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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Cruising World Pocket Cruisers compared

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/26/2003 : 18:50:31

This month's Cruising World reviews and compares all pocket cruisers under 30 feet. Lovely Alerion 28 on the cover.

Catalina 22 MkII $14,700
Catalina 250 WK $21,000
Catalina 270 $55,000
Catalina 28 MKII $64,000
Catalina 30 MKIII $75,000

Why such a big jump in price between the 250 and the 270???? I'm guessing an inboard diesel, but still, is the 270 worth over twice the price of a 250?

Check out the most expensive pocket cruiser in the world:

Bristol Channel Cutter 28 $298,000

http://www.samlmorse.com/BCC/Index.htm

What pocket cruiser would you choose? (Dumb question on this forum)!

Another interesting observation, in the 24 to 26 foot class :

Catalina 250 is the only 25, is the 2nd heaviest (weighs 2000 lbs more than the MacGregor 26M). Hunter 260 is heavier, more sail area, and costs $4000 more. Catalina 250 is the second cheapest (only the MacGregor 26M costs less).

<img src="http://www.indiscipline.org/cat25/pictures/icon.jpg" border=0>Indiscipline 1978 FK #398

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 08/26/2003 : 19:13:11

I don't know were they got their prices, but base boat is a WB model then add $1245 for a wing and the price goes up from there. As for the Hunter 260 I looked at one and the price including trailer was, are you ready for this, $47,350. You can own it for $298 a month for 180 months. How about them apples. I'll stick with my new C250 which complete with all the General RV goodies still was $16,000 plus cheaper, 13,000 plus if you minus out the trailer. Thats a H-- of price for one additional foot.

Frog and the General
79 C25 Wing #1166
Pretty Penny

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/26/2003 : 21:01:15

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Thats a H-- of price for one additional foot.
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
And, IMHO, when I looked at both about three years ago, the strength and quality of the Cat was head-and-shoulders above the Hunter. The 260's best competitive feature was I could stand upright in the cabin. I suspect that $47K is for the Hunter 280, which is a 260 with an inboard (not a 28-footer).

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 08/26/2003 : 22:01:56

If you want to start talking pocket cruisers don't forget to include the classic plastic boats. There are lots of them out there that are well used and a better price than the new stuff. Some are ocean capable and would carry you safely anywhere in the world. Start with the Cape Dory 30,28,27,25 and so on. The Alberg 30,29 and others were built the old way. The construction is heavy and designed for ocean crossing. The systems and gear are reliable and proven. These are the boats I think of when you say pocket cruiser. Built to cruise over an extended period of time and over oceans. These boats can be found for well under the price of a 250 and even close to a C22 MkII. I have had Triska through 50Kt gale with no fear of boat failure. Bone dry below and nice and warm when the force 10 is fired up. You have to experiance one of these types of boat before you can realy comprehend what the words pocket cruiser realy mean.<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2cc10b3127cce93693ae4ec5f0000001610" border=0>

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/26/2003 : 22:29:28

Doug: I agree with all except the Cape Dory 25. The 25D and 26 are beautiful Alberg designs (like yours), diesel and outboard respectively. The 25 is a stepchild in the CD line--obtained from somebody else who stopped building it, and IMHO a poor handling, poor sailing boat with extremely cramped quarters. The rest of the CDs, I love! (The 26 just wouldn't work in our little town club where precision backing is critical, or we probably would have bought it.)

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 08/26/2003 : 23:51:53

The boat the salesman and I were standing next to had 260 in six inch letters on the side with a Honda 9.9 hanging on the starboard side. The papers say hunter 260 also. So if it looks like duck you know the rest. By the way the marina were the dealer is located are super fine folks and about the only the won't do is work on the weekend.

Frog and the General
79 C25 Wing #1166
Pretty Penny

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2003 : 08:09:45

Wow... I guess Hunter's going after Compac--have you seen the price of their 25-footer? Nice boat, but whew! <img src=icon_smile_shock.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2003 : 12:06:16

I have to agree, most of the boats in the article I would not consider a pocket cruiser - not even my venerable C25. However, Cruising World is not talking "Blue Water" here, only boats with minimal accomodations for overnighting or longer. In that case the C25/250 is in the class.

When I was shopping I looked at a Cal 29 with an inboard Ferryman diesel. I loved the boat - much heavier construction than most I looked at. It would have been a nice pocket cruiser. However, it needed new rigging and I didn't want a 1 cylinder German salt water cooled 10 HP diesel that is out of production and for which parts are scarce. Not worth it to me for the $12K asking price (broker told me the bottom line was $9.5). I am sure if I looked hard I would have found other problems. Galley was trashed, boat was rather cosmetically neglected. Still a very promising vessel.

Also fell in love with a Rawson 30. Great boat with inboard fresh water cooled Yanmar diesel. Very heavy construction, encapsulated concrete/steel 3/4 keel, circumnavigation capable. 1968 model in great condition for $16.5K. I'd be sailing that now but I had only $7000 to spend. Compared to what you can get for under $7K you know why I have a well equipped and well cared for 1978 C25. Everything else around here you could get for that money was a barely afloat POS.

<img src="http://www.indiscipline.org/cat25/pictures/icon.jpg" border=0>Indiscipline 1978 FK #398

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2003 : 12:50:04

When it comes to price and what you get for it you cant beat the
C-25. Windlass was a wonderfull boat and took us on many adventures. She took us through some nasty weather and if my sailing skills had been better back then I would probably still have her today. The episode with 4 to six foot wind waves and 30+ Knots of wind with an oposing tide help us to make the choice to move up. Once that Honda started to do its arch into the air and go weightless them come crashing down into the water was the final push we needed. The Admiral said we needed something that could handle the rough weather and seas. The C-25 bottom was just a bit to flat to stand the pounding it was being exposed to. We moved up because we knew we would be exposed more often to rough weather. I sail all year including the winter. I miss the easy way the C-25 sailed. The space for size is wonderfull and you can get them into areas none of the larger cruisers can go. I miss WindLass. Great boat that never let us down.

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

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