The Cape Dory 25D, also called the Cape Dory 25 Mark II and later sold as the Octavia 25, is an American trailerablesailboat that was designed by Carl Alberg as a cruiser and first built in 1981. The "D" designation indicates that it is equipped with a diesel engine.[1][2][3][4]
The Cape Dory 25D is sometimes confused with the unrelated 1973 design from the same manufacturer, which it replaced in production, the Cape Dory 25.[1][5]
The Cape Dory 25D was intended to be a replacement boat for the Cape Dory 25 after sales of that model dropped off. The design goals included a boat with more sail power, capable of being cruised on extended voyages in comfort by two people.[3]
The Cape Dory 25D is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with teak wood trim. The deck and cabin roof have a balsa core. It has a masthead sloop rig with a deck stepped mast; a spooned, raked stem; a raised counter, angled transom; a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed long keel. It displaces 5,120 lb (2,322 kg) and carries 2,050 lb (930 kg) of ballast.[1][3][4]
The boat has a draft of 3.50 ft (1.07 m) with the standard keel.[1][3]
The boat is fitted with a Japanese Yanmar 2GMF 1GM diesel engine of 8 hp (6 kW) for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 13 U.S. gallons (49 L; 11 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 20 U.S. gallons (76 L; 17 imp gal).[3]
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with two straight settees in the main cabin, one of which can convert into a double and a quarter berth aft on the starboard side. The L-shaped galley is located on the port side just forward of the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink. The head is located in the bow and includes a vanity, wet and dry hanging lockers and a shower that drains into the bilge. The interior has a fully-molded hull liner. Cabin headroom is 71 in (180 cm).[1][3]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 255 and a hull speed of 5.8 kn (10.7 km/h).[3]
Operational history
The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association.[7]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "best features: In our opinion this boat might come close to the ideal boat for couples who want a cruising boat that can go offshore and has some elbow below, but still can be trailered hither and yon behind a big pickup truck. Worst features: The Cape Dory 25D wins the prize for the highest PHRF among her comp[etitor]s, though sailors who find this boat appealing probably won't do much racing anyway. For steering comfort, the tiller sprouting out of the cockpit sole is not the best."[3]
In a 2000 review in Practical Sailor, Darrell Nicholson wrote, "the only thing that the 25 and the 25D have in common is overall length. The 25D was an entirely different boat: wider, heavier, deeper, with inboard engine, a dramatically different interior, and a new price tag 50% higher than that of the 25 ... The 25D has the potential to be a comfortable long-term cruiser for a couple, with a roomy interior whose only real flaw is a mediocre galley arrangement ... The 25D is tough enough to be a serious cruising boat, We would not be surprised to hear that someone sails one across the Atlantic, although ocean voyaging in so small a boat is not our personal cup of tea."[4]
^ abcNicholson, Darrell (14 June 2000). "Cape Dory 25 and 25D". Practical Sailor. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
^McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Cape Dory 25". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
