Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
Well, just bought a Catalina 25. I was wondering if there is a way to tell which version I have. It is a 1987. It's a fin keel; but I don't know if it's a tall rig or not. Is there a way to tell from the Hull #? The number starts CTYK... Any help would be great. I know i'll have a ton of questions; but for the rig will be OK. We just spent the day cleaning it out. Filled the truck with ??? Going to need some new cushions, carpet and try to figure the wireing. Just FYI, the boat (and us) are in RI. Jay
Jay, Welcome to Catalina Boats and welcome to the forum! Which part of RI (yes its a small state but its big enough). To determine your rig, take a look at the specs in the Manuals and Brochures section to the left and judge the height of the mast. You may be able to use the halyard to make an estimate of height. What interior do you have? fold-down table with starboard and port side settee benches, or a dinette style, with the diner booth setup? Also, check your hull number which should be readible using your hull ID number. CTYK, its the dot-dot-dot that makes the difference. Then go into the section marked Boat Search at the left. There are two lists - the new list that had been added a few years back where folks went in and added their boats and the old list - from the days that dinosaurs ruled the earth, waters and skies. You might actually find your hull number in there someplace if you're lucky. Whatever you find, add it to your signature and if you feel inspired, add a small photo there too. Cushions on the inside? Carpet can be a bit tricky - form fitting it to the crazy curves inside the cabin. Wiring is listed in the technical section - how its supposed to be wired - but depending on previous owners, you may have a rat's nest of crimp connectors and wirenuts or a very beautiful thing! #10 wire should be a minimum for any run, and it gets thicker from there. Always put a fuse (never a breaker) on any cables coming from the battery or alternator. And the rest is covered in Don Casey's "Sailboat Electrics Simplified" or "Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance". The former specifies only electrical items, the latter contains Casey's electrical book as a chapter and lot more. Welcome and good luck! You're likely to get a lot of help and answers here.
Hi all, 1st: I'm in south county but the boat will be in Allens Harbor on the west side of the bay. 2nd: It's CTYK5645C787. 3rd: The more I think about it, i'll probably keep the carpet. The way it's cut in two pieces and bound, it may be the original carpet. 4th: The boat has the traditional interior. Short settee to port. The port cushion is missing. I plan on having one made; but forgot to make a template before I got it covered. Can I assume that the length is the same as the back and the width the same as the stbd settee? I'll check the boat search for mine. Later Jay
Went to register my boat; what's the hull number? Where can I find it. I know my lightning has it engraved on the CB trunk. How about the Cat 25? Is it part of the hull ID number? Jay
The most reliable way to figure out if you have the tall rig is to run a tape measure up the mast and measure it's approximate length. The tall rig mast is 30', regular is 28'. You won't get the tape measure all the way to the top, so expect to measure around 27.5' or 29.5'.
The tall rig mast is also larger, you can find some circumference measurements if you search the archives.
From the factory the tall rig uses the outer holes on the chainplates and the standard rig uses the inner holes, but that is easy to switch and unreliable as an indicator.
I wouldn't make any assumptions about cushion sizes.
Another welcome! Your hull number is the four digits after CTYK (5645). What follows (C787) indicates the hull was "certified" (came out of the mold, I think) in July of 1987. All of that is etched into the gelcoat on the starboard side of the transom, just below the rub-rail. There should also be a tag somewhere in the interior, but the location seems to have varied over the years.
In case you aren't aware, I'll put in a plug for the third-party vendor of many replacement parts and excellent upgrades for the C-25: [url="http://catalinadirect.com/"]Catalina Direct[/url] in California. I found their C-25 Handbook to be the best $10 I spent on the boat--it's essentially their catalog in a ring binder, but includes many useful recommendations for maintenance and upgrades. They send out free updates each year. They're also helpful on the phone--they do know these boats.
As suggested above, once you've determined your rig, you should put some basic information in your "signature" (besides "Jay") so it automatically appears with each question you post. You can see that on most of our participants' posts. Many answers are dependent on year/rig/keel.
What's your sailing background? Plans, aspirations,...? The Narragansett is a great venue, with wonderful destinations within reach!
Welcome to one of the best sailing communities on the web!
Hi Jay - Tie a messenger line to one of your halyards and run it up. Mark off at the bottom of the mast and haul it back down. If it's about 28' it's a standard rig and if it's 30' then it's a tall rig.
Jay, Allen's Harbor is a great spot to access the Narragansett Bay, especially coming in from South County. Was just up in Wickford this September and the location on the Bay's west side gives you a great number of destinations: Prudence Island, Jamestown, Newport and up into Warwick and Providence if you're so inclined. Block and the Islands too. Best of luck fitting her out come spring.
Welcome Jay! Yes, good to have a newbie join the ranks in the off season - keeping us occupied dispensing free and expert advice. Many, many years of experience, helpful ideas and photos reside here
As for determining which rigging you have, if you are lazy like me, you could look for a "T" stenciled on your main or foresail bags
By the way, as you may have already found, when an agency asks for a hull number (as in registering or insuring a boat), they almost always want the entire "Hull Information Number" (HIN), which is the 12 characters and digits discussed above.
