New WoodPussy Catboat will arrive on Long Island by Christmas

[santone]

While sailingLightnings on the Hudson at Ossining in the 50's I admired the little catboat known as the WoodPussy. Although I've owned and sailed owned many sailboats, I've longed to own one. In the past two years I've located and returned
4 derelict WoodPussys to new owners in NY and Michigan. My last restoration found a home at the Nyack boat Club in June of this year.

My new cold molded wood composite/epoxie and glass WoodPussy will arrive from the builder ( www.Anglisboats.com) (http://www.Anglisboats.com)) in Dec. (see construction photos at http://www.mysailingworld.com/Beta%20under%20construction%20in%20Colorado.htm ). This is the first builder to offer this design in over 35 years.

I'll sail this boat in 2006 on the Great South Bay and in Long Island Sound and will add photos of this boat to my personal website at
www.mysailingworld.com (http://www.mysailingworld.com) when it arrives. Tony

[santone]

I had the pleasure of sailing the prototype WoodPussy http://mysailingworld.com/Alpha%20%20takes%20shape%20in%20Colorado.htm in Colorado at the Crystal Lake Yacht Club in Michigan in August http://www.mysailingworld.com/crystal_lake_yacht_club.htm . It was a blast!

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

C :cool: :cool: L Lets go sailing together come spring.

[essaunders]

Does the new boat have a strong weather helm? The tiller looks (to my uneducated eye) pretty far over here:

http://www.mysailingworld.com/Tony_Sailing_Alpha_Upwind.jpg

nice looking boat, though. I do like the idea of the post-capsize easy righting.

[ 11-29-2005, 07:19 AM: Message edited by: essaunders ]

[silvergull]

My first sailing experiences were in a fleet of wood Woodpussy boats kept by the summer camp I attended in Massachusetts in the 1950's and early 60's. Nice little boats. A Rhodes design, I believe.

O'Day came out with a FG Woodpussy and the camp purchased one. None of the campers liked it nor did the staff. That FG O'Day jaundiced my view of the frozen sn*t thereafter. A good thing perhaps?

I am glad to hear that a new boat will be sailing, in wood! And, yes, they do carry weather helm but no more than a Beattle Cat.

Jim

[santone]

The WoodPussy is very well balanced for a Catboat. In the photo shown above, I was attempting to fall off but was sheeted in too tight (my boo- boo). The WoodPussy should be sailed flatter for best speed upwind.
The new boat is being shipped Dec. 23rd from Colorado so I'll have it here for the new year. We'll test sail it in Jan. and will pick an appropriate day to take photos to post here and on the class website etc.

[Donn]

"We'll test sail it in Jan." BRRR! I hope the water's soft. :eek:

[santone]

Woodpussy fans,
Check out the article in the Fall edition of the Catboat Association Magazine (Bulletin #138). There's a couple of pages devoted to the WoodPussy.

[Carlsboats]

Nice boat. Used to see them decades ago when there was a fleet at the Cold spring Harbor Beach Club on Long Island. To my way of thinking (I am sure this is heresy) the Wood Pussy is a better design than the celebrated Beetle.
I too used to sail the Hudson, racing a Thistle in the early 1950's, out of Shattemuc (sp?) and Nyack, but sorry that I don't recall seeing the Lightnings out there.

[santone]

You're correct. This boat sails better than the Beetle. Take a look at this link. http://www.shattemucyc.org/history%20pages/Second%20level%20-%20member%20pages/members%20SYC.htm Go to the year 1951.Is your family name on the same roster? My dad is listed as "DEloia Dr. A.S." I sailed Lightnings #4402 and #4403 in 1952 and 1953 to fleet-runner up spot both years. We had about 5 lightnings in the fleet at that time . I only remember two others though, Greg, Maue and Tom Hershey were hot Lightning skippers then. I also sailed in several Lightning regattas at Nyack. At that time Pete Petersen of Nyack was the hottest lightning skipper in the country and won most regattas in his "Black Mariah". We had about 4 or 5 WoodPussys at Shattemuc at that time as well.

