On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 20:02:22 +0000, SAIL LOCO wrote:

Does anyone have opinions on the Catalina 250 wing-keel?

Great for camping. If you want to sail buy a Merit 25 or an Olson 25.
S/V Express 30 "Ringmaster"
Trains are a winter sport

OK...take your basic Merit/Olsen/Martin/Hotfoot/J and:

1. lose the $10K kevlar racing sails and put on dacron cruising sails
2. put roller furling on the headsail and MAYBE a "cruising spinnaker"
(AKA "downwind floppy genoa")
3. Add 1500 lb or so of "cruising gear": 2 anchors, chain, etc. dishes,
water tank, holding tank, BBQ, crabtrap... (I had all this and more in my
Cal 25)
4. Add 6 mos accumulation of marine growth on the hull

Now, sail it "cruising style": steer with your foot while you eat, tack
when you've finished lunch, leave the traveller centered, undercanvas so
you don't heel too much...

And you'll find these pocket rocketships don't go so fast. In fact, the
C25 may even beat it. Why? The racers are designed to sail LIGHT and with
a lot of drive. For instance, they're not designed to sail downwind with a
genny. Many have very fine entries which work great when racing, but screw
up when there's 100lb of anchor gear in the bow.

Now, I do notice that the C250 has one thing I HATE: "water ballast". Last
I checked, water is NOT heavier than water so IMHO does not constitute
"ballast" in a boat (it would in an airplane...). Seeing Mac 26Xs heel
excessively (and slip like hell!) in light winds, even with that dinky
mast, is proof enough for me.

If you HAVE to trailer, get a swing keel. It's a compromise, but not as
bad as "water ballast". If you're not trailering, get a fin keel!

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36
previously:
"Starsend" Cal 25 (fin keel)
"Determination" Mac 22 (swing keel)

ps
We Cruisers have a name for the likes of you: we call you
"Sammich-anna-6-Pack Sailors"