrive and all sailed well. They each have ther good points and we could hash it out all day long. But I must say that each day when we cruised to out new port we were 1st to reach it. If you check the PHRF numbers the Catalina 219-228 depending on rig and keel, the Oday a 234 and the Hunter 25.5 being a 201. This said the Hunter is the faster boat. We found the Cockpit of the Hunter to be the largest and the Oday to be the smallest. Having the chance to compare all 3 boats side by side which we did we were able to compare all 3 boats with all different thoughts in mind. Crusing for a week, racing performance, day sailing everything we could think of. What we found was they all had good point's and bad. it's kinda like the Chevey Ford which is better. I liked the Hunter and feel it is the better boat. It offers more space in a already small boat. You can also find one with an inboard a huge bonus over the other's. My choice would be Hunter Catalina and then the Oday. The small cockpit of the Oday was the killer. The Catlina has such narrow side decks for going forward. But all in all they all 3 are good boats and offer all the same things. Just in a different rapper. Cliff H 28.5 Red Dog
I Knew the Kia was a joke. About the Porsche they are wonderful cars but need allot of care. I just dropped $3000.00 in it for a new clutch and some other needed maintence I have always wanted one. They are cars that need care but my like new 944 turbo is a real head turner. Not many people do a double take on Mustangs or Corvette's. There pretty common. The Porsche is kinda like owning a boat. I seem to just drop money in it and love driving it. I have sailed on both the Catalina and Oday 25 and raced against them for years with a Hunter 23 and then a 25.5. We had a group of us pull our boat's North to Lake MI for a weeks vaction. We had all 3 boats on this trip. All were about the same to launch and retrive and all sailed well. They each have ther good points and we could hash it out all day long. But I must say that each day when we cruised to out new port we were 1st to reach it. If you check the PHRF numbers the Catalina 219-228 depending on rig and keel, the Oday a 234 and the Hunter 25.5 being a 201. This said the Hunter is the faster boat. We found the Cockpit of the Hunter to be the largest and the Oday to be the smallest. Having the chance to compare all 3 boats side by side which we did we were able to compare all 3 boats with all different thoughts in mind. Crusing for a week, racing performance, day sailing everything we could think of. What we found was they all had good point's and bad. it's kinda like the Chevey Ford which is better. I liked the Hunter and feel it is the better boat. It offers more space in a already small boat. You can also find one with an inboard a huge bonus over the other's. My choice would be Hunter Catalina and then the Oday. The small cockpit of the Oday was the killer. The Catlina has such narrow side decks for going forward. But all in all they all 3 are good boats and offer all the same things. Just in a different rapper. Cliff H 28.5 Red Dog
thanks Paul
very interesting reading, I was surprised to find out that my C30 tall rig @ hull speed of 6.7 is rated within 1/10 kts of all the boats in the 30ft range I compared her with. not that I care much about speed if you read my other posts, Im more than happy to cruise along at 5kts!
very interesting reading, I was surprised to find out that my C30 tall rig @ hull speed of 6.7 is rated within 1/10 kts of all the boats in the 30ft range I compared her with. not that I care much about speed if you read my other posts, Im more than happy to cruise along at 5kts!
Non-rich can buy Porsches too!
