FJ sailboat - sail to Catalina island?

[poopship]

Im not sure I would take any of those boats to Catalina. Im sure its possible, but I try to make sure Im prepared for changes in wind conditions, sea state etc. Catalina 22 is a great boat to learn to sail on, and you can have some real fun in places like San Diego bay. I really learned to sail on that boat. Your family will really enjoy it ! Theres some places to anchor up and overnight, and you can get them with a head and small galley and a v berth. I think Id want a 25 ft or bigger boat to make the Catalina trip, it'd be more comfortable once you get there anyways. Good luck!

[sailingabe41ds]

You want a trailable boat easy to get in and out...Seaward 26rk. That will take you to Catalina....even from Catalina to SF to San Diego and back..You may need a bigger truck to pull it with and it will cost more $$$.

IMHO
Abe

[Chris Cringle]

I spent 25 years sailing in every ocean on the planet. The worst weather I ever encountered was in the Catalina Channel. The Catalina Channel is the real world and trying to cross it in a Flying Junior is just getting down on your knees and begging for it. And a MacGregor 26 is no better. A properly equipped and handled Catalina 22, in selected conditions should be fine.

[gulfcoastsailor]

I don’t know you of course but I read no enthusiasm in your posts. Rather than making a $$$ investment why not rent/charter locally before buying to test your real level of commitment to ⛵️sailing. Good Luck!��

[john745]

Originally Posted by gulfcoastsailor

I don’t know you of course but I read no enthusiasm in your posts. Rather than making a $$$ investment why not rent/charter locally before buying to test your real level of commitment to ⛵️sailing. Good Luck!��

Haha...
No penalty for honesty.

[MartinF]

We are advising john without looking carefully at his circumstances. He lives in El Paso, which seems to be a VERY long way from any sailable water. John, are you the only one in your family interested? How often do you plan to make this 9h trip alone and pulling a 25-ft max towing weight boat? You should consider that a 25-ft "trailer-sailer" is a boat that you pull 25 miles to the water in spring, and spend 2 man-days launching and rigging her, then do the reverse in the fall. Don't buy a trailer-sailer without first launching and recovering her. This will open your eyes to your likely ratio of driving/work/sailing. If you want to get time on the water, throw a kayak on the Rio Grande.
Sorry,
M

! Idea- Move to the coast !

[Tayana42]

John745, given that you’re so far inland and anticipate using the boat only a few time a year, you might want to consider joining a sail chartering club rather than owning. You can fly or drive to the coast, take lessons, use one of the club boats for a weekend or a week or more, then leave the maintenance and worry about storms etc to the club. And you can start with a small daysailer and move up to larger cruising boats as you feel ready. No slip fees, no insurance, no haul outs or crane.

I did just that for a time when I lived in Phoenix. I joined a club in San Diego. You might want to look into Marina Sailing https://marinasailing.com/. I’m sure there are similar clubs on the Gulf Coast too.

[TrentePieds]

John:

You say: "I have a wife and 3 little kids that may come from time to time." and since you also say that there is no penalty for honesty, then permit me one more kick at the cat :-)

Someone made a comment about enthusiasm. That's more apposite than you may think at the present time, and while this was unspoken heretofore, the enthusiasm in question is not just your own. If you would be a happy boat owner and sailorman, then look up from the boat specs! A novice has not yet the knowledge to verify other people's judgments about particular boats. Look instead to your WIFE's enthusiasm for your plan!

As an old hand at "crooz'n'learns" I can tell you that MOST wives are not interested. They are aboard only to please their menfolk and to keep their marriages together. Particularly when there are kiddy-winks involved. I fell to me as the skipper on "crooz'n'learns" to be not only the skipper, but the deckhand, the instructor, the cook and bottlewasher, the stand-up comedian, the shoulder to lean on, the receptacle for the ladies' grousing and the man that swabbed the puke off the deck when Neptune played silly-buggers.

One of my party tricks was to put the slightest woman, or the most disgruntled, on the helm and slick the 27 ton ketch alongside under full sail at a particular marina's hammerhead. The woman's guv'nor had been told off to the foredeck so he would stay out of my way and not interfere with my teaching, as husbands will all to often do. Then I'd stand in the hatchway, all sweetness and light, totally laid back, next to the woman on the helm and give helming orders toned down to be mere suggestions, since most women just HATE to hear an order given, particularly by a man. We'd come to a dead stop 6 inches out from the bullrail, and the canvas would come rattling down, menfolk generally being happy enuff to take orders :-)! Then I'd turn to the woman on the helm, go all effusive and say: "Damn Jenny! You are really, really good! D'ye wanna do it again?" The cheekiness was never lost on the woman :-)!

Do think about the psychological dynamics of your plan and make sure you are on safe ground before you get too wrapped up in all the technical stuff :-)!

Cheers

TP

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

John:

Go look at the Santana if you can. It's an excellent beginner's boat. It is a fin-keeler with a 3 1/2 draft like the Cal20, so you do need a trailer. It weighs within spit the same as a Cal20 so it is well within your towing capacity even when you add the weight of the trailer. On the water it will handle like a Cal20, but it has a slightly larger cockpit which I'm sure would be nice in California. For a deekie little boat like this, a good outboard motor is quite adequate, for she is so nimble that you could actually SAIL her in and out of marinas - it the marina would let you :-). It would not be set up, I wouldn't think, for swift and efficacious raising and lowering of the mast, but you will find few boats that are.

The necessary modifications are really quite simple. All you need to know about it, you'll have learned in high school physics. You just have to learn how to apply it ;-)!

Cheers

TP

The Santana 23 weighs about 600lb more than the Cal20 or 30%.

Between the 2” deeper draft, extra 300lb ballast and extra 6” of beam the Santana’s initial stability is probably the same as the Cal but the Cal’s ultimate stability is probably higher because 3/4 or more of the ballast is carried in a bulb near maximum depth.

Cockpit lengths are almost the same. The Santana has a bit more room under the doghouse and in the v-berth.

Both have problems if you need to launch them off a trailer.

[MartinF]

Tayana (#37), an excellent suggestion! We had a great time with ChesapeakeSailClub, despite living a day's drive away. Since you have sailed before, you would not need lessons, but could sail with other club members to get familiar with the boats.

TrentePieds "Look instead to your WIFE's enthusiasm for your plan!" is very right. Many wives enjoy eating and sunbathing in the cockpit, but get seriously worried when spray starts to fly across the deck. The skipper may be accused of putting her and her children in danger just for his own amusement.

M

[Giro]

MacGregor 25 sailboats have been given a “bad rap” for far too many years. Been to Santa Catalina many times in Mac 25. Too many people confuse the 25s with the later produced 26s which are a totally different vessel. If you have no objection to a swing keel, consider a 25. There are a lot of them sitting on trailers parked in driveways, garages and backyards throughout the US and Canada.

[Windpilot]

I agree with Giro, back in the day every entry level m25 sailor took their boat to Catalina. Even today you'll see some on the string line.
Lots of west coast sailors started with them and then moved up. Sure, any bigger production boat will be better, but also cost more.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by john745

If you weren't doing anything overnight could you sail an FJ safely to Catalina Island...?

Considering that you have pretty much no idea of what you are doing, this sounds like the definition of a "manifestly unsafe voyage."

[Happ]

Originally Posted by john745

Trying to get into Sailing.
Did have a small catamaran as a teenager which I took out a couple times and extremely enjoyed.

I'm looking at a 14 ft FJ vs. McGregor25 or Catalina22.
We live in El Paso Texas so anywhere I would want to go I would pretty much have to haul it.
It's about 9 hours to the coast of Texas and similar distance to California.

I'm looking for something I can practice on but would like to use also to make some adventurous trips such as to Catalina Island.

I saw some FJs sailing in San Francisco Bay.

If you weren't doing anything overnight could you sail an FJ safely to Catalina Island or is it too much open water?

I just don't want to over purchase right now. I don't mind spending the money but if I'm honest with myself my time is pretty limited and I'd rather have something smaller sitting in the driveway.

I lived in So cal and sailed out of Marina del Rey for 20 years. I sailed an FJ on Tuesday night this week. I can tell you with out any question go with a larger boat. From MDR its around 25 miles. Pretty much a beat. From Long Beach it is shorter but much windier. Often above 25.

If I was going to sail from MDR in a FJ I would do it as an adventure sail with a chase boat. Another reason to go with a larger boat you can stay on it overnight.

[cruisin123]

Interestingly geographically from El Paso your closest coastline looks like the sea of Cortez in Baja Mex…

To me sounds like WAY more fun to trailer a small sailboat there and explore the SOC than SoCal or the gulf.

Sea of Cortez is on my bucket list for sure…