New Guy

[Joe Lannutti]

It looks as though the Picnic Cat area of this forum is little used.  I'm a PC owner for a few years and actually sail quite a bit.  I sail the PC primarily in Northern Barnegat Bay (NJ) and Lake Nockimixon, PA  I normally post to the Trailor Sailor Catboat Forum.  I also race J.27s several times a week all season at Liberty Sailing Club at Penns Landing, Delaware River, Philadelphia.  I also have some experience on Northern Chesapeake (Bohemia River) with a 1965 Columbia Contender 24.  Contact me for more info.

[Gil Weiss]

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the CPYOA!. My wife and I keep our CP 16 at the marina in Lake Nockamixon from May into October. We sail every weekend, weather permitting. Lots of CP16, 19 and 23 sailors at Nockamixon.

See you there!

[Joe Lannutti]

Hi Gil,
I was beginning to think that no one visited the com-pac forum.  I get up to Nockamixon more in the spring and fall than any other time.  I live just inside Phila. off Rt 232 near Holy Redeemer Hospital if you know where that is.  It only trakes me about 15 minutes more to get to the northern Barnegat Bay (Lavelette) so in the summer months when there is little wind at the lake I tend to head for the shore.  I like the lake however as the wind is quirky due to the surrounding hills I guess.  It keeps one on their toes.  I've seen two other gaff-rigged cat boats there lately and a couple other Com-Pacs as well.  Perhaps I'll see you there.  Keep in touch.
I was up there once in December.  I keep my boat in the garage rigged and ready to go so on a relatively warm day I'm ready to go saailing regardless of the water temp.  Right now Christmas has me tied up.  I start to get out regularly by the end of March.  Normally I sail single handed, my wife comes along only occassionally to humor me.  Beginning today the days start to get longer....we're over the hump!

[CaptK]

Hi, Joe!

I think the reason the Cat sections get less action here is because there are less Cats out there, them being newer boats in general. "New" at least when compared to our old (but-not-yet outdated!) 16's and 23's.

Also, this forum is relatively new - we've only been here since August. Come to think of it though, that's 5 months! Wow.

But - feel free to shoot off anytime about your Picnic Cat, and the Gallery needs some more pictures of Cat action, too! Welcome aboard!

[Gil Weiss]

Hi Joe,

I do know where you live. I live 5 minutes northeast of Neshaminy Mall which is located near interchange 28 of the Pa Turnpike.

My boat is wrapped up and stored at the Three Seasons Marina up on the Delaware in Croyden. You being able to take advantage of nice days is awesome. Years ago a friend of mine kept a 27 footer in the Riverside Marina all winter. We would sail the Delaware on nice weekends in the winter.

My wife and I debated the shore for sailing as we love it down there, but the traffic hassle, boat and PWC traffic and shallow water made us go for the marina at Nockamixon. That was seven years ago and we are pleased we made this decision. Everything is a compromise as they say. I trailer sailed in the 80's and wound up selling the boat.

The CP16 is so stable (as your PC must be) that the occassional flaky winds at the lake are easily handled. We sailed more this past summer, due to good weather, than ever before. The winds were overall very cooperative.

Mayb we can meet one day? (I spent every summer for the first 18 yrs of my life on Long Beach Island as the family had a home down there.)

[Roger]

Hey Gil and Joe

I am a transplanted Philly (Riverton NJ actually) guy living on Cape Cod who is planning on getting a PC for the upcoming season, and I enjoyed fidning this site and your banter.  I presently have a Catalina 27 that I have been sailing for four years, but because of the scarcity of slips, I have been on Nantucket Sound.  Fun, but very windy and bumpy.  I also had all kinds of ppans for voyaging, and have spent a total of six nights on the boat in four years, on two trips.  The 1082 7000 lb Catalina is a lot of baot to maintain for daysailing.

So my wife and did some research and found the PC as a stable, fun, easy to launch and retrieve boat that we can moor in the drivewayand sail in Cape Cod Bay (less bumpy) and many many other choices withngan hour or so by car.  So the C-27 is for sail, and when she sells we are getting a PC.  Of course, this is the land, er water of catboats with Herreshoffs, Marshalls, Arey's Ponds, Beetle Cats etc etc all over.  Since the water is so thin, there is good reason for this being Cat Boat Country (although I pushed off mys share of mud bars in the Deleware).

As I said I grew up in Riverton and spent my youth at the Riverton Yacht Club in Dusters (Marconi-rigged, but a carboat) and my paresnts 32 foot, gaff-rigged catboat.  I had a Kittiwake (23 foor Alberg designed boat) when I lived in DC that we kept at Annapolis.  But then there was a 30 year hiatus.

I hope this site picks up folks and posts, as I was a devotee of the C-27 board and listserv.  

Fair winds.

Roger

[curtis]

Hi Roger,

Welcome to the Com-pac forum.

I'm also sailing off Cape Cod in a Com-pac, a CP23.  I sail out of Pleasant Bay in Orleans where there is easy access to the Atlantic (for some small value of "easy").  The Atlantic doesn't meet your less bumpy criteria.  I don't think you'll find it too much less windy on the Bay side except maybe very near shore (but that would put you in the flats)  but definitely less bumpy in prevailing SW winds.

