hobiegary
User
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How did your test sail go? - 2007/04/28 20:40
Hunt,
Thanks so much for the opportunity to take a sail on a true thoroughbred of a sport cat. What a fantastic, state of the art machine! Smooth and shiny, comfortable, and fast. All the controls are very easy to handle and most everything can be done without the aid of a winch; that's nice!
One of my favorite features on the boat is the hard deck where you place your feet, and the nice little toe rail there that keeps you from sliding leeward. Another was the size of the berths and the ease of getting in and out of there. Placing the staggered companionway steps on the gunnels is a good idea since it gives you a very secure stance while going to or coming from below deck. Is there a flow through ventilation system for crew sleeping wile underway? Surely you'd want to dog the hatch while underway.
The lack of trip lines on the deck is appreciated and the boat felt very large with 5 men aboard. The motor house is extremely neat and nice looking. All of the workings from rigging to trampolines are elegant in design and function. The helm is light and undisturbed in feel and the boat's super light displacement makes her feel like more of an airplane than a boat. The stiffness of the entire platform is outstanding. When someone makes a jarring movement on a bow, you can feel the impact on the opposite stern; not much is absorbed by flex. She feels solid as a rock. In every control you operate, you feel a distinct lack of play. A tight ship indeed!
We found ourselves in some weather that was just beautiful. We could have enjoyed having more wind, but we had flat calm seas that made the sailing silky smooth.
We sailed upwind in freshening breeze that began at about 6 knots and became 12 knots later as we approached "hurricane gulch" where the wind often blows 20+, but not on this day where we never saw more than 12 or 13. Our upwind speed was about TWS times one, and we sailed roughly 60º off the wind. Then we left the harbor and sailed under a screecher, downwind at approximately TWS x 1.4. Average speed all day, 8 knots for 20 nautical miles. More wind would have surely yielded higher pointing angles. Those are rough numbers that I derived by spending a few minutes looking at my gps track data.
The boat is absolutely beautiful and easily the best thing I've ever sailed on. I just love the way she glides along, high and dry. After 20 nautical miles of sailing, not so much as one shoelace on anyone's feet was wet. We did not get to see any sizable seas, but one deep V-hulled ferry boat tossed us a pretty steep 4 or 5 foot wake that we punched right through like a hot knife in butter. Again, no spray on anyone!
Thanks for a wonderful day on the bay of Los Angeles!
Gary Friesen
Beachcat Cruiser of Channel Islands National Park
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