Association Forum - Sailing a 250 in the Galveston area

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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Sailing a 250 in the Galveston area

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dwadle
1st Mate

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29 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/29/2007 : 13:21:47

Does anyone sail their 250 in the Galvestion area? How many miles of sailing area is there for a boat this size? Are there sailboat friendly marinas? How much is a wet slip? Is there a lot of power boat traffic?

I will be applying for a position at the "College of the Mainland" and I wanted to know what sailing was like in the area, and also what was the housing market like. Can I find a 4/3 close to the water in the $350-$450,000 range?

Thanks,
David

david m. wadle

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4303 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2007 : 19:36:58

David,

I just bought an '89 C25 about 6 weeks ago. I keep my boat at the Watergate Yachting Center on Clear Lake. There are probably a dozen or more marinas on or near Clear Lake and most cater to sailboats. I've been told that the Houston/Galveston area has one of the largest concentrations of sailboats in the U.S.

Clear Lake is approximately 20 minutes North of College of the Mainland. While Clear Lake itself is too shallow to sail a C25/250 you have easy access to Galveston Bay via channels. I would guess the average depth of the bay is 7 - 10 feet. You can sail in most areas of the bay if you use a just little care. You can sail down the Houston Ship Channel to Galveston in 5 - 7 hours depending on wind.

One nice feature of the area around Clear Lake is the area known as the Kemah Boardwalk. Lots of eateries with a wide selection of foods and atmospheres. My slip is less than 10 minutes from this area.

I would think you could find a nice home in the area around Clear Lake near the water in the price range you mentioned but I haven't looked into this so could be wrong. If you want to be right on the water probably not.

Something to think about when looking for a home in this area. With such a shallow bay, if we get a hurricane anywhere just West of this area it will drive the water up into the bay and you could easily have a 20 foot storm surge for miles inland. A 20 foot storm surge could easily travel 5 or 6 miles inland in certain areas around the bay and then you have the wind to contend with. The land is very flat. In 1961 when Hurricane Carla came through this area the area where the Johnson Space Center is now located was under 20 feet of water.

If you want more info send me an email offline.

GaryB
'89 SR/WK #5862
Kemah,TX

Edited by - GaryB on 11/29/2007 19:40:51

cjag1978
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2007 : 21:14:15

Hey Gang, I'll be a new sailor on the Texas coast further down, so I have some of the same questions about the Rockport / Aransas Pass / Corpus Christi area. Slip fees, marinas etc. Also looking for a boat !!! Seriously interested in the Catalina 250 WK and learning a LOT from viewing this forum. Any advise on buying a boat?

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Russ.Johnson
Commodore

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USA
843 Posts

Response Posted - 11/30/2007 : 20:48:12

Chris,
You might get a better response if you posted a separate topic.
Russ

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/01/2007 : 15:46:20

David: Are you familiar with www.realtor.com ? Every multiple-listing in the country is there, and it's generally current within a day or two. Their "advanced search" lets you specify waterfront or other criteria.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 12/01/2007 15:47:00

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 12/01/2007 : 17:49:10

The usual wind on that part of the Texas coast is 12-15mph. Tender boats like the C250 probably wouldn't do well down there - in fact I've never seen one in any marina I've sightseed. However, I have seen a few C25's (usually short rigs).

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dwadle
1st Mate

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29 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2007 : 15:24:29

I was sailing my 250k in 15-20 yesterday on Biscayne Bay, here in Miami. I had up the full main, and had about a third of the jib out. I sailing close to six knots the entire afternoon. My theory is that she really only feels a little tender due to the fact that you sit up so high in her cockpit, and higher on the deck, so it feels like you are heeling that much more.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback concerning the waterways and real estate. We will be in Texas for the holidays, and will be checking things out in the Galveston area around 12/29.

hasta,
dmw

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