Help to compare Hunter 240 to Catalina 250WB

[Jarek Krawczyk]

I plan to buy a trailable sailing boat this year and after considerable research I am eyeing the two boats mentioned above. Here in Canada the price difference when adding for trailer which is not originally offered by Catalina is only around 4 grand (Can$, more for C250). I have seen (but not sailed) Catalina 250 during the Toronto Boat Show and rather liked it. I have seen Hunter brochures and inspected their larger boats, but I was not able to assess the H 240 in person. The obvious differences are lack of an enclosed head, and swept back shrouds - no backstay (? impact on running vs mast stepping ?). However, I was wondering if someone could give me his/her take on other differences such as:1. Sailing characteristics2. Trailability (presently I have Toyota 4-Runer V6, 4-WD, stick, ’93 model, rated at 3500 ibs for towing, but needs to be that can change). The information I have found about both boats’ displacement in variety of places are somewhat inconsistent, and not because of wet/dry difference. I am interested in dry weight, with or without trailer.3. Mast stepping, rigging, launching, retrieving, etc.I would appreciate any information posted either at this forum or forwarded to me via e-mail to jarekkrawczyk@netscape.netThank youJarek

 

[Ken Shubert]

2 Cents Worth

Cat 25's have more convenient rigging for single-hand sailing. There's a real backstay with tensioner and your mainsail won't get a chaffed by rubbing on the shrouds. The Hunter, does have a faster, easier mast step system and rigs faster. I don't think you'll have too much problem towing either one but someone will tell you that you must get an oil cooler installed..... on a stick shift? If you want the head enclosed, then opt for the H260. The H240 cockpit is open and roomy and the table can be moved or stowed which is very versatile. There ar 7 C25s in our marina and we're the only H23.5 so the Catalina must be a lot more popular for some reason. Any difference in sailing characteristics will be personal preferences, or what you've gotten used to. I've passed C25s and they've passed me too so there's not as much difference in boats as there is in sailors. You WILL know that there is a load being towed behind a Forerunner since that's quite a bit of load for the vehicle weight. A crosswind will pull you around. Trips under 100 miles shouldn't be a problem but more weight and longer wheelbase are nice on long trips. A short vehicle is a plus for launch/retrive on the ramps however. Don't trade vehicles until you try it. There are a lot of C25s, H240s, H23.5s out there on the used market. I don't think my H23.5 had but 50 hours sailing when we bought it used..... and it came with extras like the camper top. It's almost a coin toss, isn't it? Quite a bit depends on the dealer and the deal. KenS/V Wouff Hong

 

[Daniel Busche]

2 more cents

Jarek,I was considering the same boats last year. I had my mind set on a C250, then I looked at the h240 and 260 just for comparison and decided on the 240 for a couple of reasons. Number one, price. The difference for me would have been close to $6,000 more for the C250 over the h240 with trailer, cushion upgrades, stern rail seats and everything I wanted. $6,000 is a lot of money for an enclosed head. Plus the cockpit on the h240 is bigger and that is where I spent most of my time. The next thing is dealer. My local Hunter dealer stocked a 240, the Catalina dealer had pictures and was misinformed about options. I still think that the Catalina is a good boat, but so is the Hunter. I tow my 240 with a '96 Ford Explorer and I would not want to tow anything heavier than that before trading the vehicle to an Expedition or Suburban. The little flyer Hunter has on the h240 does not do the boat justice. It looks a lot better in real life. I wish Hunter would make a real brochure for the 240 and 260, like they do for the 290 and up.Which ever boat you decide to get, just enjoy. If I were you, I would get the 240 (easy for me to say, since that is what I decided for myself) and with the extra $$$ I would trade up to a better tow vehicle and get options like GPS, Depthsounder, autopilot, CB, stereo etc.Fair winds,Dan

 

[Greg Stebbins]

"Hands on" option

Jarek,For my 1 ½ cents worth, I’d recommend calling a couple of the local marinas and locating one of each boat.Depending on your weather up there in the frozen north, you should be able to talk yourself on to a couple of rides. Sailors are a self-sacrificing bunch as a rule. You should be able to find at least 1 of each willing to bite the bullet and go sailing / talk boats for a day (Oh the pain!!) or at the least give you a tour of their boats.Greg