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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Anchor and Outboard questions

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BreakAwayFL
Deckhand

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USA
4 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/05/2012 : 14:16:48

Hello everybody! I just purchased my first sailboat, a Catalina 25 (3358), and I have SOOOO many questions. The two most important ones for now though:

She currently has a 6hp engine, but I want to use something more robust. I have seen a 25hp on this boat before, and was thinking of the same. I currently have a 45 and a 55, and was going to sell one and buy a suitable engine. Is a 25hp a good choice?

Second question. I'm going to be keeping her on the hook for a while, double anchored on the bay side. The last owner had her on the hook with a 20 pound and a 60 pound on the ocean side, and it doesn't move an inch, even in tropical storms. All indications are that the 60 is way too much as a second anchor. What would you use as a second anchor? I'll be anchoring her in sandy locations in the FL keys.

I appreciate all of your suggestions in advance, and hope you'll bear with me as I learn.

Happy sailing,

Nelson

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 14:22:22

25 horses are WAAAYYYYYY too many. 8 - 10 is the right number. A 9.8 hp motor will get you to hull speed and keep you there for a while. Anything more is just wasted money and excess weight on the transom.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9076 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 14:43:22

Most transom brackets are not made for either the weight or torque of a 25+ hp outboard. One false move with the throttle and your engine might be in the drink. My Honda 8 cruised at 5.5 knots at about 2/3 throttle--any faster (hull-speed is 6.3) is a waste of fuel. A 25 would do the same at about 1/4 throttle--the rest would be never used except, as mentioned above, by accident. A few people here have 15 hp outboards--most of us consider that overkill, but some people want the feeling of having more than they need--sorta like a 550 hp BMW in NYC. The more important characteristic is shaft length--you want the longest you can get--generally referred to as Extra Long (XL), or 25" "transom height."

Anchors are a complicated subject--you can use the Search function (above) to look for the many threads on the subject. Weight is one of many factors--others are type, material, length of the rode, amount of chain, depth of anchorages, exposure to waves and wind, and types of bottoms. A 7# aluminum Fortress has similar holding power to a 14# steel Delta, and both are generally considered "about right" for a C-25, although not for long-term mooring.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/05/2012 14:47:56

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3442 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 15:20:29

Congrats on your new Cat 25 !

In regards to outboards - I agree with the others. The owner manuals that are accessible on this association website also mention recommended horsepower between 7.5 - 10hp. You should also consider getting an outboard with an extra long shaft (oftentimes recommended for sailboats) to ensure the prop and water intake are significantly below the water surface even with wave action.

Most typical sailboats of our size would not have more than a 15hp outboard and that would be overkill in many instances. The exception are the motorsailors or powersailors sold by MacGregor. Those are capable and often are seen with much larger outboards.

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 15:56:23

Nelson,

A high thrust prop is another option to consider - especially if you are in an area of high currents.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 16:48:38

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 Congrats on your new Cat 25 !

In regards to outboards - I agree with the others. The owner manuals that are accessible on this association website also mention recommended horsepower between 7.5 - 10hp. You should also consider getting an outboard with an extra long shaft (oftentimes recommended for sailboats) to ensure the prop and water intake are significantly below the water surface even with wave action.

Most typical sailboats of our size would not have more than a 15hp outboard and that would be overkill in many instances. The exception are the motorsailors or powersailors sold by MacGregor. Those are capable and often are seen with much larger outboards.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">But remember that the Macgregor is a completely different animal.with the centerboard up, it becomes a planing motorboat. It is not a displacement boat like the C25.

Edited by - on

BreakAwayFL
Deckhand

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USA
4 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 17:56:50

Appreciated. I'll sell one of the engines and get a much smaller long shaft.

As far as anchoring, I think i'm going to buy a mushroom mooring as soon as I find out what the rules and fees are for this location. (Jewfish Creek Anchorage)

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 20:19:08

Nelson,
Welcome to the forum! Check out Online Outboards if you're looking for a brand new outboard. If you're a member of the association, you're eligible for a discount that more than offsets the cost of membership. We bought a 9.8 hp XLS Tohatsu from them several years ago, and a number of other folks on the site have them (or the Nissan equivalent) as well. I believe shipping is still free.

We sail in Puget Sound and have found the Tohatsu more than adequate for the conditions here. I bought a high thrust prop, but have never felt the need to install it, so now I just keep it as a spare.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9076 Posts

Response Posted - 02/05/2012 : 21:01:14

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BreakAwayFL
 ...As far as anchoring, I think i'm going to buy a mushroom mooring as soon as I find out what the rules and fees are for this location.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Yup--local knowledge and rules rule. Some places now require the smaller "pyramid" mooring anchors instead of the long-stemmed mushrooms that tend to leave nasty iron spikes sticking up forever.

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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 02/06/2012 : 10:26:08

Dave's right about local knowledge for anchoring and mooring. Members of this Association are knowledgeable about their own locales, but getting advice from marina staff and local officials about mooring, as well as getting advice about anchoring from several boaters in your area, is what you need to do.

I've learned a lot about using my anchor for emergency conditions from this Association Forum, and from reading other sources I heard about here.

Happy sailing!

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2012 : 10:28:40

Ahhh, ye olde anchoring thread. My fav.

The 60 lb. sounds like a mooring, looks like a mooring and might work since it has survived a few incidents as I conclude from your description. The 20 is a good lunch hook. How much chain when you do move off of your "mooring?"

In my opinion, while the 60 with a lot of chain attached is risky, for a 25' boat that's a lot... All about chain... In case of a storm, I'd go out and put a few spiders here and there and sleep well - on land. OK, depends on the strength of the storm. I might ride it out, but not on a C25.

Moorings, professionally installed are not cheap. Some have just attached a ball and called it a day. But as earlier noted, depends on local regs, etc... A heli would be optimal, but I suspect that if a real storm hit the keys, the cleats would rip off way before the mooring gave way.

sten

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 02/07/2012 : 13:16:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BreakAwayFL
 Appreciated. I'll sell one of the engines and get a much smaller long shaft.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
extralong shaft 25"

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