Looking at 82' Catalina 25

[Aksaildog]

New to boat ownership and some community advice would be appreciated.
$3000, never been in salt water, used 3-4 weekends/year, 7000gvrw trailer, 9 hp 2012 outboard, clean enough, no musty smell, main, jib, 135 Genoa, spinnaker, lines and fenders, anchor.
Small rust spot showing through bottom paint. Is this a do now job or can I wait for a year or two.
Question to all out there is buying a boat so seldom used a problem.
bottom line for me is to go sailing not boat yarding

 

[MaryEllaRose]

Go to the Catalina-Capri-25s International Association website. Under the Technical Tips there is an article by Larry Charlot about what to look for when buying a Catalina 25

 

[...3TacksontheWater]

Welcome to the forum. The Catalina 25 is a very popular boat. Is the rust on the swing or fin keel? Everything else below the waterline is fiberglass or, maybe you have a thru hull that is rusting. Having said this, do not think for one minute that a forty-three year old boat will not need some upgrading and/or, TLC. Unless you have information that dates the standing rigging as being less than 10 years old, that would be on my to do list for starters. If you do buy this boat, and it looks in good condition, it won't hurt to take her out for the remainder of the season and make a list for the off season. In this regard, Sailboat Owners Forum is your friend. There are a great many threads of what others have done to maintain and upgrade their boats.

George

 

[Stu Jackson]

Go to the Catalina-Capri-25s International Association website. Under the Technical Tips there is an article by Larry Charlot about what to look for when buying a Catalina 25

That is here:

Association Forum - Catalina 25 Specific Forum

 

[MaryEllaRose]

George is spot on about Sailboat Owner Forums. There’s a vast store of tribal knowledge about all things sailboat.

I can understand about wanting to sail with minimum yard time but with any older boat there’s things to be aware of and things that will need attention. If this is this a swing keel boat there will be maintenance on the keel pivot pin, cable and associated hardware. Crash dropping the swing keel and damaging the keel trunk or loosing the keel entirely would be catastrophic. Water intrusion around deck fittings can cause rotting of the balsa core and weaken their attachments, especially around the chain plates where they attach to the interior bulkheads. The condition of the standing rig is paramount. So count on having to do some work on the boat even if to compensate for the ravages of time. Also, a lot of improvements were made to the C25 series over the years. One nice thing about Catalina boats is that there is a great support network for parts. Catalina Direct has all the stuff you’ll need for repairs and upgrades (and to lighten your wallet).

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Send pictures!

Tom G

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Fixed or swing keel?

Any photos