"Red Witch" at speed

[Jay Greer]

This is not a commercial. It is a test of my new photo service to see if this would print.
The boat is my own Common Sense Sloop "Red Witch". Though just 28' LOA we were clocked at 9.5kts that day.
Jay

[rbgarr]

We notched 9.7 and 10.2 in a Freedom 28 heading into Halifax (didn't we Hywl and Emily??)

[The Bigfella]

We never clocked it, but my 20' Tornado used to regularly and rapidly overtake the Manly Ferry - and it runs at 18 knots. I guess 30 knots. Less sail area too!

Nice shot Jay

[Jay Greer]

It was a hairy day. The committee boat got rammed! Those who tried to fly chutes blew them out. There were several dismastings as well. We had to pick our way between the breaking swells in order to come about. In the picture, we had just done that. The crew was letting off on the lee running back so that the main could be slacked off.
It was the harbor dept. that clocked us that day. As we came into the bay they wanted us to slow down! During the race, the fin keelers were on there ears while we were drinking beer and eating ham sandwiches and I steered with my knee. The boat has proven to have incredible balance, stability and speed. After that, I dug out a set of small area storm sails, given to me by a friend. We flew them in a Santa Ana on the day of the big Malibu Fire and still made a honking 8.5kts. This is a 10,000lb. displacement hull that was designed by Matt Walsh in 1932. All I did was to tweek it a bit with a full rebuild and a new rig.
Jay

[ewan]

i'll just add....great name

[PaulC]

"It is a test of my new photo service to see if this would print."

It only shows up as a gray picture, no colour???

[Jay Greer]

How's this for color?
Jay

[David G]

Jay - very pretty. Both shots

"Always be nice to those younger than you, for they are the ones who will be writing about you" -- Cyril Connolly

[Jay Greer]

The origional boat, with its fractional rig and minus the modified after quarters, was match raced against the international champion R class sloop "Pirate". The "Common Sense"#5 was skippered by her designer builder, Matt Walsh. Over a fifteen mile windward leeward course CS5 beat "Pirate" by thirty two minutes.
Jay

[PaulC]

I fixed a black and white tv for a neighbor once. I was finishing up right as our oldest son got up from his nap. I thought he would be all impressed that his dad could make a tv work again, but he looked quizzically at it and said "but everything is all gray". We had to stop and think to realize he had never seen a black and white tv before.

[Jay Greer]

I will be finishing a set of construction plans for the Common Sense Sloops this winter.
Jay

[Chan]

And that's not a commercial?

[prestonbriggs]

And that's not a commercial?

Nope! No more than me saying I'm going to finish a boat this winter.

Preston

[Jay Greer]

Here is another shot taken on a less windy day.
Jay

[Willin']

How many times I stopped to admire both Red Witch and Wanderlure II when walking by back in the late 70's. Absolutely flawless!

Back then you could count the number of woodies in Newport Harbor on two hands. Tioga, Kelpie, Spike (occasionally), Newsboy, Sally, even Wild Goose were there, but Red Witch was always the star of Balboa Island.

Feel free to post more pix, Jay!

[Jay Greer]

Thank you for your kind words. The boat has always been a labor of love. She is a boat builders, "Saturdays child", always worked on during slow periods. Filled with dry rot and broken frames 95% of the origional boat was replaced. As a result of a collision with a motor vessel she now awaits another restoration in Port Townsend where I am, currently, building a new boat shop.

[bott]

Where abouts in PT is Red Witch? or your shop? I am heading across the sound over there this weekend to work on another boat and would love to actually see her in person if I run into some down time...

And just to make sure the point is driven home: what a stunning boat!

[Jay Greer]

While I would welcome you to visit the shop, I am currently in California working on a special project. I will be back in town in a few weeks.
Jay