Hi all, Just to thank all those who have recently replied. I think I would need the 'original' sail bags to look for the T. How about the luff measurement of the main? I tried looking for it, no luck. Mine is at the loft for service; but anyone know where I can find the dimensions. Yeah, Allens Harbor is nice. Very protected. I've heard the channel in can be tricky. I ordered the manual from Cat Direct. Not theirs (yet), the original Catalina one. That may answer a lot of my questions. I try to make it to the boat (~35 miles away) once a week if the weather is OK. Have to get the rest of the cushions off. Maybe new ones? Trace down electrics will be a big job. Find out everything I can about the head (head itself, holding tank, hoses, pumpout, etc) Water system. And, of course, running and standing rigging. The boat is stored mast up and not a lot of room to get it down. Be great if it was down so I could go through the lines and electric; but...:( Have a great day, all. Jay
Jay, The luff of a standard rig mainsail is 24.66 The luff of a tall rig is 27.66. Much of the original parts, sizes, electrical etc. can be found in the 'Manuals and Brochures' section on the left side of the forum page.
Again welcome and congratulations on your C25 ... great boat. As always with a new-to-you boat, you will want to tackle countless projects as time, season and funds (or the Admiral) allow. As some of the experienced members of this forum have noted in past discussions, focus your initial efforts on ensuring the safety of yourself, your crew and your boat. Do a thorough inspection and inventory of the standing rigging (when was it last changed?, running rigging, steering system, VHF, lights (if you plan on evening/night sailing), personal gear, etc. and then prioritize your attention. The electrical systems on these boats are notorious so yes verify that yours is safe but, if so, you might want to focus your efforts elsewhere at first. Once your boat is safe, gain some experience with it and then prioritize the countless projects you'll dream about all winter long. Of course not far behind safety is the enjoyment and comfort of the Admiral and your family. As such, a clean boat with a few amenities, such as a functional head, freshwater system, music, ... should be considered while the weathered teak, rough bottom paint... may just have to wait another season. This forum is rich in ideas and fortunately you live in an area where the weather may allow an early start on the sailing season compared to many of us, so get out as soon as you can and enjoy.
Good morning Well, Not too much going with this cold; however, got the sails back and before I left the loft we measured the main. So, I have a std rig. On the plus side, the sails required no work other than cleaning. Didn't roll out the jib; but, the main looked almost new. Jay
Not that a standard rig is "on the minus side"... Unless you plan to race, the SR will perform nicely in your venue, and the boom rides a whole foot higher over the cockpit, rather than at ear level! (Nicer for a bimini, too.)
My '85 (older than yours) had ball valves on the through-hulls. You may be looking at a manual for older models, which also were built with improper through-hulls that were re-named "to-hulls" on this forum. "On the plus side," you don't have those, either.
As Dave said your 87 (Same as mine) doesn't have gate valves. You have 1/4 turn Ball valves although they are plastic. Catalina improved the boat as the years progressed fixing some of the problems of the earlier boats. This was a major reason I only looked at mid 80's and later vintage Cat 25's when I was looking for one.
Welcome Jay I'm also a newbie here. My name is Jan, from Newport RI, have a mooring right in the inner part of Brentons cove by Ft Adams / Sail Newport. Mine is an 82 C25 with a few needs but nothing I can't handle. We should do lunch sometime. I'll be at the Providence boatshow tomorrow evening [1/23] - look for a tall guy with suspenders if you happen to be attending. C25 STD FK Don't have a name just yet but leaning towards 'Pixie' my favorite cat.
Jim here. I'm also a Cat 25 owner in Newport and would love to talk to other Catalina owners in the area. Reach out if you're interested.
quote:Originally posted by JanS48
Welcome Jay I'm also a newbie here. My name is Jan, from Newport RI, have a mooring right in the inner part of Brentons cove by Ft Adams / Sail Newport. Mine is an 82 C25 with a few needs but nothing I can't handle. We should do lunch sometime. I'll be at the Providence boatshow tomorrow evening [1/23] - look for a tall guy with suspenders if you happen to be attending. C25 STD FK Don't have a name just yet but leaning towards 'Pixie' my favorite cat.
Wow, nice to see so many C-25 owners around me. I am not heading to the Prv Boat show. Not enough there anymore for me. Plus, you know us Rhode Islanders; Ashaway to Prov means a hotel. I just rev'd the Manual from Cat Direct. Lots of info to pour through. It gives me a good starting point with the electrics and plumbing. My big items now are to get the OB off and serviced. Love to get a new 4 stk; but that may have to wait. New cushions, head rebuild, running rigging & wood refinishing are high on the list right now. I am set up for PMs for anyone who wants get a hold of me. Maybe us locals can get together to talk about our boats & projects this winter. Jay
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.