Horizon Cat owners - what is the furthest offshore you have taken your boat?

[Ziggy]

Interested to hear "cruising" experiences on this trailerable easy to rig boat

[skip1930]

Best guess is a long trip with good wind out into Lake Michigan, five hours out on a straight course, come-a-bout and five hours back into the 'cut' between Lake Michigan and the Bay of Green Bay.

How far? I don't know. Could not see land. Made it home after dark.

No big deal to sail 22 miles zig zag sailing 14 miles to Marionette~Monomee.

skip.


Lake Michigan is to the right in the picture.


The Bay of Green Bay is to the left.


Every 10 years or so we have high flood waters. Here is where the 'cut' enters the bay.

[Craig]

Not really about how far you go offshore but about conditions. The HC is not a "Blue Water" boat by any means but New England fishermen took their catboats of similar design fairly far offshore in some pretty dicey weather & seas. It all comes down to the skill of the person at the helm. The HC is a solid boat that will probably take a lot more than I would want to suffer! As long as the hatchway is secured and the seat lockers are locked down, properly handled she could weather some pretty rough conditions just fine if she had to. Accomodation-wise a week or so is no problem and the HC makes a great trailable weekender.

[Ziggy]

Thanks - kind of what I thought. Would love to hear from other or better still take one for a "test" sail. The only catboats I have every sailed before were much larger Nonsuch.

[CaptRon28]

Ziggy -

If you're anywhere near the New Jersey / New York area, you'd be welcome for a test sail in mine. The boat is located in Sandy Hook Bay (NJ) in the NYC Lower Harbor. The invitation also stands for others on this forum. We leave for Florida in about 5 weeks so the boat will be coming out of the water about Oct 15 or so. After that, the invitation would be for a sail on a 30 foot trimaran in Charlotte Harbor.

[Ziggy]

Thanks Ron - I am in Western NC. Wish you were taking the Horizon CAt to Florida as it would be easier for me to get there :-), however if you just want some crew I'd take you up on the offer for a ride on the Telstar. I have only been on a tri once - crewed on an F-27 for one weekday evening race in Lake Michigan.

[Andre]

Ziggy -

If you're anywhere near the New Jersey / New York area, you'd be welcome for a test sail in mine. The boat is located in Sandy Hook Bay (NJ) in the NYC Lower Harbor. The invitation also stands for others on this forum. We leave for Florida in about 5 weeks so the boat will be coming out of the water about Oct 15 or so. After that, the invitation would be for a sail on a 30 foot trimaran in Charlotte Harbor.

Hi Ron,

It's been a while since we interacted.    I'd bought a Picnic Cat 5 years ago and have been sailing regularly.   Now I'm thinking of upgrading to a larger boat that I could sail in Raritan Bay and LI Sound.   A Horizon Cat is very much on my short list of potential boats, so I would love to see yours and check out the accomodations and if possible even a sail.   I'm free much anytime and it would be good to see you again.

Andre

[CaptRon28]

Andre -

The boat is in Sandy Hook / Raritan Bays (they're really the same body of water). If you can make it on Friday (Sep 20), I plan on taking it out for a couple of hours (maybe 11 AM to 3 PM, but I'm flexible?). If not, maybe we can hook up this or another weekend. Not sure of my plans for this weekend yet.

[Andre]

Hi Ron,

Unfortunately this weekend (including Friday) won't work for me since I will be in DC, returning late Sunday.  Other than that I'm entirely open (including weekdays) except for Saturday October 12th, which is probably around the time you'll be packing up anyway.  I can give you a hand with that by the way if you need it.

Feel free to contact me by personal e-mail, which I think you should be able to get from my profile so we don't clutter up the forum.

Thanks for the prompt reply,
Andre