To a 7- or 8-year-old child do you know how BIG a 13-foot cat looks compared to an 8-foot, pram-nosed dinghy? Even a 12-foot cat is kind of pushing it for the little kids. I'm trying to keep an open mind about it and am willing to experiment on my grandkids to find out whether a 12-footer is too big.

Maybe children are bigger in the Netherlands. My two oldest grandchildren only weigh about 60 pounds each, and the oldest one just turned 11. Most of the kids we know are pretty skinny.

My step-grandchildren include a 17-year-old boy who weighs 135 lbs and a 15-year-old girl who weighs 110 lbs. They both know how to sail but are too involved now in all their other sports activities.

Maybe I am just not thinking "heavy" enough. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />