Water Witch

[motscg]

Hi Folks,

I am new to this forum.  After many years of dreaming, investigating, analyzing, looking, and sailing other peoples boats, I finally have my own vessel that can fit more than just myself!   I wanted to have a trailerable ballasted sailboat with a large crew area that also featured a cuddy cabin to accommodate a porta-potti (I think of daysailors without one to be "bladder-boats" - you stay out as long as your bladder holds out (or that of your crew or guests) :-).  The boat also had to have a fast setup. 

My previous boats were 10' sailing dinghies (one with catboat rig, the other a gaff-rigged sloop).  I also own a 16' 1967 Old Town wood and canvas canoe equipped with its original lateen sailing rig which uses leeboards.  I used these boats in Adirondack Mtn lakes (including Lake George).  My wife and I also rented a Sonar 23 and J24 for sailing in the Long Island Sound after completing a ASA 101 Basic Keelboat course.  I followed that up with the ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising course, training on a Beneteau 361 and enjoyed being at the helm of yachts belonging to relatives and friends (O'Day 25, Gibsea 33, Endeveour 35 and a Hinckley Burmuda 40 (nice yawl!)).   

Last Fall I ordered a new Com-Pac Sunday Cat and took delivery this Spring.  It's a pretty boat - dark blue hull, red bottom with white bootstripe and white cockpit and topsides.  The bimini and cuddy cabin cover is burgundy.   The boat has some factory custom features as well: second set of reef points, high-performance rudder, epoxy bottom paint, extra set of horn cleats mounted midships, two stern eyes added, aft mounted flag staff, navigation lights and the cabin portholes are from the Legacy model (I really did not like the standard small pointed elliptical shaped portholes that come with the Sunday Cat).  I also got cockpit seat cushions to pamper my Bone butt.  The Outboard is a Tohatsu 6hp 4-stoke with extra long 25" shaft (recommended engine from Com-Pac).

In addition to the factory options, I mounted a Windex at the top of the mast and a compass into an extra bottom drop-board where I can easily see it and it doesn't get in the way of guests seated against the cabin bulkhead.  I also added probably the most important piece of equipment to the boat - a pair of gimbaled-mounted insulated drink holders :-) - mounted to the boom gallows - a red one for port side and green for the starboard side. 

I named my boat "Water Witch".  It made its first trip in the water a couple of weeks ago in East Bay on the south shore of Long Island where we got it up to 4.8 knots in light wair.  It handled very well and it took notime at all to get use to the aft mounted mainsheets. 

George
West Hempstead, Long Island, NY

[Greene]

Wow!  That sounds like one beautiful and well equipped sailing vessel.  Congratulations.  We still have kids headed for college, so we stick to the previously well-loved boats.  Someday we'll be as lucky as you and be able to get something with that ''new boat smell".

Post some pic's already....

Good Winds,

Mike and Brenda

[motscg]

Hi Mike and Brenda,

Thanks!

With raising 4 kids, dealing with college expenses and three weddings (so far), and my wife surviving some health issues, Water Witch was a long time coming.  Sailing smaller and larger vessels, mine, rentals and other peoples, I had a lot of time to think over what I wanted, so when the time came I went for all the bells and whistles.  At this point we have had it out three times, the last two in the Great South Bay on the south coast of Long Island.  Each time I go out I learn some new things about its handling, especially in the area of launching and docking! :-)  

I'm in the process of adding a Lazy Jack system - it will be especially useful in catching the swinging gaff as it comes down.

My sister caught some good photos of us on our first sail in East Bay (while she was in her kayak).  



In case anyone is wondering - the cabin windows are not the stock portholes for the Sunday Cat.  At my request, I asked Rich Hutchins to have the Legacy windows installed instead.