Little Jobs

Sanded parts waiting for varnish

 We are at the strange time in winter. The weather is just warm enough to do outside work but not warm enough you want to stay in it for any extended time. So it's time for little jobs. I've removed what I could, hatches, door trim, a paddle and took it to my fathers for sanding and varnish. We've taken a timber I was saving and it's being turned into a rough boom. Today I've cleaned the port locker and will do the starboard later. Mold is a problem but we're ensuring that it's taken care of. The dry environment of Arizona was not ideal for the little spores but in the slightly damper environs of Montana the lockers have the slightest film. The plan is to seal them but they need to be clean before that step is taken.
 The boom has been removed and stripped as has the gooseneck. The original gooseneck is in a bad way and is in now way ready for the heavier boom I have coming. The search for a new one begins.

Bent in places it shouldn't be

 The hope is by getting these little jobs done now they won't have to be done later. I've also taken a rasp to the leeboard guard, hoping for a more vertical orientation. This was a failing noted by the former owner and resulted in slight lee help. Hopefully this will correct this but only sailing will let us know.

One of Four

Julia L. (Kat Boat) and a Michalak Philsboat Rend Lake 2009 (J.Michalak photo)

 The more I sail my boat, the more I work on it, and the more I learn of it's history I'm always wondered why we only know of three hulls that have been built. Of those three my boat, considered the prototype by the designer, is the only one still actively sailing. As I mentioned previously there was a Fatcat1 that was designed first. In Jim's words, "There was a Fatcat1 but I don't think I ever tried to sell it. Would have been similar to Fat2 but with a chopped off pram bow, sort of like Blobster." I'm guessing the overall design simply lent it self to the pointy bow the second iteration ended up with. And a fine boat it is to. If there was a boat I'd do a Texas 200 in, the FatCat2 is high on my list. I'm surprised no one has. So I thought I would go through the history of the known hulls.

 There was a first completed boat. Built by an octogenarian named Walter with a few modifications it was destroyed in a trailer accident and there is no record of it being ever sailed. 

Walters Fatcat2. Notice the winch forward to help with mast raising (Courtesy J. Michalak)

Here you can see the boom crutch. (Courtesy J. Michalak)

 Sometime in 2006 Kenneth Purdy had a hull completed. So far all I've found are some small pictures in the Duckworks archive. 

Kenneth Purdy's Fatcat2 hull. (Kenneth Purdy photo)

(Kenneth Purdy Photo)

My boat was second but also the first. Mike Sandell showed up at the 2009 Rend Lake Messabout with the first Fatcat2 to float. She was stock at that time save for airboxed seats and a modified cabin top.

Julia L. under construction. (Mike Sandell Photo)

 Eventually the fine attributes that make her the boat she is today were added through subsequent years. It's interesting to note that Mike built one of the other cat rigged boats Jim has designed, the Vector. The mast tabernacle is I think really makes the vessel a more usable vessel overall. The Julia L. was sailed all over the mid-west and at least once in it's new Vegas home at Lake Mead. Now she's the perfect cruiser on the largest naturally occurring body of water west of the Mississippi. And she's seen salt water too. 

 The third boat we are aware of is the only other Fatcat2 with video evidence of it's life.

I've corresponded briefly with the former owner, Patrick Johnson, over YouTube. As I understand it the boat was built in North Carolina, eventually sold to the west coast Florida. The sails seen here are by Polysails and was by all accounts a fine boat. At some point a dodger was added and she cut a find silhouette. 

Fatcat2 #3 (Patrick Johnson Photo)

 And that as near as we can tell are all the Fatcat2 ever built. I wonder how many plans have been sold to boats built. A shame really because the boat has a lot to offer in a small package. Maybe we'll see more in the coming years. 

*This post will be edited as new information arrives

A Dream is a Wonderful Thing

Venture 21

 The Typesetter, Dan and I have been meeting these last few Saturdays for coffee and solving the countries problems. But mainly what we do is talk about boats. Plans for the summer and beyond. This Saturday was blog worthy. Dan has told me for about a year about a boat that looks like mine behind a fence where he took a walk. It looks abandoned and he's curious. Well the obvious question is to ask but that hadn't been done yet. So being the kind of friends we are Mike and I decided it was time to go take a look at this boat and see if questions couldn't be asked.
 And that his how we came to be standing in an open yard talking with a gentleman in his house coat about his Venture 21. Turns out he raced O'Day Daysailors back in the 70's at a pretty high level and the Venture was a bit surplus to his needs. The top deck had been removed then reattached with fiberglass. All the parts where there. And the whole thing may be had for a cool grand. We thanked him and returned to the car satisfied with the knowledge we now had we did not when we first clapped eyes on the boat.
 As we journeyed back to my own yard for some work, I mentioned that asking about sailboats is fraught with peril, as you never know what the answer will be. Especially for a boat that has been sitting for some time. As I headed down 3rd Street I caught something vaguely boat shaped out of the corner of my eye. We turned around and came back and there was two seat kayak, skin on frame, sitting in the yard. Turns out it was a Folboat and belonged to a local historian and was on it's way to the dump. Well the offer was made and  eventually returned with the boat ending up with Mike.
 And that is how dreams start. By asking a question. Then it's up to you to find the answer.