If you want another Com-pac to sail with or want to sail in Pleasant Bay, send me email.  A little later of course.  I don't trailer except seasonal so its a bit of a ways to Cape Cod Bay.  Sailing around P-Town and into Cape Cod Bay is something I had planned to do one of these days, probably some July 4th to see the fireworks that a number of towns do on the bay side in the flats at low tide.

Curtis

[Roger]

Hi Curtis!

Yes, Pleasant Bay is on my target list of trailer sailor places.  Actually my wife and I took a nice test sail in an Arey's Pond boat last summer, and also took a sail in rented Hunter 170 out of Wequassett Inn. We were seriously thinking about an h170 until I sailed her in 15 knots.  Too sensiteve to live ballast.

We also sailed Sturdee Cats (rentals) several times up in Wellfleet Harbor, and I would highly recommend that as a destination as it is sheltered, large, with access to great stuff (like Great Island).

We also took the C-27 to Weelfleet from the Bass River (Thru Woods Hoile, Canal etc) a couple summers ago.  great sail.

My best sail however was a solo round tripper from Bass River to Nantucket and Back, leaving at 4 Am returning at 9 PM.  

One thing I like about CC Bay is that with prevailing SW winds, you get good air but short fetch (unless you start at Provincetown!)


I am worried about trailering and launching froma ramp, neither of which I have ever done.  Maybe when the time comes you can give me a lesson!

Happy New Year

Roger
PS If you wanna see my C27,go to catalinaowners.com and search for Catalina 27's in MA and she comes up in East Dennis for 10,900.
with her 4 foot+darft she would not make a good Pleasant Bay boat and at 7K lbs not my kinda trailer boat.

[Craig]

Joe and Roger,

I too, am a transplant from the Philly area.  I grew up in Bucks County near Washington's Crossing, and graduated from Temple.  I've sailed with Gil on his 16 - nice boat and great company.  I would LOVE to trail my 16 east and sail on Barnegat Bay, so I want to hear how the PC does on the Bay.

Craig

[Gil Weiss]

Hi Roger,

Welcome! Happy New Year too . . . Happy New year to all you Compac sailors!

Yes, I know Riverton. Back in the 80's I had a friend who kept a 27' Catalina there all winter. I would help hime sail it back and forth to the Chesapeake for the summers. anyway, he kept it in the river all winter and we spent many a nice weekend winter day sailing the Delaware. Conditions here today would have been ideal for sailing.

My wife and I spent the day down at the Jersey shore as it was beautiful.

I had the honor of meeting and sailing with Craig this past summer as he mentioned. He is a great guy with lots of sailing experience and knowledge. Incidentally, I graduated from Temple University too, about 10 years before Craig.

The entire CP line of boats are really nice - great quality and great handling. Enjoy this board.

[curtis]

Hi Curtis!

Yes, Pleasant Bay is on my target list of trailer sailor places.  Actually my wife and I took a nice test sail in an Arey's Pond boat last summer, and also took a sail in rented Hunter 170 out of Wequassett Inn. We were seriously thinking about an h170 until I sailed her in 15 knots.  Too sensiteve to live ballast.

If you'd like to trailer to Pleasant Bay, parking can be a problem.  One option is to park at Ryders Cove but that is a busy launch.  If you'd like to
launch at one of the boat ramps with little or no parking, which is the case for almost all Orleans ramps, I'd be willing to help.

Areys Cats are certainly a beautiful boat.  btw- Good thing you didn't get the hunter.  Someone on Pleasant Bay apparently bought one and sailed one season and has been trying to sell it since (about 2 years I think).  The small hunters are just too light for the winds here way too often.

We also sailed Sturdee Cats (rentals) several times up in Wellfleet Harbor, and I would highly recommend that as a destination as it is sheltered, large, with access to great stuff (like Great Island).

We also took the C-27 to Weelfleet from the Bass River (Thru Woods Hoile, Canal etc) a couple summers ago.  great sail.

Wellfleet is nice.  Only been there by land though.

I am worried about trailering and launching froma ramp, neither of which I have ever done.  Maybe when the time comes you can give me a lesson!

I'd be certainly willing to help.  No real expert though since I only launch and retrieve once a season.  I get the job done so good enough at it.

Happy New Year

Roger

Happy New Year.  And a good year of sailing.  Or is that redundant?

PS If you wanna see my C27,go to catalinaowners.com and search for Catalina 27's in MA and she comes up in East Dennis for 10,900.
with her 4 foot+darft she would not make a good Pleasant Bay boat and at 7K lbs not my kinda trailer boat.

The price sounds tempting but you're right about the draft.  You'd get to sail in Greater Pleasant Bay with 15-20 ft depths and in Little Pleasant Bay at high tide.  The C27 is rather big for a daysailer for Pleasant Bay and with 1 ft MLW (near Allen Point) in the channel a rather tight fit getting to the Atlantic at all but high tide.

Hope to see you on the water this spring or summer.

Curtis