Cat Rigged Boats

[Frank]

   John...you wrote..."Frank: I'm almost 67 and retired (since age 50) from my excellent salary so I go for the oldies. A new Santana 22 with all the extras I got (including custom trailer, 7.5 hp Evinrude ls and 7 bags of sails) cost about $40,000. Mine is looking good and ready to sail for $2400 ".     Who could doubt the great deals on older boats !! Thats the problem for new boat builders...they simply last too long !! My only point was that they really are not priced that high when compared with everything else in todays economy. I build homes and recently built one for a fellow that I had sold a smaller one to back in 1986. I asked him what he had paid back then??..A nice lil 2 bedroom with cedar siding and brick accents was $65000 lot and all  20 yrs ago!!! ( even I had forgotten how cheap things were back then and the same home recently sold for $139900 ) ...I now pay that for the dam lots !!  So how can ya beat up on a new boat builder trying to put a nice 'package' out the door and pay a dealer his %..all for the price of a small car ?? It has to be a tough business to be in with all the 'oldies' still hanging in at these great prices. You are totally right that there are fine used boats at great prices......but 'new' is really not that bad when put in the perspective of our present economy-expected longivity-potential for lower depreciation etc. .....especially when compared to a car or power boat. The way housing appreciates,I can still offer a new home for just slightly more than the used home market....those poor boat builders have their hands full....I'll stick to houses

[xroyal]

Frank, I got it the first time. Guess I needed to say what a bargain my purchase was.  And, nice old '60s bulletproof hull too. My debt is to the prior owners who took such good care of her.

I'm sticking to houses too, that's why my sailing time is down now...got to repair the siding and paint my best investment. Paid $36K in '92, and may go for 200K when I finish painting and steps to second floor. The latter price, as you say, would make new boats more attractive to some, but not me.   

[Frank]

John...I figured ya did...Being in business..I always look at 'other' business's and have dreampt of havin a lil boat building shop, but after a lot of thought...WOW..it would be a real tough go for a small guy I think. Way too many used boat bargains out there. Good luck with your renos and happy sailing!! Have FUN 

[xroyal]

Frank, from all I've read of your exploits, seems you're having a ton more fun in your travels aboard than you would get anchored to a boat shop. Thanks for the good wishes, and I'll look forward to more of your fun posts!

[EdD]

Don't know if the thread will end here but I want to thank everyone who responded.   If you didn't know better you'd think Frank likes his Suncat 17!   

The more I hear and read about them the more I'm convinced the Suncat 17 is the best boat out there for my current sailing requirements.  In my research I've also gained a new respect for cat-rigged boats in general.  I had always considered them to be awkward looking boats with poor sailing characteristics...boy was I wrong!  Like so many things in life...preconceived ideas usually lead us in the wrong direction.

Anyhow, great discussion...great site.  Glad I'm here

EdD

[Oldrig]

Wish I checked this forum more often, since I'm a veteran of catboat sailing, having grown up on Buzzards Bay and learned to sail on one.

I might suggest that you look at the Catboat Association's website, as they have all sorts of forums for answering questions, and they also have a "Cats for Sale" section.

As for the technical question about heaving to: some catboats will. My old Marshall Sanderling (wonderful boat, but much too heavy for the average trailer), and the Menger Cats do heave to. Here's how you do it:

1) Sheet in the sail so it's almost amidships, and secure the sheet.

2) Lash or secure the tiller to leeward

3) Raise the centerboard

As I said earlier, not all catboats will heave to successfully. I'm not sure about a Sun Cat.


Another tip when sailing a catboat: If you find the weather helm is getting really strong, try raising the board a little bit.

Catboats are wonderful, fun vessels that are comfortable (except that they don't have standing headroom, unless you get into the big ones like Nonesuches). But as one of my catboating neighbors on Cape Cod told me, after beating me time and time again in races: "It's easy to sail a catboat; it's not that easy to sail one well."

Enjoy your cat; I love my Cape Dory 25D (with its standing headroom and inboard diesel), but I also miss my cat.

--Joe

[xroyal]

EdD, 'tis satisfying/relieving when you finally zoom in on a boat that fits your needs. I don't miss the countless hours of scouring the ads non-stop!

Funny how folks change boat needs tho. Here Frank has sold his beloved Pearson after making her seemingly mint, and is now in love with his Flicka 20 and his SunCat. A neighbor of mine declared about 6 weeks ago he'd never sell me his very clean, loaded Catalina 25 he bought late last year, about perfect for our lake. Yesterday he told me he was getting a Catalina 30, and was sorry I had gotten another boat 2 weeks ago. Sort of a kick when you read about someone who has been sailing and loving the same boat for 25 years. 

I can't help but add again that Frank was my chief inspiration to stick with smaller is better!

[EdD]

Thanks Oldrig for the tips on how to heave to on a catboat.  Will also check out the Catboat Association. 

There have been a number of articles touting the advantages of smaller boats.  When I bought my Hunter 23 I was hoping to get a much bigger boat.  I got a sweet deal on the Hunter so I bought it.  After 3 years of enjoying sailer her, but hating the setup and take down I sold her. 

Later, as I read the "small boat" articles I thought the authors were talking directly to me.  Every point they made was true (for me anyhow).  I think it is human nature to think that bigger is better...ain't necessarily so with sailboats! 

Frank has been a great influence on me also.  It was his comments, both on the site and in personal e-mails, that helped me finalize my decision to go with the Suncat.  Frank definitely gets some "karma" from me.

EdD

[s/v Faith]

Frank has been a great influence on me also.  It was his comments, both on the site and in personal e-mails, that helped me finalize my decision to go with the Suncat.  Frank definitely gets some "karma" from me.

 

[xroyal]

Frank, how do you fix your bacon and eggs on a SunCat? 

[Frank]

lil single burner butane stove....works great and is compact.

[xroyal]

lil single burner butane stove....works great and is compact.

Thanks. I've got  Coleman single burner and double burner propane camping types I'll probably give a try. We've got a group that cruises up our 30 mile lake, and rafts near a nice rustic restaurant. Darn, I need a berth! The SunCat looks better and better.