One of the first one-design boats specifically designed for plywood construction and built only in wood until 1952. Hulls since then are of fiberglass or wood.
Not to be confused with the CAPE COD MERCURY.
Rigs: Masthead Sloop
Wing Keel version:
Draft = 4.67’/1.42m
Disp. = 14606 lbs./6625 kg
Ballast = 5,780 lbs./2622 kg
Centerboard version:
Draft = BU 4.17ft/1.27m; BD 7.92ft/2.41m
Disp. = 14,980 lbs /6795 kg
Ballast = 6,700 lbs/3039 kg
Offered under a number of different names from a number of different builders. Approximately 200 were built as the MIDSHIP 25 until 1974. (Midship Yacht Co. was located in California and then at Las Vegas NV.)
Some time later production was moved to Florida and the boat was renamed DAWSON 25 of which at least another 100 were built. Since then the tooling changed ownership a number of times and boats have been sold under a number of other names including the PARKER-DAWSON 26, NAUSET 26, BOMBAY 26.
It is doubtful that any new boats have been built since the mid 1980’s.
A fixed keel version was also available. (draft=5.0′).
Wheel steering, a ketch rig, and various auxilary inboard engines were offered as options.
Molded by Marine Construction of Southampton. Some were finished by them and others finished elsewhere.
Roughly half were delivered with bilge keels. (Draft 3.0′).
Fitted with a number of different inboard engines.
Hulls molded by Tylers. A ‘bilge keel’ version was also available. (draft: 3′)
S&S design #1235.
Originally promoted as the NEW HORIZONS 25.
This was S&S’s first production sailboat designed as an ALL fiberglass small cruiser.
Ray Greene, a pioneer in the field, as the builder, made a perfect fit.
Many of the components for the interior, etc, were molded fiberglass, a practice that did not become common for a number of years to come.
For the COLUMBIA 24, Glass Laminates took the ISLANDER 24 hull (which they built for Joe McGlasson), added a bit of free board, and created a new deck & coach roof similar to that of the COLUMBIA 29. So, the COLUMBIA 24, the COLUMBIA CONTENDER 24, and COLUMBIA CHALLENGER 24, all derive from McGlasson’s wooden CATALINA ISLANDER. The faux planking, that may have remained from the original hull, or created by other means, became an Islander trademark. (removed for the Columbia line.)
This hull design was ‘recycled’ (form original molds or ‘splashed’ copies) was offered from a number of other builders under many different names for many years.
See COLUMBIA 34 MK II for more information.