CaptMurph's Pocket Cruiser, "Irish Rover"

Irish Rover is a 1996 Catalina 250, water ballasted, trailerable sailboat.  If you've been invited to go sailing aboard Irish Rover, you may want to review these FAQs.  If you're curious about our past cruises aboard Irish Rover, Click Here.

CaptMurph bought her in February 2017 and made several upgrades immediately so she would be a comfortable cruising home as she is sailed at a number of great sailing and gunkholing waters across the US and Canada.

Irish Rover rigged and ready to launch

Main cabin is open and airy

The Catalina 250 WB was designed by the Catalina Yachts design team and built by Catalina Yachts, Inc.  Irish Rover's length overall is 25' with a beam of  8'6" and draws 5'9" (centerboard down) or 2' (centerboard up) so she is a stable, seaworthy small vessel capable of skimming into very shallow waters.  This is especially helpful on Florida's Indian River, Irish Rover's home waters.  She theoretically sleeps up to 6 people, but rigged for cruising with provisions and gear for a week of wilderness gunkholing, she only sleeps two in the cozy v-berth, unless 2 people are willing to sleep in the cockpit.  A review was published in Cruising World magazine in 2001.

Cozy v-berth sleeps two

2017 - An inflatable dinghy was added so Irish Rover could be anchored or moored offshore and still have access to shore.

Three solar panels, 2 forward,
1 on companionway hatch

The dinghy frees her from having to tie up in marinas all the time.  Although CaptMurph would have preferred to continue using his rigid dinghy, the Portland Pudgy, there isn't an easy way to include the Pudgy when trailering the sailboat.  The Pudgy was sold to a very lucky buyer.

A GPS/Chartplotter and handheld radio were added, the damaged binnacle compass was replaced, and solar panels installed on deck powering an expanded electrical system to support an electric fridge.  Irish Rover will never run out of cold beer!  This is the same Engle cooler/fridge I bought for Kelly IV in 2010 and I took it with me when I sold Kelly IV.  It has been terrific for me, burning only 2 amps for 2 minutes, 4 times an hour.  For anchoring in challenging spots or storms, an oversize Guardian/Fortress anchor (also from Kelly IV) now rides on her bow pulpit.  Cruising gear that came with the boat includes:  a "lunch hook" Danforth anchor, autopilot, three sails (main, furling genoa, and drifter), whisker pole, propane grill, galley with single burner stove and sink, and outboard motor.  The head is quite advanced for a small boat as it is plumbed with a holding tank and may pump overboard with the macerator, when well offshore.  Since she uses water for ballast, her ballast can be drained every time she's placed on her trailer, dropping her displacement to only 3,500 pounds for easier trailering.

For more details about Irish Rover's adoption, click here.

Irish Rover begins her first cruise on the
Chesapeake Bay, Sandy Point State Park

Irish Rover with the RV

1996 Catalina 250 sailboat, Sail # 190

Hull Type: Centerboard (Trunk)
Rig Type: Masthead Sloop
LOA: 25.00' / 7.62m
LWL: 21.25' / 6.48m
Beam: 8.50' / 2.59m
Listed SA: 262 ft2 / 24.34 m2
Draft (max.) 5.75' / 1.75m
Draft (min.) 1.67' / 0.51m
Air Draft: 33.25' / 10.13m
Displacement: 3250 lbs./ 1474 kgs.
Ballast: 1200 lbs. / 544 kgs.
Designer: Builder: Catalina Yachts (USA)
Construction: Fiberglass
Ballast type: Water
First Built: 1995

TANKS
Water: 5 gals. / 19 ltrs.
Fuel: 3 gals. + 5 gals.

RIG AND SAIL
SA(Main): 131.75 ft2 / 12.24 m2
Sail Area (100% fore+main triangles):  262.25 ft2 / 24.36 m2
Sail Area/Disp.2: 19.17
Est. Forestay Length.: 30.36' / 9.26m
Mast Height from DWL: 33.25' / 10.13m

Florida boat registration
On trailer:
Length - 29'
Height - 9'8"

Outboard Engine, Honda 9.9hp, 2006
Fuel:  86 Octane or higher, gasoline
Burn rate: 0.36gph
Engine Family: 6HNXM.2222GO
Displacement: 222ccm
FEL: 23.96g/kWH

Garmin chartplotter and depth sounder:
echoMAP CHIRP 44cv

Improvements
Anchor LED
Steaming LED
Bow (1 bulb serves green & red lenses) LED
Stern LED
Electrical for cockpit/GPS
Solar panels & MPPT
BAT recharge house battery from engine
Binnacle Compass
Breaker panel w/12v outlets
Create access to fill batteries
Drain holes in cockpit pockets
300W Inverter
Install Bimini
Install 12v fans in V-berth
Replaced compass
Install rear camera for trailer
Side support spars, 10ft each
New tie-down strap & rachet
Siphon pump to fill fresh H2O
Move jam cleat on Rudder
Install whisker pole mounts on lifelines
Install tabernacle mast support
Adjust & mark rudder/wheel center line
Got bolt for tiller
Wing nuts, lock washers for mast base
Replace ball hitch on trailer
Install new trailer braking system
New trailer wiring
Replace guide boards on trailer
Recover bunk boards

Sailboat Calculations
S.A./Disp.: 19.16
Bal./Disp.: 36.92
Disp./Len.: 151.20
Comfort Ratio: 12.97

Rig and Sail Particulars
I: 29.00 ft / 8.84 m
J: 9.00 ft / 2.74 m
P: 24.33 ft / 7.42 m
E: 10.83 ft / 3.30 m