First Sailboat, Catalina 25

[H and E]

I made a deal on a Catalina 25 with wing keel and inboard diesel engine that has its own trailer. When coming back to the dock the engine failed. We thought it was the fuel filter. I called the owner later after we got home to see if it was fixed and he indicated it was the fuel pump and should be fixed today. Hopefully all will work out and we can pick it up Monday as originally planned. The boat seems to be in good condition for its age. (1988)

I will probably be on Sailnet a bunch to learn the in and outs of this boat as we go along. I need to figure out how the holding tanks work, how the head works, how the stove works and I am not sure what else I need to learn. The current owner did not use these items. The genoa sail needs to have the protective material replaced that is exposed to the elements when rolled in. I do not plan to have that done for some time unless the boat is out of service for something else.

Any input from Catalina 25 owners will be appreciated.

H and E

[kwaltersmi]

Congrats on the new boat! Post a picture or two when you take possession. SailNet is an awesome resource, so stick around and enjoy the neighborhood..

[jjablonowski]

Congratulations! A great boat to learn systems. All the accoutrements of larger boats with costs that can be manageable.

And, with a base of upwards of 7,000 hulls out there, lots of opinions, resources, parts availability. Some examples:

Boat-specific forum: Catalina - Capri - 25s International Association. Join right away. Q&As, swap shop, specs, pics of modifications, etc.

Parts: Catalina Direct, Sacramento. Knowledgeable techies, fast response. Catalina Direct:

Diesel help: You likely have a Universal M2-12 engine. Torresen Marine, Muskegon, Mich., is a good source of knowlege and maintenance spares. Sailboat Hardware, Sailboat Engine Parts and Boating Supplies - Torresen Marine - The Sailboat Specialist

And, of course, this SailNet forum and the parts store that sponsors it.

[cb32863]

Congrats on your boat! I will be looking at a Catalina 25 myself this weekend. It is the Swing keel version with an outboard. Check the owners association like Joe posted and there is a wealth of information all over the interwebs on Catalina's in general. As I said before, welcome to the asylum.....



PS: Yes, pics are a must and don't forget the naming ceremony if you name/rename her.....

[PBzeer]

Good deal on getting the trailer with it. They can be hard to come by.

[DRFerron]

Congratulations!

I heartily agree on joining the owners association. More than likely there is also a Yahoo email group and if it's anything like the C30 group, it will be very active and helpful.

[ccher]

Also:

Catalina Owner Forums - SailboatOwners.com

[Cherie320]

Catalina - Capri - 25s International Association

Be sure to join when you feel you can. They will be a lot of help. And sometimes the folks on the other Catalina organizations have good information if your group has not dealt with the problem. Good Luck.