On the the next story of it's life

 On the Kat Boat front the sails are off and in Dan's possession waiting a trip up to Kalispell and a visit to the sail loft up there. A date has been made to get the boom to the millwright. Things are moving along.

Full Sail

146sqft

 I just heard from David Grey of Polysail International and my new sail ships today. I can't tell you how excited I am. David has done work for me and some of my friends over the years and it's always top notch stuff. I made the decision with this sail to increase the size by around 10sqft while keeping the two reefs I have in my dacron sail. I'm excited to see how the performance changes. Performance is an interesting word when you relate it to a 15' boat for sure.
 My father and I have begun making plans for boat work. At the top of the list is making a new boom. I have the lumber and it will most likely be professionally milled to spec. Not to mention the sealing of the airboxes and varnish, varnish and more varnish. The plexiglass I ordered to remake my companionway boards arrived as well and I'll have those professionally cut in the next few weeks.
 I exchanged some recent photos of the boat with Jim Michalak in exchange for a new plan sheet after my dog ate one. I also asked about the FatCat1. I was told it was a very much the same but with a flat pram bow like his Blobster. A very curious and interesting design idea for sure. I think the finer entry helps in waves and looks a bit better with the lines of FatCat2. Not to mention hard to go forward with a centered mast.
 Progress is slow but we are making progress and with the weather the way it is I am very happy for that.

Getting a Mast Up

Taking up the wood in my tabernacle

 Kat Boat suffers from a compressed tabernacle and some of the upcoming work is how to stabilize it. I'm not sure the reason precisely but the bolts are simply going through the beams that make up the ingenuous system of support. Originally the mast was to be stepped by hand but when Mike built the boat he came up with the winch system to make it far easier. Jim Michalak mentioned it in dispatches even.  We have some ideas on what to do and we'll see what form it takes. Leading the pack right now is metal plates to spread the load and stop the compression.

Joint separating and even the washer is compressing.

Work to do.

Salt Water 2019 Part 2: Salt Water and Schooners

In front of the NWMC

 The show is only a single day but we received permission to stay one more night as we had reservations at the Sequim Bay State Park the following evening. Our mission at this point was simple: We were going to sail on salt water or bust. The 21st of July was to be the day. The NWMC has a coffee stand in the lower floor. And while I stayed there it was a treat to simply pop my hatch and stroll over to Velocity for a chocolate croissant and a mocha. Something I could get used to. Launching from the NWMC is reserved for the rowing club and although we may have been able to get away with it the Port Townsend Boat Haven made a far better launching point for our adventure.  
  In addition to the Palooza there is also the Pocket Yacht Crooza which follows the event. Now this year it was scheduled to be a few days of sailing on Sequim Bay. Due to a variety of reasons beyond the scope of this blog that idea fell through about a month before the event. We had booked a campsite for three nights in anticipation and decided to keep them regardless. But some hardy folks were planning a sail to the east and spend a few days exploring the area around Marrowstone Island. And because of that we were but one of a small fleet launching that day. Sailing with friends is always more fun!

A huge racing yacht at Boat Haven

Dan by the Hawaiian Chieftain

Tiny fish in the harbor

 The Boat Haven is an amazing place. And we intended to explore more once our sail was done. We paid the $10 a day fee and proceeded to get the boat in the water. It was very interesting to see the difference in ramp design a tide causes. Ahead Standard on the electric spanker made for nice steady cruise out of the marina. This is the first time I've ever navigated in such quarters and we had no problem. Once past the break water we went head to wind, raised the sail and we were sailing.
 I'm not sure what I expected once we were on the water but it was business as usual. With the exception of keeping an eye out for ferries, lobster pots, and kelp mats. These are all hazards I don't usually run into on my normal cruising waters. Eventually we made our goal to sail to the beach in front of the NWMC where we had seen the SCAMPs the day before. If they could do it so could we!
We threaded the needle and ran ashore. A brief stop to see to necessities and then a perfect beach launch. The water was just cold enough to make the process interesting.
As we headed out into Port Townsend Bay a mast hove into view. And then another. I grabbed my skippers spyglass and when it's measly half power magnification did not help I used the superzoom on my camera. It was a schooner inbound under iron spanker!
 With shouted orders the Kat Boat quickly came about on an intercept course. Surging under a growing breeze I had intended to take her in charge. Turns out a 15' catboat is no match for a 107' schooner under power. We did get to watch her undertake the dance of the anchor and we sailed close by to hail them. I do enjoy to give a hearty "Whence and wither?" Turns out it was the 1922 Schooner Merrie Ellen. We sailed close by then  blasted under her bowsprit, gave three rousing cheers for gaff rigs and began our return to port.

Such a wonderful boat! The one behind ain't bad either

Proud skipper and a fine boat

Saltwater sailors!

