The "Paw" crushes a Beetle.

[Mrleft8]

I was out tootling around the Sound in "The unsinkable Marjie B." yesterday afternoon, looking at the rocks around Guilford harbor, trying to remember which ones I could slide past at mid-tide, and which ones are no longer there thanks to the Army Corps of engineers. Off in the distance I saw a nice looking gaff rig headed in my general direction. So I headed up and went to investigate. A beautiful little Beetle cat the "Dahlia" sailed by an interesting woman, smoking a pipe. We chatted a little bit, and sailed along side by side for a bit. Trouble was....I couldn't go slow enough to maintain that "sailing in formation" look. At one point I dropped down below "Dahlia" in order to get blanketed by her sail... I still zipped right past her.... I'd always assumed that my lil' Catspaw was a slow boat... Guess I was wrong! :D

[Matt J.]

:cool:

Jenny just learned Sunday why it is I start getting active whenever there's another sailboat in the same vicinity on a similar course. I told her it is morally if not physically impossible for two sailboats on the same course within eyesight of one another to NOT race...

She thought I was being typically dumb and male... Until the other sailboat got back to the dock and said "I wasn't sure you knew it but we were racing... and you won." Of course our boat weighs 40% more, is 4' shorter, full keeled and gaff rigged... but yeah, we won. :D

And somewhere out there is a 47' catalina still wondering why it took them 2 hours to make up a 100 yard deficit on a run... Should have taken minutes. The 31' Hunter just quit, fire up the engine, and passed slowly. Yeah take THAT, Mr. tubby-toy-driver. :D

Way :cool: Doug, and da 'paw is beautiful.

[Wiley Baggins]

Originally posted by Matt J.:
[It] is morally if not physically impossible for two sailboats on the same course within eyesight of one another to NOT race...
Too true.

[Jack Heinlen]

In a stiff breeze, sailing off the wind, you'd've had a race Doug. smile.gif

[Matt J.]

Funny thing is, Jenny recited our exact course and speed when we were racing this particular boat. Not that she was paying attention...

Jack, why would that be?

[Figment]

:cool:

[Jack Heinlen]

I was talking about the Beetle Cat and the Catspaw. I sailed a Beetle Cat for two seasons, a leaky old boat. It would really scoot off the wind. Not that a catspaw won't too, but it would have been a more level race, that gaff sail of the Beetle really making a difference.

[ 08-10-2004, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

[Matt J.]

I know. I wonder why that would be? The beetle's wide and draw little, the catspaw is longer, but draws more?

I'm just wondering...

[Jack Heinlen]

Interesting question. The Beetle Cat will actually plane in a breeze, off the wind. I just think it would be a more equal match in some wind. I've never sailed a Catspaw, so I could be wrong, but it looks less able to stand up to sail.

[J. Dillon]

Good tale Doug . :cool: Glad to hear yer out of the shop and SAILING. More "bilge rats" should do the same.
;)
JD

[Mrleft8]

Actually, the "race" as it were, was mostly a broad reach, and nearly dead nuts down wind. (except for the parts where I came about and headed back to have another go at it :D )
I don't think a Catspaw draws any more than a Beetle cat. If I was to guess, I'd say a Catspaw draws less... The wind was about 12 knots SSW until 3:45.... When it dropped to 0.