Someone who isn't rich can still own a Porsche. I am not rich by any measure, yet I have a Porsche 928GT that is about 13 years old. I paid less for it than my neighbors paid for a new Camry. My car is head-turner, while their Camry is just another car. We have a Hunter 34' which is just dandy for the type of sailing we do. A Catalina may have served our sailing needs, but we couldn't find one in the condition we wanted and for the price we paid for the Hunter 34'. Now, if someone is willing to sell us a Swan in good condition for about $30k, we wouldn't hesitate to snatch it up, just like we did the 928. ;^) ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
Someone who isn't rich can still own a Porsche. I am not rich by any measure, yet I have a Porsche 928GT that is about 13 years old. I paid less for it than my neighbors paid for a new Camry. My car is head-turner, while their Camry is just another car. We have a Hunter 34' which is just dandy for the type of sailing we do. A Catalina may have served our sailing needs, but we couldn't find one in the condition we wanted and for the price we paid for the Hunter 34'. Now, if someone is willing to sell us a Swan in good condition for about $30k, we wouldn't hesitate to snatch it up, just like we did the 928. ;^) ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
I love the shark Ed
I have always been a big fan for the 928 series. Exotic and now affordable. I almost sold my Audi quattro to buy one but I bought a Pearson 28 instead. I used to have a Triumph TR8 which was also an aluminum 8 cylinder rocket but obviously not as nice. I rebuilt the engine and worked it to nearly 300HP. My wife used to go out and toy with Corvettes(Chevys) the same way we use our Pearson to toy with Catalinas! Flame proof suit on...fire away! Tim
I have always been a big fan for the 928 series. Exotic and now affordable. I almost sold my Audi quattro to buy one but I bought a Pearson 28 instead. I used to have a Triumph TR8 which was also an aluminum 8 cylinder rocket but obviously not as nice. I rebuilt the engine and worked it to nearly 300HP. My wife used to go out and toy with Corvettes(Chevys) the same way we use our Pearson to toy with Catalinas! Flame proof suit on...fire away! Tim
No need for Nomex. ;-)
I rarely see a TR-anything, let alone an 8. I did see one while in London, but they're not as rare there. When it comes to sailing, I suspect out boat is fasater than the equivalent Catalinas, but for now our lack of sailing savy is the limiting factor. In time, we'll become better sailors, then maybe we'll show those Catalinas our transom, and we'll never look back. ;^) ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
I rarely see a TR-anything, let alone an 8. I did see one while in London, but they're not as rare there. When it comes to sailing, I suspect out boat is fasater than the equivalent Catalinas, but for now our lack of sailing savy is the limiting factor. In time, we'll become better sailors, then maybe we'll show those Catalinas our transom, and we'll never look back. ;^) ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
PHRF Numbers
The key is not the PHRF number itself, but how well you sail against it. For example, the basic PHRF calculation will rate a fractional rig lower than a mast head rig. If you’re not racing with a spinnaker, where is the advantage? I have read numerous discussions where Hunter racers thought that their boats were unfairly rated lower than a comparable Catalina and were looking for arguments to raise their numbers so that they could become more competitive. If you insist on using a PHRF number in your decision criteria, you really ought to be looking at the racing results in your region to see which class of boats tend to correct out above other types.
The key is not the PHRF number itself, but how well you sail against it. For example, the basic PHRF calculation will rate a fractional rig lower than a mast head rig. If you’re not racing with a spinnaker, where is the advantage? I have read numerous discussions where Hunter racers thought that their boats were unfairly rated lower than a comparable Catalina and were looking for arguments to raise their numbers so that they could become more competitive. If you insist on using a PHRF number in your decision criteria, you really ought to be looking at the racing results in your region to see which class of boats tend to correct out above other types.
Catalina vs O'Day
First to Cliff, Sorry to here about Red Dog. I hope To see you back on the water next year! i've owened a 23 O'Day, 25 Catalina and now a 30 catalina. If your sailing on big water like lake Erie. go for the Catalina. however, both boats are great on smaller-lakes. If your sailing on a shallow lake the 25 O'Day's scheel/keel with the fiberglass board may be a better choice. The boat will sail well with the board up or lowered as needed. The Catalina 25 sails better with the all the way down. If you'r spending the weekends on the boat. the pop-top on the catalina 25 is great for bad weahter days. Again, both boats are great, easy to rig, trailer and sail. good luck Ken Vannorsdall S/V Windsong Pt Clinton, Oh Ken V
First to Cliff, Sorry to here about Red Dog. I hope To see you back on the water next year! i've owened a 23 O'Day, 25 Catalina and now a 30 catalina. If your sailing on big water like lake Erie. go for the Catalina. however, both boats are great on smaller-lakes. If your sailing on a shallow lake the 25 O'Day's scheel/keel with the fiberglass board may be a better choice. The boat will sail well with the board up or lowered as needed. The Catalina 25 sails better with the all the way down. If you'r spending the weekends on the boat. the pop-top on the catalina 25 is great for bad weahter days. Again, both boats are great, easy to rig, trailer and sail. good luck Ken Vannorsdall S/V Windsong Pt Clinton, Oh Ken V
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