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vholmstrom
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/30/2010 : 08:40:11

We recently ordered a C250 MKII Wing Keel frorm Catalina and hope to receive it in the next month or so. It will be our first Catalina.

My wife and I will be mostly day sailing in Central Florida's Indian river (ICW) between Cocoa and Sebastian. The boat will be docked in Satellite Beach on a canal off of the Banana River. Once we get really familiar with the boat we hope to branch out and do some overnights on board.

Our sailing and boating experience includes owning an Oday 23 on Northern Virginia's Potomac River in the late 80s and recently a Hobie Getaway in Florida. Over the years, we have also owned various powerboats including a Worldcat, Scout, Grady White and various runabouts.

I spent a lot of time looking at used and new boats and searching this and other forums, which helped us to decide on Catalina, specifically the C250. We wanted something with outboard auxillary power so the C250 seems to be the right compromise in size, practicality, and sailing fun. When we bought our Oday 23 it was over 15 years old and we spent our first summer fixing it up. This time we wanted to begin sailing right away, so we opted for new rather than older and larger.

With help from good information I gleaned from this site, we decided to equip the boat with the cruising package, teak and holly sole, wheel steering, pedestal guard, canvas package, and cockpit cushions from Catalina. The dealer will be installing bottom paint, a bimini top, Tohatsu 9.8 XL with electric start (no power trim/tilt), Edson Stainless Drink Holder, Edson Cockpit Lunch Table, Edson Clamp on Platform Center Mount, and a Garmin 541s with an in hull (P79) transducer. Since the boat will stay in the water, I am also looking into having an electric bilge pump with a float switch installed.

I would like to thank the members of this forum for all of the useful information they have been willing to share. This is my second post, but I have already searched and read through hundreds of posts on this forum.

Regards,
Vic

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2010 : 09:02:22

Again, Welcome Vic.

I know of two Catalina owners up near you. Dave Robbins and Jesse Camp (although Jesse has just upsized to a C30) and of course Jerry Butz from whom we bought our C250 in 2005 (Great Resource, he races his C250 up around Cocoa Beach on the IntraCoastal)

Probably a few more owners in your area.

If you ever decide to trail your boat down our way, give us a call, we take JD down to Biscayne Bay almost every month(otherwise she is sitting on the trailer at the side of the house) We know the best ramps down here... are you getting a trailer? or is the boat going to be kept in the water?

Paul

Edited by - on

vholmstrom
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2010 : 09:23:45

Paul,

My mother has a waterfront home in the area with a dock, so the boat will be kept in the water. We do not plan on getting a trailer.

Vic

Edited by - on

windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2010 : 18:36:50

Vic, Welcome!
We have very similar boats. I too have a WK with wheel steering - 2009. My last boat was also a Getaway!
I have had many questions since I bought Windsong, and no resource has been better at helping me than this one.
I look forward to hearing about your sailing adventures.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2010 : 20:51:49

Hey Michael, how long is the rudder on your boat? Top to bottom. I'm curious as to whether the new C250s are getting 59" or 71" rudders.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 05/30/2010 20:53:04

windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2010 : 07:04:42

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Nautiduck
 Hey Michael, how long is the rudder on your boat? Top to bottom. I'm curious as to whether the new C250s are getting 59" or 71" rudders.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Randy, I'm embarrassed to admit, I do not know.

. I'll be at the boat on Sunday. I'll have a look and let you know.

Edited by - on

ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2010 : 07:39:58

Welcome Vic! I'm fairly new to this as well. Good group of people. Great boats.

Vern

Edited by - on

MartinJW
Navigator

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USA
241 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 10:25:53

Edited by - on

MartinJW
Navigator

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USA
241 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 10:52:33

Welcome, Vic!

It sounds like your search, decision process, and ultimate purchase exactly paralleled those of my wife and I when we bought our new C-250 in the spring of 2008.

By the way - at the risk of offending all the fine tiller-sailors here - I think that the WHEEL is the way to go on the C-250. I think you're going to be very happy with this choice. There's more room in the cockpit for guests, and it's easy for non-sailors to have a go at driving. Plus, standing at the wheel, facing forward, is just so damn cool in/out of the harbor!

Congratulations!

Martin

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 11:28:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by MartinJW
...Plus, standing at the wheel, facing forward, is just so damn cool in/out of the harbor!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If you've read any of my posts about my docking/undocking methods, you'll realize that I actually spend most of my harbor time standing in front of the wheel facing backwards! But I'm still happy with a wheel.

Edited by - on

windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 11:51:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by MartinJW
 I think that the WHEEL is the way to go on the C-250.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I regretted wheel steering until I made the upgrade to Arlyn's quadrant steering system. Now I can agree with the above statement. I highly recommend this upgrade.
http://pages.suddenlink.net/arlyn/sailing/steeringcable.html

Edited by - on

MartinJW
Navigator

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USA
241 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 12:02:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by RhythmDoctor
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by MartinJW
...Plus, standing at the wheel, facing forward, is just so damn cool in/out of the harbor!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
If you've read any of my posts about my docking/undocking methods, you'll realize that I actually spend most of my harbor time standing in front of the wheel facing backwards! But I'm still happy with a wheel.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Point well taken, Rick. (Actually, I do the same!)

Martin

Edited by - on

vholmstrom
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2010 : 18:33:42

Thanks for all of the welcoming replies. We do not have a delivery date yet, but hope to get one soon.

Michael,

Did Catalina install your pedestal guard? If so, was it made by Edson or is it after market? I have asked for the Edson Offset Pedestal Guard 1610-45-58 OS, but I am not sure what I will end up with.

Vic

Edited by - on

windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts

Response Posted - 06/05/2010 : 03:40:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by vholmstrom
Michael, Did Catalina install your pedestal guard? <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No, I installed it myself (with some help from a local rigger). If you can get Catalina to do it, then that seems like a good way to go. I installed it when I decided to get the chartplotter and autopilot.

Edited by - windsong on 06/05/2010 03:41:43

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 06/05/2010 : 06:51:34

Vic, if you decide to install the pedestal guard yourself it is not hard to do. Here is a link to the posting I did when we installed ours.

[url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=14830&SearchTerms=pedestal"]Pedestal Guard[/url]

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