 Our sailing done for the day we headed for Forks to visit a friend. We checked in to our campsite at Sequim State Park and took the surprisingly long drive to the coast. Being so close to the ocean we just had to see it. And so it was on to La Push where we gazed at the mighty Pacific. I will say now that looking out across that horizon it is my day to sometime sail beyond it. But not to far.

Bring me that horizon

 There were many more adventures the next day. But that is for the next time.

Salt Water 2019 Part 1: Getting There and a Boat Show

Pocket Yacht Palooza 2019

 One of the big goals for 2019 was attending the Pocket Yacht Palooza held at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, WA. Our sailing friend Jim Young, who's wonderful Michalak Mikesboat Desdemona has graced these fair electronic pages, has attended in the past and spoke highly of it. There was a whole list of firsts that came with this idea. While not the unknown it would be the longest time away from home the boat in my care has ever been. And to say I was a touch nervous would be fair assessment. As it turned out I needn't have worried.
 The plan was simplicity in itself. With my friend Dan as Mate and crew we would trailer the Kat Boat from our home base here in Missoula to Port Townsend Washington the day before the event. The boat would serve as an RV for the whole of the time we were gone. Following the event we'd move to Sequim Bay State Park for a few days of sailing and then head home. In the immortal words of Jeremy Clarkson, "How hard can it be?"
 We departed early on Friday morning. Due to the fact I've never driven to Port Townsend via Tacoma before I was unsure of how long it would take. Google told me it would take nine hours. It would end up taking slightly longer then that. For this journey I was driving Shep, The Lady's suburban. The V8 and sleeping room would mean far easier travel then my own Subaru wagon. Here in the northwest invasive species boat check stations are a way of life. And during the summer you can expect one at or near every state border crossing. Washington by far had my favorite. Kat Boat was inspected by Officer Puddles, an IS Detection dog who even has her own Instagram feed. I was a huge fan. Safely cleared we continued west.

Best boat check ever!!!

 Before hitting Tacoma we had to traverse the Tiger Mountain Pass if we wanted to avoid Seattle. I'd never driven it before and it was quite a bit of traffic, most of it commercial. The turn at Snoqualime was backed up for a mile in what I can only think is standard conditions in the high summer. The drive though Tacoma was uneventful and we eventually made it to Port Townsend after traversing some of the most beautiful scenery of the trip. That part of the Olympic Peninsula was stunning.
 It was almost dark when we arrived, dropped the boat at the Northwest Maritime Center and found parking for the truck. The plan was I was going to sleep in the boat for the next two nights and Dan would sleep in the truck. That would continue for the rest of the trip. Dan is to tall to sleep in the boat. I fell asleep to moderate temperatures, clear sky, and a moon that defied description. With the gentle lapping of waves I soon fell asleep.

Not doing the view justice

 After taking care of the morning necessities I popped my head out of my hatch on Saturday the 20th of July to the most amazing view I've yet seen out of my boat. I'm an early riser by habit and the time change had not helped that. As I gazed from my vessel aground I could see right out into Port Townsend Bay. A low fog bank about a mile distant was in contrast to the otherwise sunny weather. A small traditionally rigged boat was silently making it's way towards the sound. I slipped on my shoes and headed to the NE waterfront. No one else was up and it was like being transported to the early part of the 20th century in New England. The moaning of a ships fog horn unseen in the grey bank intruded every minute or so. The classic measured tone of a bell buoy and the screech of seagulls added to the ambience. And with the smell of salt air I was at the moment were so many of my own day dreams had taken me. I'm not ashamed to admit it was a profoundly moving moment.

Morning in Port Townsend

What a morning!

This photo does not do the blueberry french toast and hand beaten scrambled eggs justice.

 But I was in town for a boat show so I took my time returning to the truck to wake the crew. After a rather expensive but artisanal breakfast at The Port Hudson Cafe, we got the boat set up for the show. Now the PYP is a celebration of small cruising craft. And I was surrounded by some very amazing boats. As they filtered in throughout the morning it was a joy to behold each one. The majority of the boats were on the hard but a few were on the waterfront. Most notably almost half a dozen SCAMPs of which were slated to cruise later that weekend. As usual Kat Boat won many hearts with her salty looks. I really enjoyed talking about how she was more then just looks but a capable inland cruiser with a design as driven by practicality as aesthetics.

Among friends

One of many SCAMPS that were on the beach

Point Hudson Marina

 Dan and I took the opportunity as well to explore the area. I got to try the multi-million dollar vessel simulator at the center and Dan took a walking tour of the downtown area. Port Townsend! What a place. They have one of the finest bookstores I've seen with five shelves of nautical books of all types. The Center itself is the hub of sailing in the area and with events like the Wooden Boat Show and RY2k being based there. It is a resort town so prices reflect this but a worthwhile place to spend some time. As the sign says it truly is a Victorian Seaport and Arts Community. I'd like to thank the organizers and in particular Marty Loken for the opportunity to attend the event. I'd like very much to do it again sometime.

Crew and I at our happy place