Time to upgrade to a bigger boat

[azsailor12]

I've learned much here in the last few months and now I've started looking at bigger boats. The Venture 24 has been a great 1st boat, but now we want something with standing headroom and comfortable enough to sleep on for the weekends. It will still be only for lake sailing in AZ. I'll wait until the next boat to get blue water capable! So the short list at this point is:
Catalina 27
O'Day 272
Ranger 26
Capri 26

I already looked at a Laguna 26 and a couple Lancer 28's and eliminated those for various reasons.

I'd appreciate any input and comments, thanks.

[boatsail]

add the cal 27 to the list...im bias:-)

[sesmith]

Another one that might appeal to you is a Seaward 25. We recently purchased one (1996) that will replace our Hunter 23.5. Standing room inside is 5'9". The '97 and newer ones had a couple of more inches of headroom. The boat has an enclosed marine head, inboard diesel, and a 7' v-berth. Very comfortable for a boat that size and a much more substantial boat than the Hunter. It is also still trailerable, if that's important to you. (It was for us).

[azsailor12]

Thanks. Trailerable is good, at least saves me money getting it to the lake. I don't plan to move it around. I looked at Seaward, though I'd rather not have centerboard or lifting keel. Ideally, I'd like to spend around $10K- plenty of 80's boats in that range.

[sailr69]

Originally Posted by azsailor12

I've learned much here in the last few months and now I've started looking at bigger boats. The Venture 24 has been a great 1st boat, but now we want something with standing headroom and comfortable enough to sleep on for the weekends. It will still be only for lake sailing in AZ. I'll wait until the next boat to get blue water capable! So the short list at this point is:
Catalina 27
O'Day 272
Ranger 26
Capri 26

I already looked at a Laguna 26 and a couple Lancer 28's and eliminated those for various reasons.

I'd appreciate any input and comments, thanks.

if you want standing headroom, forget the Capri and Ranger, sitting or stooping headroom there. of those listed, I would go for the Catalina, hundreds around and that would give you an advantage for price.

[sesmith]

Originally Posted by azsailor12

Thanks. Trailerable is good, at least saves me money getting it to the lake. I don't plan to move it around. I looked at Seaward, though I'd rather not have centerboard or lifting keel. Ideally, I'd like to spend around $10K- plenty of 80's boats in that range.

The 25 has a shallow fixed wing keel. Finding one in the 10K range would be tough, though. There just aren't that many of them out there, and they have a loyal following. FWIW, if you do run into one, read up on the mast compression issues some model years had before buying one.

You're right though. You should have no problem finding a boat to suit your needs for 10k.

[Cheechako]

S2's and Newports might be worth a look also.

[Tony B]

I know this might be bigger than you want but I will throw this out there anyway.
How about a Catalina 30?. Great boats and still reasonably priced for a good one about 25 years old. The main salon will be like a dance floor to you and the head affords the luxury to stand up and pee.
It is really easy to single hand one and will handle coastal cruising with no problem.
I had one for about 6 years and still miss it.

[Bash]

Some of the boats on your list are not much of a step up from your Venture 24. The one boat that will move you significantly beyond the trailer-boat phase of your sailing career would be the Catalina 27 tall rig, especially if you get one with an inboard diesel. At that point you'll have made enough of a move to justify the expense of jumping from one boat to another.

[Stu Jackson]

A Catalina 27 with an inboard diesel will be a real headache. Why? Cuz there's so little access to the engine and the stuffing box that you probably NOT be a happy camper.

Also consider that the inside of a Catalina 27 is pretty much the same as a Catalina 25. Why? 'Cuz the aft lazarette of the C27 takes up the last two feet of the aft end of the boat, making the cabin the same size. Only difference is the headroom, but with a pop top on a C25, you get pretty much the same boat (albeit with an outboard) for a lot less $$. We moved from a C22 to a C25 and literally tripled the VOLUME of the boat.

The C30 idea is a very good one. TONS of space, good engine access, although still a trick to do the stuffing box, but "doable."

Good luck, happy hunting. Go look at a LOT of boats and make up your own mind.

[azsailor12]

Thanks for all the comments! I like the Catalina 30, but the 10' beam would require a larger slip at our marina. I was trying to avoid paying that extra $110/month. I need to look closer at the engine and stuffing box on the Cat 27.

[boatsail]

Boats 30 foot and under do great with an outboard and maintanence is less

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

A Catalina 27 with an inboard diesel will be a real headache. Why? Cuz there's so little access to the engine and the stuffing box that you probably NOT be a happy camper.

Also consider that the inside of a Catalina 27 is pretty much the same as a Catalina 25. Why? 'Cuz the aft lazarette of the C27 takes up the last two feet of the aft end of the boat, making the cabin the same size. Only difference is the headroom, but with a pop top on a C25, you get pretty much the same boat (albeit with an outboard) for a lot less $$. We moved from a C22 to a C25 and literally tripled the VOLUME of the boat.

The C30 idea is a very good one. TONS of space, good engine access, although still a trick to do the stuffing box, but "doable."

Good luck, happy hunting. Go look at a LOT of boats and make up your own mind.

We've owned two Catalina 27's. Both were outboard models. They operated just fine under power with the outboard and the interiors are very light and airy with that huge companionway. Forward v-berth is useless for adults though. The convertible dinette isn't much better, lengthwise, unless you are on the short side. Both of ours were dinette's. If we were getting another one we would try to find one with two settee's and construct a filler between the two so we could have a giant berth in the main salon. The v-berth would be fine for children.

Just my 2 cents.

[Cheechako]

Can you go to 28 in the slip you want? Check out the Newport 28. Also the Islander 28 is a great boat. While the inboard diesel on a C27 is cramped in there for sure, It's not like for lake use you need to get at everything all the time like if you were offshore cruising. If your main engine function is getting out of the slip then nothing wrong with the outboard either. Check out the beam on the boats you're looking at, if you need to keep to 27 ft, more beam feels a lot bigger.

[azsailor12]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Can you go to 28 in the slip you want? Check out the Newport 28. Also the Islander 28 is a great boat. While the inboard diesel on a C27 is cramped in there for sure, It's not like for lake use you need to get at everything all the time like if you were offshore cruising. If your main engine function is getting out of the slip then nothing wrong with the outboard either. Check out the beam on the boats you're looking at, if you need to keep to 27 ft, more beam feels a lot bigger.

The small slips like the one I'm currently in are 30' long and about 10.5' wide, so length really isn't a problem. Up to 9.5' beam should be ok. I'll search for Newport and Islander 28's also, thanks. I agree on the outboard- works fine and cheaper/easier to repair.