Why Catboats?

Beetle Cat sail. Lake Union, Seattle, WA.

 Because there is something right about a catboat. When I informed a good friend I was thinking of the FatCat2 (FC2) his first question was "Why a catboat?" That's a good question indeed. Their perceived vices are well known, the come from the other side of the continent and they are the epitome of anachronism when it comes to a sail craft in the 21st century. And there I think lies the answer. At least for me.
 This whole sailing thing started when I realized I had a burning desire to go to sea on a sailing ship from centuries past. And that it was a feeling I couldn't get rid of. So I built a boat and here we are. But it wasn't to go cruising on a modern cruiser or ride the cutting edge of technology in an AC yacht. It was to be a man of iron in a wooden ship and see the watery part of the world as it was then. Or at least through the pages of Melville and Alexander Kent. But that's tough to do in a land locked state. I'm not sure if the Royal Navy has ever BEEN to Montana and whaling is decidedly not an industry that ever took great root here. On account that we have no whales. Or salt water.
 But as a nautical romantic I'm drawn to these things. And what is more in line with that then a true working sail craft from the era? Nothing to my eye, well damn little anyway, looks as proper as a catboat under sail. Ghosting along on some foggy New England morning with the days catch a mere glean in the eye of her skipper and the ships cat just now waking up. The moan of a far off foghorn and the clang of a bell buoy. You can taste the salt air when you look at a catboat! It's for cable knit sweaters, pipes in teeth and a proper cap to top it off. That is a catboat. At least as I see it. It's the whole form. The barndoor rudder, the gaff rig, the oval windows the way even a plain jane catboat has a grace and a purposeful elegance.
 We've attempted this road before when I ordered the plans for the Skat. Which I still have here. Somewhere. But that isn't quite the full boat I need. No guarantees what will happen when I happen across the safety stashed plans mind you. But as I examined what I needed in my near future a 12' open cockpit boat wasn't quite it.
 See the Lady of the Manor while indulging my sailing obsession as it ebbs and flows with the seasons is not what I would call an enthuastic sailor. She runs a good foredeck and can be counted on to be a level head when mine is decidedly not but she is content to be a passenger. And as skipper it's my job to ensure her comfort. And sitting on a hard plastic seat in a fourteen foot centerboard sloop is not her idea of a great time. And as the seasons progress it's becoming less of mine as well.

The Lady of the Manor on the jib.

 I've touched on this before but I would really like a weekend boat. At least I think I would. Something to bring down on Friday, sail till Sunday and drive home well spent. And if I can do it a manner that the Lady would like to join me on occasion all the better. The Lady enjoys her beauty rest and informed me that a place to take a nap, a 'down below' if you will would suit her needs greatly while sailing. Someplace to occupy other then a plastic bench in a plastic boat while we go careening about the briny deep in search of my nautical fantasies.
 Now Jim Michalak designs fine boats. So that was the logical place to start. I have towing weight to consider, aesthetics of the thing, overall saltiness, ease of build and the list goes on. I was very attracted to the beach boats but one thing I couldn't abide by and that is a split top cabin. Call me old fashioned and a stick in the mud but if you're going to put a cabin on something make it a proper cabin. And that alone narrowed my choices. The love of the cat rig narrowed it further and the desire for a lower trailer weight left only one choice. The FC2. This process was started and finished in four days. From the time I decided I needed to build a new boat to pulling the trigger on the plans. They arrived four days later.
 So now I have the plans, an idea of a build timeline and what needs to happen in order to meet my projected splash date. I have a design for a boat that speaks to me on such a nautical level it makes my arm hairs stand on end. And I'm really looking forward to building again. Of course this means letting go of a majority of my fleet including Lido #1280 but I think we're both okay with that. After all we've had many adventures and I could not have been blessed with a finer first real sailboat.
 The last thing I'd like to point out as to why a catboat is the fact I sailed my first one just this last year. You can find that adventure down the blog but it was wonderful. I don't think the smile left my face from the minute I saw it at the dock to hours after the lesson. The photo at the top of this post is the background on my phone. That 45 minute sail simply cemented the fact I had to have a catboat in my life. As a matter of fact I think I professed that to the lady as I was tying the boat up afterwards. And she agreed. Because there is just something right about a catboat.

