# 25-27 foot sailboat to sail Bahamas, possibly Cuba



## cdy (Nov 10, 2013)

Tring to decide which sailboat to choose form the following
Catalina 27
Cal 27
Ericson 27
Newport 27
Hunter 27
Possibly Cal 25 or Catalina 25 also.

It would just be myself, my kids are busy with college or finishing high school, my wife is Colombian and just not comfortable on a boat, she will jump on the back of my moto and ride just about anywhere but thinks sailing is more dangerous, not the most rational decision on her part.

I have owned bigger boats ( Cal 36, Benford 34) and have singlehanded them, but want something smaller, just for me to poke around the Bahamas & Keys. There are are lot of boats for sale in the price range - for $3k to $8k, most have an outboard , a couple have small inboards, I would prefer one with tiller steering.

Leaning towards the Catalina 25 or 27, lots for sale easy to get parts, 
I like the Cal's and erison's quality. 
The Catalina is a pretty good sailer, the 25 might be a little too small but again only me , the smaller the boat the less costly adding sails.

Thoughts on the above choices and any other ideas in the 25-27 foot range - with a price range in the $4k-8k range

Luckily it is a buyers market for small Sailboats ( under 30 feet) just not a lot of people in the market for them, they are too big to trailer so you have to put them in a slip - which aren't cheap.


----------



## skygazer (Sep 3, 2011)

cdy said:


> Tring to decide which sailboat to choose form the following
> Catalina 27
> Cal 27
> Ericson 27
> ...


If you are considering 25 ft. boats, I looked at a very nice Ericson 25 with a centerboard on a trailer. You could not stand up in it but it was very beautifully finished inside, I liked it a lot. For occasional use I don't mind no standing headroom, I'm usually outside or I can open the slider for headroom and tarp the boom if raining and at anchor.

Of course, you may not be interested in trailering the boat, I always am - go fast to new areas, take home for winter.

We could not agree on a price on the one I liked. The owner had installed a "tiny tot" woodstove which is fine. But he did not flash it properly so it leaked like a sieve. It had rotted out the bulkhead with attached chain plates. It did not look like an easy repair, but he seemed to be stubbornly blind about it.

Never the less, a beautiful boat with a transom hung rudder.

Edit: It doesn't have a very heavy swing keel, it has a lead belly with a centerboard. Lose the board and you still have your lead ballast.


----------



## Sailormon6 (May 9, 2002)

I like the Catalina 25. It's fast for it's size, easily singlehanded and has fairly high freeboard. I got mine heeling several times until the rudder came clear of the water, and not a drop of water came over the gunwale, into the cockpit. If you wait for your weather window, it can make the crossing to the Bahamas. On the older ones with aluminum framed windows, they are prone to leaking.

I like the Cal 25 also. It's a good performer, easily singlehanded and fun to sail, but honestly, it would scare me crossing the Gulf Stream or in severe weather. The freeboard is lower than the Catalina, and can take water over the gunwale more easily than I like. 

The Catalina 27 is sort of a beefier version of the Catalina 25. It would also be a good choice. Personally, I like the interior plan of the Catalina 25 more than the C27. It has a more spacious feel.


----------



## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

Ericson for sure, better build quality, nicer interior, very solid comfortable boat . . .


----------



## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

C&C 25 or 27 as well, but likely not that many of them in your neck of the woods.


----------



## sharkbait (Jun 3, 2003)

1


----------



## SHNOOL (Jun 7, 2007)

S2 7.9 better sailing than the Ericson, and the Cat 25... better build quality, stupid easy to trailer but also quite seaworthy too.
If you don't like the idea of a lifting weighted daggerboard, then go for the S2 27, basically the same boat only slightly heavier, only marginally slower... faster than both the Cat 25, and 27, also better built as well.

Finally as the "tank" option, there is the S2 8.0, still trailerable and still deck stepped mast, but built like a tank, sails slow like one, full standing headroom though.
Just throwing out options here.

Nobody laughs when a person says they are going to do a short blue water crossing in an S2.
Forgot to mention, S2 7.9, 27, and 8.0 are all available with inboards.

S2 27s are harder to find, but have always been on my radar for a reasonably roomy below trailerable fixed keel, keel stepped mast boat. Its everything I like about my boat, only slightly heavier, and more room.


----------



## Sal Paradise (Sep 14, 2012)

I just want to comment on the wife who rides on the back of a motorcyle with no fear, but then is afraid to sail. That's my wife as well, but over the years she slowly lost her irrational fear of sailing. Could happen for your wife, given time. There were times when I would say something to her to relieve her fears but then I just let it sit with her and let her work it out in her own mind. As long as she goes, she can overcome the fear. 

One other thing, regarding the 25- 27 foot class of boats - it is difficult to rationalize this because docking and winter storage is so expensive, yet you still have a boat that is limited in comfort and ability. It almost makes more financial sense to at least jump to 30+ feet since the difference in docking fees is not so great. Even in LIS we are talking about another $300/ year. 

That is my thinking anyway.


----------



## FloridaBoy (May 4, 2014)

Hello, I towed a guy in to Port Canaveral on, I believe, a 24 ft sailboat. He had broken the shaft on his outboard on the way out and sailed back in to get it repaired before continuing on to the Bahamas, "Which we do every summer, me and my son." The boat was out of Melbourne , Fl and was named, The Little Brown Jug. This was before my sailing days, but the boat was all rigged out with jugs of water and fuel lashed to the lifelines. Looked just like an ocean voyager. Never heard from him again and failed to locate him on the net. That sailor is one of my inspirations. Just an interesting story....Kevin


----------



## Kyhillbilly (Jun 14, 2011)

Have you considered a O'day 272? Not sure about crossing to Bahamas or Cuba however I am sure it could be done. Should be idea for Keys. Shallow draft plenty of interior room.


----------



## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

CDY - I think any of the boats you listed would be capable of taking you through the Bahamas, depending on their condition, your sailing ability, and the luck you have with weather and gear failures. Look for a boat that has been sailed and well maintained, not a project!

Here's a couple of examples ( I have no connection to the boats, just did a quick YW search):

1978 Canadian Sailcraft 27 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1977 Hunter 27 CHERUBINI Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

1987 O'Day 272 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com


----------



## shananchie (Jan 29, 2014)

I'd look at a well-kept Bristol 27 or 30, with an inboard diesel, which usually can be had for a couple thousand more than your current price range.

Sailing through the islands on a 5,000-pound, outboard-powered sailboat can be done, but it would be a wild ride in the winter "Christmas winds" and the 6- to 8-foot seas that accompany them in many places. 

You would also find crossing the Gulfstream challenging, although possible, with slow progress and the prop coming out of the water with each wave. 

The big issue is not the initial cost, but what shape the boat is in and how well-equipped it is. 

You might feel good "saving" a couple of grand with a $4,000 purchase price, but that glow will disappear when you spend thousands on an autopilot, new rigging, acceptable sails, needed repairs, etc. Very few of these bargain boats are in any condition for a trip.

I've owned a C&C 25 and a Bristol 30 in recent years and sailed them around South and western Florida. I could get beaten up pretty well on the 25 when conditions worsened. The Bristol, hardly at all. There's a big difference in the designs.


----------



## ImASonOfaSailor (Jun 26, 2007)

I herd Bahamas are shallow waters to poke around in i would get a catamaran! Since it is just you sailing, that is what i would do.


----------



## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

ImASonOfaSailor said:


> I herd Bahamas are shallow waters to poke around in i would get a catamaran! Since it is just you sailing, that is what i would do.


Any suggestions for catamarans in the OPs price range, 3 to 8k. ?


----------



## sharkbait (Jun 3, 2003)

1


----------



## RainDog (Jun 9, 2009)

I second the idea of a C&C 27. They are sweet sailing boats.

For sure I would take a Catalina 27 over a 25. Much more practical size and systems for living on. As you say, Catalina is nice because it is really easy to get parts. Just check the bulkheads carefully.


----------



## Kyhillbilly (Jun 14, 2011)

Sorry for asking question off topic but I am curious about the interior space on the Cat 27 vs Ericson 27 vs Oday272. Particularly the aft quarter berths, V-berths and standing headroom.


----------



## RainDog (Jun 9, 2009)

Kyhillbilly said:


> Sorry for asking question off topic but I am curious about the interior space on the Cat 27 vs Ericson 27 vs Oday272. Particularly the aft quarter berths, V-berths and standing headroom.


Never been on an Oday272, but everyone I know that lives on a Catalina or Ericson 27 uses the starboard settee as the berth. That is plenty roomy for any adult.

I had two adults sleep on the V-berth on my Catalina 27, but I don't think you would want to do that often. Plenty roomy for 2 teens or really small adults.


----------



## skygazer (Sep 3, 2011)

I looked at a couple of Oday 272's a couple years ago. They were nice, and were sailing on a big lake. They were maybe a bit light for the ocean according to the owner of one not for sale. They had stubby wing keels which I kind of like.

I liked a lot less the main sheet traveler arrangement which I recall as being very far forward on the cabin top. Looked like poor leverage and perhaps difficult to have a dodger.

I don't recall quarter berths. Sink/galley to starboard and can't remember the port side. Maybe there. The saloon was roomy with good headroom.

The bulkheads seemed to be fitted to fiberglass flanges and bolted to them, looked relatively easy to change one out if rotted.

I didn't get one so I don't know if I have all the details correct.


----------

