Cal 20

[Hunter]

The good 'ol Cal 20....
I want to know everything I can about this little boat, opinions and facts and everything in between!

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by Hunter

I want to know everything I can about this little boat...

This should get you started: - Google Search

[Hunter]

Thanks dcstrng, unfortunately I've already looked through the class association stuff and the old brochure, but that seems to be about the limit of information about her on the web, as of yet.

Less interested in racing, more interested in cruising. I'd like to hear from someone who's owned one for that purpose. You know, modifications, and anecdotes...

[Hunter]

Also, I found a pretty cool .mac website of a couple from Oregon, I think, that found one in really bad shape on the cheap and refurbished it themselves in the back yard, it's a really cool gallery (must be 100 pictures or so) but I'd like to have more written information, cost etc. etc.

[Hunter]

here's the website, pretty neat I think.

Cal 20 Restoration Set 1

[K Scott]

[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/K/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]I've owned 2 Cal 20's and am based in Southern California. Great sailing little boat.

I've done weekend trips to Catalina, about 35 miles each way and occasional 20kt breeze with pretty good swells/waves. Flush deck and no dodger makes the cockpit a bit wet in these conditions, but the boat is up to the task. A Cal 20 completed the 2008 Singlehanded Transpac from SFO to Hawaii. Here is a photo of that boat and gives you a good idea of the ultimate rig for an offshore Cal 20.



There is a common mod that blanks off the bottom of the engine-well with a plug that matches the hull shape. I made one out of glass over plywood and used a bungee attached to the inside and secured to a bracket at the top of the well. For cruising I would suggest a small outboard (but large enough with reverse gear, maybe 4 - 5 hp) attached to an articulated bracket mounted on the transom far enough outboard to avoid interference with the rudder.

Good luck, and have fun
Ken

[Hunter]

Thanks Ken,
I first heard of the cal 20 in John Vigor's "twenty small sailboats to take you anywhere" and he describes an engine well stopper similar to yours. What's crazy is, I guess the first guy to do the SanFran to Hawaii, a guy names Kun Poi Chin, didn't even have an outboard he used a pair of 8 foot oars to maneuver at harbor.

[Hunter]

Kun Poi Chin wrote an article about it in "Cruising World Magazine" but that was back in the 80s I'm having some trouble finding it. I'd be really interested in knowing more about his trip in detail.

I'm wondering if the 2008 transpac singlehander wrote about the experience?

[ggray]

My uncle had one years ago, and he was generous enough to let me use it. The first cruising i did. Good solid boat.
There was an article in Yachting mag (back when it was yachting) about 2 guys sailing one across the Atlantic.

[GeoPowers]

I had great experiences with two separate Cal 20's, one was mine and one was a friend's. Mine was a "beater" boat, ugly as hell and falling apart down below, but with sails in nice shape and decent rigging, a nice cooler that fit just right , a trolling motor to get out of the slip, and a homemade trailer to get her out of the water during the winter. I paid more for the trailer than the boat- the boat was a $200 or $250 auction sale, and the trailer was $450 from someone wanting to make some cash! The other Cal 20 was much nicer and was decked out below, with screens for windows and companionway, a port-a-let, a REALLY nice bimini, etc. We had great times on both. Mine was just for day sails, but my buddy and I took the other out for weekends to Manteo and good anchorages. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat right now!! Check out the deck if you are looking to buy one, mine flexed a lot, but my friend's was nice and firm. Also make sure no one screwed with the keel bulb, if I remember they weighed around 800 lbs, and some people apparently didn't like the weight. I liked it, it was very forgiving! It wasn't a sluggish boat either. Anyway, go for it and have fun! Great boat to learn on.

Now as for offshore- not me in that boat, but great for coastal "pocket cruising".

[Hunter]

Wow, even with a spongy deck 250 bucks is a hell of a deal. I wish I could find one around here (michigan) for that price-I'd buy one today. I've seen a few for about 2-3k. I'm going to have to save for a few months.

I've also heard that sometimes if someone has removed the keel and bolted it back on it might not be perfectly straight and therefore start to produce a little weather helm when the wind picks up.

[Hunter]

I'm also looking at a hurley 22.

[Triton318]

Crossing Charlotte Harbor on Florida's Gulf coast in the spring of 1979 in 25 kts of wind on our way to Cayo Costa during a two-week cruise aboard our Cal 20; my parents, younger sister, and I (who camped ashore). Couldn't get the sea swing going (or maybe it was too rough). We ate cold ravioli out of the can. Great boat that shall always be associated with cold ravioli for me.

[smo]

i'm also looking at the cal 20 for some future cruising on the great lakes. did this boat have a cored deck?

[WeeHope]

My Cal 20 deck, which had plywood as the core material, bounced enough when when walked on to make me very nervous! But some demo work and new 3/8" marine plywood returned the deck back into excellent shape.

The boat's a lot of fun.

Chris B