Is anyone interested in having a vintage cat regatta, say once a year in the keys? Might be fun to sail some old Shearwaters, Sharks, and other classics that need rescuing which are now rotting, sitting in back yards. To keep it fun...no new sails-run the rags! Picture leaving the I-20 home and bringing a old wood boat with the family to Rick's for a RELAXING weekend. Just might turn into a cult event!

Sounds like fun! But what's "vintage"??

Are my 1978 Prindle 15 or 18 vintage or is my 1985 wooden "A" cat (now considered "Category 2" and certainly "vintage" by "A" cat standards!!) vintage? Or is my 1970 CatYak (rotomolded!) vintage??

How about just a "vintage" or "unique" cat regatta/get-together/show (ala a "Classic car show")?

Be neat to get all those Chrysler, Kona, Banana, Sizzler, Z-cat, Hobie 11's, Catfish, Unicorns, Sol Cat 20's, Freestyle 474's, etc. together--



Kirt

I think a loose interpretation would be fun. It would be great to just pull some old boats out of the weeds and have a fun weekend away from the carbon fiber. It could become a source of really cheap boats that clubs could use to get people into the sport. Imagine a rag tag fleet of odds and ends just out having a fun race? I think it would be too hard and expensive to find true classics....so I think the boats like Dingos, Musketeers, and H-14s would be fun. I guess we could pick an arbitary cutoff year, but after all this is about fun and leaving the race face home for one weekend. It could evolve into a contest to bring the most obscure or beat up boat and get it around the course. Finding a $200 boat and playing with it for weekend, then if you choose, giving it to a local youth organization may help our sport down the road a few years.

Hmmmm, do I bring my 1976 Hobie-14 or my 1979 Hobie-18? Of course, the 18 is my current race boat...

I'd go with a pirate theme and possibly buckets/supersoakers, Haaarrr!



And a race that includes backing up, scavenger hunting, and the like (not your standard triangles, Haaaarrrr!) would probably draw some attention, as well as hone a few sailing skills on "carbon-less" craft.



Where's my eye patch, dangit!

Well, an easy way around that issue would be to have different "classes" of boats-

IE Manufactured classes- Then could split up by year- 1959 and before, 1960-1970, 1970-1980 for instance and then by lengths also if wanted and then have different categories within each class- "Most unique", "Most original", "Best restoration", "Hot Rod- (modified)", etc. And then "race" within these classes

Could also have "Homemade Wooden classes" w/ same categories, etc.

This is really "hot stuff" with other "transportation means" (powerboats, planes, cars, tractors, etc.) right now--



Kirt

instead of racing around a triangle, why dont you have a scavanger/treasure hunt kind of competition? have organizers take participants and team them up. try to even the teams by taking boat construction, ability, ect into account. dont let anybody have the "treasure maps" until the start. do a shotgun start. it would be pretty cool having all of those boats going in different directions. have them go to different points and have to get out of the boat and "find" the whatever as proof as being there. there would be all kinds of strategey to contemplate. and this would make for an excellent ice breaker as far as sailors working together. at the end, have a bbq. hand out awards for those who do well in the scavanger hunt but also an equal amount of recognition awards. ie best pirate, oldie but goodie, best floating wreck, ect. everybody should get some kind of participation thing ie pin or t shirt. the main thing is to have fun and lots of it with fellow sailors.

All of this being said....does anyone know of an old boat here in Fl that I could turn into a backyard project? I think a Dingo would be kind of cool. If I remember correctly (if I am wrong please let me know) it was a MFG product with a solid tramp. Another foggy recolection was Gibbs built Sharks as well as an 18' version called a Phoenix. I think MFG may have produced these as well for a short period...again the memory is pretty foggy on this one. If anyone knows of a interesting boat (no H-14, H-16, or P-16s) please let me know. I have a Herrshoff gaff rig that I need to finish first, but I am alwas looking.

Sounds like an AWESOME idea, funny you should say...



...I was seriously considering putting together an 18 Square invitational in conjunction with the Slip to Ship regatta held at Ocean Springs MS on Memorial Day weekend. Long weekend, easy place to launch, awesome conditions, ask Kirt Simmons, what do you think about OS, huh? Mississippi is a bit more central, if not as beautiful, and water access and camping is cheaper and easier.



But there's absolutely no reason why it has to be only Squares, we can have a "Dead Boats" regatta, including more 'dead boats' than just the Square. If I get some positive feedback, I'll work on organization. We'll hold it as a NAMSA regatta, too.



sea ya

tami

I'll bring my wooden Catnip A-class to the Keys anytime to race Kirt- maybe even to Mississippi. It should be great fun. Keep talking! Here is even a thumbnail pix of it!



Dave Carlson US-21

Dave-

Sounds like fun! But you aren't bringing those new fangled "wingy'thingies" are ya on it?



Kirt

Hi,

I have a cat called a Phoenix. It is 18' long, and I was told that it was designed by Rod McCalpine-Downey. Does anyone know anything about them?

Thanks,

Dave

You are correct about the designer. A possible source of information may be some of the guys that sail in the Shark fleet. They have a web site if you hit Shark Catamaran you can find them. As I remember the Phoenix was the 18' version of the 20' Shark and a nice looking boat. What year and builder is your boat? I could not remember if your boat folds for trailering like the Shark or is street legal flat on the trailer. tell me a little about your experience with the boat and what part of the country are you sailing....and is there any others for sale in your area?

I don't know the age or builder of the boat. It was originally purchased in Ottawa, and I think built somewhere up here. I am in Toronto. The boat trailers flat. I really enjoyed sailing the boat and it was very good handling. Howver, there are a few problems with it such as:

1. The design of the hull was such that when you went through a wave you would get splashed in the eyes every time. There is a chine in the hull. The hull shape is very similar to the shark.

2. The hulls we made in two pieces, with the deck being riveted onto the bottom. This means that there is a seal all the way around the boat. Of course the filler material on mine has dried and it now leaks badly.

3. There is a large hatch on the back deck that can't be sealed so if you went over, your hull is filled with water.



Its not the fastest boat. Probably on par with a Getaway. I don't know of any others in existence. I can take some pictures if you would like to see...

Dave

Yes, I would like to see your pictures. As far as the deck joint leeking, how hard would it be to seperate and then reattach the deck? If it is bonded to the bulkheads I would think near impossible. Does your boat have the small splash gaurds on the bow like the shark? Is this your primary boat? If you would rather send the pictures to me rather than post you can reach me at [email][email protected].[/email]

please post them - I would like to see it too!

ok I will post the pics. Give me a week to go to the cottage and take them. The boat doesn't have any bulkheads! I think that the boat is around 35 years old...

Dave

Anyone know of a old Shark cheap?

The Phoenix cat.











I would like to find a good home for this boat. If anyone is interested in this boat for its historic value please let me know.

Dave

Hi Dave could you send me a few more pictures of the Phoenix as I'm building a Data Base on old Catamatans and would really like to in clude it any chance of having some of it Rigged ?



Thanks Alan Williams Cat Rep. Classic and Vintage Dinghy Association of Britain

Shark 41



Sail Fast and often