We are thinking of buying a Cat25 for our family. Any suggestions on whether we should look for a boat with a swing keel of a fin keel. Can they both be trailered? Any other suggestions?
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Fin Keel
As the owner of a Capri 22 with the fin keel, I would not want to try towing it awfully far. My assumption is that a Catalina 25 with a fin keel is going to be at least as unwieldy out of the water as a Capri 22. Sitting on its trailer, its high enough to need an 10' extension ladder to get up to the deck. I don't know the precise height for clearance on the road for overpasses, etc., but I would want to make sure of it before towing anywhere. My biggest concern with towing however would be in matching the boat and trailer to the tow vehicle. I normally tow a 3000 lb camper behind my Jeep Cherokee, and don't worry at all about the camper overpowering the jeep and effecting control. I would worry about whether the center of gravity, etc. of the boat, would cause potential problems. Somewhere I read about the recommended wheelbase for towing larger trailers, and you probably would need a good sized truck to do it. Something with at least a 110" wheelbase. I might still tow it with the Jeep, but very carefully over a short distance. The other consideration is getting the boat in and out of the water. With our 22' we need a boat lift to put it in and take it out. We have yet to run across any ramp that is steep enough to launch the boat, and the trailer would not extend far enough into the water. That being said, in the water I take the fin keel anytime over the swing keel.
As the owner of a Capri 22 with the fin keel, I would not want to try towing it awfully far. My assumption is that a Catalina 25 with a fin keel is going to be at least as unwieldy out of the water as a Capri 22. Sitting on its trailer, its high enough to need an 10' extension ladder to get up to the deck. I don't know the precise height for clearance on the road for overpasses, etc., but I would want to make sure of it before towing anywhere. My biggest concern with towing however would be in matching the boat and trailer to the tow vehicle. I normally tow a 3000 lb camper behind my Jeep Cherokee, and don't worry at all about the camper overpowering the jeep and effecting control. I would worry about whether the center of gravity, etc. of the boat, would cause potential problems. Somewhere I read about the recommended wheelbase for towing larger trailers, and you probably would need a good sized truck to do it. Something with at least a 110" wheelbase. I might still tow it with the Jeep, but very carefully over a short distance. The other consideration is getting the boat in and out of the water. With our 22' we need a boat lift to put it in and take it out. We have yet to run across any ramp that is steep enough to launch the boat, and the trailer would not extend far enough into the water. That being said, in the water I take the fin keel anytime over the swing keel.
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Check out this page, it has all the info you need to make a good desition. http://www.best.com/~c25c250/restricted/summertm.html
Swing Keel for trailering
Hi John, Well I like the swing keel because it doesn't restrict me as to where I can sail. For instance if I want to spend a week-end up in the mountains at a lake then I can do that. If I want to go the following week-end to the coast I can do that as well and it's not a big headache getting in and out of the water, plus I can beach a swing keel if I need to, can't do that with a fixed keel. The trade off is performance. A fixed keel Cat either 22 or 25 is far more smoother on the water, but thats just my opinion. Hope this helps Dave LaPere
Hi John, Well I like the swing keel because it doesn't restrict me as to where I can sail. For instance if I want to spend a week-end up in the mountains at a lake then I can do that. If I want to go the following week-end to the coast I can do that as well and it's not a big headache getting in and out of the water, plus I can beach a swing keel if I need to, can't do that with a fixed keel. The trade off is performance. A fixed keel Cat either 22 or 25 is far more smoother on the water, but thats just my opinion. Hope this helps Dave LaPere
fin
Good luck FINDING a C-25 with a fin keel! You'll probably get better performance from a fixed keel if you race. If you don't, (and you should, it teaches you a lot) stay in calmer water, and you'll be fine. Good sailing! the Pirate
Good luck FINDING a C-25 with a fin keel! You'll probably get better performance from a fixed keel if you race. If you don't, (and you should, it teaches you a lot) stay in calmer water, and you'll be fine. Good sailing! the Pirate
swing vs fin
The only advantage of the swing keel is the ability to swing it up. Otherwise, it's not a good way to go. The mechanism to swing the keel can detoriate and fail, and the keel does not lock in the down position with can hinder performance. Fin keels can be trailered, although they sit quite high in the trailer. If trailering is important and the fin is too deep go with a wing keel.
The only advantage of the swing keel is the ability to swing it up. Otherwise, it's not a good way to go. The mechanism to swing the keel can detoriate and fail, and the keel does not lock in the down position with can hinder performance. Fin keels can be trailered, although they sit quite high in the trailer. If trailering is important and the fin is too deep go with a wing keel.
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