Catalina 251 Express

[Jmk2000]

Hey y’all, I’m looking at a 85 251 Catalina express. It’s been upgraded from the 305 to a 350 and has a hard top and rear bench seat which are very appealing, I have no experience with these boats but love the layout and features. What can yall tell me about them.

 

[rslifkin]

Like most of the older Chris Crafts they're generally decent boats. I don't know of anything particularly special about the 251, but I've met a few people that have owned them (and the bigger 280/281) over time and all have liked them.

 

[sunchaser]

Look for rotted stringers. Once you start pulling bilge boards check for a musty smell and use an ice pick to look for soft areas. Also, the same concerns should be investigated anywhere there is wood (hidden or visible) above the water line.

 

[Jmk2000]

Thanks yall for the info.

 

[Jmk2000]

Does anyone know what kind of range these boats have? It’s only got a 50 or 60 gallon gas tank which seems small.

 

[rslifkin]

Does anyone know what kind of range these boats have? It’s only got a 50 or 60 gallon gas tank which seems small.

Chris Craft certainly wasn't generous with fuel capacity (and therefore range) on some of their older designs (and the 251 hadn't been majorly updated since introduction in the early 70s). On a boat that size, I'd conservatively expect you'll get something like 2 nautical miles per gallon cruising on plane, maybe closer to 3 once you slow down to 5.5 kts or so. It's possible you'll do better, but I wouldn't count on it.

So usable range is likely under 100 miles with a reasonable reserve at any speed.

 

[Comodave]

I don’t know if it has cored decks but most boats do. Check the core for wet or rotting core. I use a small phoenolic hammer to do it. Tap the deck and a sharp tone is usually good. A more dull thud is usually bad. It is easy to learn the difference.