New boat owner and group member

[CharlieRN]

Greetings from a new group member and Sun Cat owner.

I'm a novice sailor who, after completing the ASA 101 course with a local boating club and spending a few weekends crewing afterward, realized two things. First, I really like sailing and second, the only way I'll be able to sail as frequently as I'd like was to have my own boat. I scoured the net for boating information, went to the Annapolis show in the fall and made a short list of boats I thought would be suitable. The process ended in December when I acquired a Sun Cat.

Shea's a blue-hulled 2013 that was well cared for and is in excellent shape. Ditto for the EZ Tilt trailer and Tohatsu o/b that came with her. She also has the factory electrical and anchor packages, transom ladder, cockpit and cabin (fabric) cushions, sail/boat storage covers and a bulkhead-mounted Plastimo compass. She needs a bimini and of course renaming, but the biggest drawback is that it will be a few months before I can put her in the water.

That lag time will be spent at least in part in determining where I should put her in the water. I'm fortunate to have a number of options that include the upper reaches of the Chesapeake, only 45 miles away, Lake Nockamixon about 50 miles north and Barnegat Bay about 60 miles east. However, since the goal is spend as much time sailing as possible - something helped by having recently retired from full-time work – the best option may be to put her on the water on the Delaware River, less than 5 miles away.

Having learned how to sail (somewhat) on the Delaware, I know that the river can be a bit challenging. There is a lot of maritime activity on my stretch of the river, including freighters, tankers, ferries and pleasure craft. The shoreline buildings and numerous bridges often play havoc with the wind and there is also the tide to consider. Still, being able to be out on the river with the sail up in not much more than 20 minutes is a big plus that should help me build my sailing skills more quickly. There is boat ramp close by, so I also have the option to trailer the Sun Cat relatively easily once I'm more confident at the tiller. Be interested in any feedback from experienced sailors on this.

Will post pictures after her recommissioning this spring.

[Tim Gardner]

WelcoME, CharlieRN!

[Roland of Macatawa]

Welcome,

Your SunCat sounds like a beautiful boat.
I trailer sail a 2012 SunDayCat, of which I am the second owner.
The first owner took very good care of it. I try to do the same.

When launching from or retrieving to the trailer, I have assistance.
Need to work out a good scheme to do it solo.
A friend does it solo with his sailboat, but he is less cautious/concerned of dock rash.

The launch ramp which I use is only half-hour away.
Yet life interferes and I still don't sail as much as I wish.

Regards, Roland

[Mas]

Welcome Charlie!

We are all different in what floats our boats but you may wish to ponder dry sailing her somewhere you like even if a bit of a drive. We currently, and have always in the past, kept our little boat fully rigged and sitting on her trailer ready to back in the water and go. The current situation costs us $100 per month to do so for the sailing season. Great marina and ramp, great facilities, great cruising ground, two and a half hours from home. We found it easier to drive that far and then go sailing than even local lakes where we had to hook up trailer, tow, rig, launch, recover, de-rig, tow, park, unhook trailer. Not sure what is available like that but we used go to explore new cruising grounds every year by finding a good safe place with a ramp and leave her there for the season for a small fee. Heck one year we found a great spot for $25 per month, no marina facilities to enjoy but hey! Those years enabled us to decide where we really like to sail and that is where we are now. Having all the facilities of the marina is a real bonus along with having her ready to go.

Hope that helps.

[CharlieRN]

Thanks to all for the replies.

As far as where to keep the boat, I'm leaning strongly toward renting a slip at one of the several marinas close to me on the Delaware, rather than launching her from the trailer when I want to sail. The cost seems reasonable and I like the idea of being able get underway shortly after arriving at the slip, a 15 minute car or bicycle ride from my house. Neither of the two marinas that are closest to me me have a ramp, which is a bit of a negative as I'd like to get to the Chesapeake or Barnegat Bay at some point during the season. I'd either have to pay to have her hauled out or sail to the nearby township marina that caters to power boats but does have an inexpensive public ramp.

I'm looking forward to the warm weather and eager to get the SunCat on the water. In the meantime however, I'll try to scratch my outdoor itch with some time out on the slopes of the Wasatch. It's been a decent snow year out there with the Cottonwood areas getting upwards of 300 inches so far, including the foot they got over the last 24 hours.