This is my very very happy face. As I'm trying to not end up on the leeward side.

It's like the DC-3 of small working boats.

The Newest Addition to the IP&NCo. Fleet. Coming July 2019!

The Circumnavigation of Bull Island

Majestic Flathead as can only be seen from the water.

 The sailing year has been a busy one. And another check of the old bucket list with a  mighty sail around Bull Island on Flathead Lake. The plans for the day were much grander but if we missed the stars we hit the moon. The craft for this grand challenge was my trusty Piccup Pram Lazy Shamrock. Primarily because the Lido is laid up with a bum boom. Nothing a few hose clamps and Guerilla Tape couldn't fix but until the new boom shows up it's moved up to primary boat.
 The plan was to head north out of Finley Point, through the narrows and maybe take a peak at Big Arm Bay from the south. We didn't get anywhere near that far but it was a good thought.
 We arrived early and launched. Finley Point is not set up for sailboats but we rowed out and raised the rig. A brisk breeze blew us towards the narrows and we tacked back and forth with our objective, the narrow passes between the Bull Islands in sight.

They look close don't they?

The Typesetter at the helm.

There were very few boats out this early in the season.

 What we did not know was we were fighting a two knot current from the north. Now Flathead has no tide but we were sadly unaware of the NS current that is a result of the outlet of the lake into a river to the north. So we tacked. Tried to get the angle, tacked again. Had the angle, lost the angle, tacked again. And again. And again. We first aimed at the east channel. No go. So we headed for the west channel. Now there was an outcropping of rocks with a navigation maker on it near the entrance of the narrows. As we tried to make our way north we must have passed it more then half a dozen times. Never getting closer but getting good angles on it.

I have the feeling the seagull was as perplexed as we were.

 Now as things happen landfall for a vary obvious reason was needed. Now one of the things about Flathead is a huge portion of the land surrounding is privately held. Outside of the established campgrounds and fishing accesses it's private land surrounding the lake. We didn't care much and fell off to to the west looking for a good beach. Now one thing the Piccup does well is this type of gunkholing.  After a decent reach we found a beach that fit what we needed. Mainly a place to put the boat. The shore was not maintained and littered with deadfall and other storm debris. But we made a decent landing, got what needed taken care of and posed for pictures.

Our beach of choice.

First real landing we've done.

He's just happy we made it to land.

 Due to a funneling wind into the pass between Big and Little Bull we added a reef and shoved off. After determining the reef was not necessary we shook it out and started the two dozen or so tacks that would head us north to the bottom of the lake proper. The Piccup throughout this showed excellent manners and we managed a decent headway to windward. It was during this time we saw some bald eagles perched on a tree and the resort boat Shadow out for what we figured was a shakedown cruise. It was simply lovely sailing.

This guy was quite noisy. Baldies sure sound different then what you think.

Shadow does not corner. It drifts.

The point of Finley Point.

Returning to the barn.

Due west.

 As we rounded the point the wind all but died. The Typesetter took to the ash spanker and we made good time around the other side of the island and on into Finley Point. I did my part by steering and doing a Facebook Live session while he rowed. Storms were forecast for that evening and as we put the boat away it was obvious we had gotten off the lake in time. And the wind picked up. So after our traditional McDonalds meal we headed home. We had a great time and got a feeling for what the east shore of the lake holds. I will say it's much more hit and miss with the winds from what we have experienced on the western shore. However Finley point is one of only two locations in the state park system where you are allowed to sleep on your boat while docked. So it has that going for it.
 As my myself and the Inland Packet line we have ordered plans for a new boat. A Michalak FatCat2. It ticks the boxes of being cat rigged, decent size, a place to get out of the weather and a gaff rig. Hope is to splash early summer of 2019. But more on that later.