Association Forum

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

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.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Dingy

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

hewebb
Admiral

Member Avatar

USA
761 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/14/2012 : 05:31:15

Do any of you have a dingy for your Catalina 25? I have been thinking about where we want to take the boat and the possibility that we may need one to get to shore at some locations. What are your recommendations?

1988 WK/SR w/inboard diesel Joe Pool Lake
Hobie 18 Lake Worth

Life is not a dress rehearsal. You will not get another chance.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3476 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2012 : 05:38:26

We sometimes put a one man kayak in the quarter berth. Fits great there and easy to store when we are sailing. I was kinda surprised at the solution.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2012 : 06:04:29

Buy a real zodiac... Skip th WM version. Last forever, almost...

Sten

Edited by - on

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2012 : 06:06:33

I use a West Marine RU-260. Rolled up, in the bag, it will fit into the dumpster or under the cockpit floor. However, it rarely gets used. We towed it with us on a 10 day trip last year and only used it one time. I waited for a sale and paid about 650.00.

Edited by - on

islander
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4018 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2012 : 07:02:00

Mercury 240 Airdeck. I kept it when I sold my powerboat thinking I would want it for the sailboat but I haven't used it yet. At 7'11" its small enough to handle on a C25. Put an 8hp engine on it and it will go like a bandit but they row like cr@p. Maybe the blow up Kayaks would be a good solution.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2012 : 09:55:09

We have a Zodiak with a roll up floor that gets occasional use, but I just take a kayak when I am alone. An inflatable kayak might be a very good compromise.

Edited by - on

hewebb
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 07:19:24

I just sold a Hobie tandem inflatable kayak because it was to heavy & bulky for me to handle comfortably when in the bag. It had a Mirage drive system and was OK for river trips. I think I want something smaller and lighter. I suspect we will row it to avoid the storage of an outboard, also, I don't think we will need it very often.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9075 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 08:06:57

Depends a little on how athletic you feel. Getting from a dinghy to a C-25 and back, especially with a little wave action, can be "interesting." An inflatable is much more stable than a hard dinghy, and compared to a kayak....... you already know.

I got a "rollup" 8.5' Achilles and a Honda 2 (air cooled, centrifugal clutch, and very light). I might have picked the Suzuki 2.5 (water cooled w/ FNR shift) if it had been around at the time... Those two are by far the lightest out there. I replaced the three heavy wood floorboards with poly-foam boards that reduced the overall weight a lot.

You'll see inflatables made of Hypalon and PVC... Hypalon is mmore epxensive and considered more durable than PVC when exposed to a lot of sun (as mine isn't). PVC is a little lighter and generally a little less expensive. People I know who've bought the WM 8.5' PVC rollup (by Avon, I think) have been pleased.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/15/2012 08:08:17

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 10:53:50

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 People I know who've bought the WM 8.5' PVC rollup (by Avon, I think) have been pleased.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The WM is made by Zodiac for WM, but there are a number of quality issues that makes a real Zodiac a better buy. My last Zodiac lasted for almost 10 years and I replaced it with a 10'2" Zodiac Rib. After a lot of hard use, i.e. cruising and this was the family car, the Zodiac held up to the test of time. AND, it's respectable...

You do get what you pay for... I know many a cruiser who on a budget opted for the crappier version and later regretted it.

Skip the airfloor... Just another thing to go wrong and the spongy feel is less than inspiring. Remember, your dink should be as capable as the mother ship. Beach landings, rubbing up against dinghy docks with barnacles and such, and the sharp stuff that accidently touches it matters. Mercury makes an OK dink, but it ain't no Zodiac. That been said, the Achilles is the Cadillac FYI...

sten

Edited by - redviking on 02/15/2012 10:58:45

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9075 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 12:22:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 ...That been said, the Achilles is the Cadillac FYI...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Given today's auto industry, I'm not sure how to interpret that.

...and aren't Avon and Zodiac one company now?

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 02/15/2012 12:30:21

piseas
Former Treasurer

Members Avatar

USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 13:00:31

I have a new 9.5' Baltic I bought on Ebay 5 yrs ago. Its PVC and
was very inexpensive, $520. My purchase was based on several factors:
recommendations from those on this forum and cost. I only use couple of times per year and store in my home garage so I dont have to worry about sun exposure. I have never had any leaks and it performs very well and meets all my needs. I also bought 6hp Tohatsu outboard.
Steve A

Edited by - on

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

Members Avatar

844 Posts

Response Posted - 02/15/2012 : 14:07:37

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by hewebb
 Do any of you have a dingy for your Catalina 25? I have been thinking about where we want to take the boat and the possibility that we may need one to get to shore at some locations. What are your recommendations?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You have to decide if you NEED one or just want one. The first time you're in a place where you need one to go ashore and you don't have one...

Don't know if you like to anchor out or not. We do, and when we had our C25 we went up to the California Delta very often. Needed one there to get ice after a day or more at anchor. Also handy for getting someone off the boat, 'cuz after a while, no matter how big your boat is, it's just FUN to go for a row or doodle around and give everyone else a "little space."

Once you figure out what you want, then there are tons of choices, many of them discussed here. Also do a search on "dinghy" and read more older posts.

The West Marine Advisors, online, have a good "primer" on dinghy choices. Also in their catalogs.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2012 : 05:52:57

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 ...That been said, the Achilles is the Cadillac FYI...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Given today's auto industry, I'm not sure how to interpret that.

...and aren't Avon and Zodiac one company now?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yes, but the WM version has a Zodiac logo on the bow...

sten

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2012 : 10:58:36

And some Mazdas have Ford logos and some Fords have Mazda logos

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
9075 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2012 : 12:00:53

Some random news: WM's 8.5' PVC roll-up is currently on sale for $750. Defender's PVC Zodiac 8.5' roll-up (2010) is on sale at $950. Defender's boat weighs 73 lbs., and WM's weighs 51 lbs. and has a little less beam. (My hypalon Achilles probably weighed more than either until I replaced the wood floorboards.)

I'll echo the observation that flat-bottomed inflatables aren't easy to row--they have poor directional stability, even under power. (When you turn the outboard, the boat tends to slide sideways.) I've been noodling on some sort of "skeg" for mine--maybe something as simple as a piece of smooth rope from the bow to the transom.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

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.