[rbgarr]

I had a Beetle Cat in my youth and often wondered how the Wenaumet Kitten would have compared to the Wood Pussy-- see http://home.capecod.net/~rivendell/kitten.html

As far as I'm concerned a catboat has a gaff rig only. Marconi/Bermuda rigs don't count. ;)

How's that for snobbery!

[ 12-27-2005, 11:04 PM: Message edited by: rbgarr ]

[Dave Fleming]

With all due respect....

I think the NEW Wood Pussy looks like shite!

Dave who learned to sail on original ones in the 1950's.

[Wild Dingo]

Ouch Dave! :eek: thats a bit rough isnt it? :( You wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what? course Im not as well versed in these things as you may be but still encouragement wouldnt go astray rather than simple insults? tis the season and all that eh wot!! ;)

Sometimes its not what appeals to our tastes that matters eh? but rather what appeals to the builders that matters and hell hes built it (or rather had it built) its of wood and to my eye its not a bad bloody effort even if its not to my tastes... maybe it looks like shyte to your tastes but mate remember its not you thats gotta sail her is it! tongue.gif

I say well done and its come along a treat not my cuppa of course but still a great job and it should be a blast sailin around on her :cool:

Enjoy her Tony!

Just ignore the old crotchetty buggar up there mate hes havin a moodswing followed by the solid brainphart that comes with the onset oldtimers desease :D sigh and to thunk Im gettin along and wont be too long away and I'll be a crotchetty ol phart! :eek:

[Dave Fleming]

Dingy you wouldn't know a Wood Pussy if it came up and bit you in the arse!

The ORIGINAL design by Phil Rhodes with production by Palmer Scott.

Carvel Planked over Oak frames.

A very forgiving design to sail. Well suited for teaching young folk to sail without trepidation.

Now it had been bastardedized into to some form of racing machine.
Why, with all the many designs of similar size would one do that?

I must have taught at least a hundred plus young folk to sail using that basic design, both female and male.

http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL780/3097474/6292566/123206774.jpg
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL780/3097474/6292566/123206962.jpg

[Wild Dingo]

You really dont read very well and you also have a severe case of HDD dont you davey? :rolleyes:

I wish you well with your new boat Tony :cool:

[ 12-28-2005, 01:37 AM: Message edited by: Wild Dingo ]

[Dave Fleming]

davey? Geeze Dingy the last person whom I can recall calling me that was a freckled faced pigtailed lass in 3rd grade.
Thanks for the memories.

PS: I read and comprehend quite well thank you.

And the new re-incarnation of the Wood Pussy still stinks IMOOP.

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by Dave Fleming:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />davey? Geeze Dingy the last person whom I can recall calling me that was a freckled faced pigtailed lass in 3rd grade.
Thanks for the memories.</font>[/QUOTE]No worries :cool: always glad to rejuvinate an ol fellas failin memories :D

Originally posted by Dave Fleming:
PS: I read and comprehend quite well thank you.Again no worries but you by your comment to me made it clear you either dont read or you have problems with reading since I neither insulted you intentionally nor said I knew the design in fact Davey I said the opposite in that...

even if its not to my tastes.

And!!!...

not my cuppa

so the need for your shot at me was unwarrented... and if you indeed do read and comprehend as you say then you would realize by your first comments you insulted not only the Tony but also his choice of design and the build of his boat HE is happy with it and that is after all what this thread is about HIS choice HIS boat HIS enjoyment... HE is just sharing it with us and that is worthy of some praise rather than insult surely?

Originally posted by Dave Fleming:
And the new re-incarnation of the Wood Pussy still stinks IMOOP.Your opinion has been duely noted tongue.gif

Cheers Daveyboy... gawd if the name changing continues I could really get into this!!... Actually I think this name is more in keepin with you ol son young spritely full of their own self importance and opinions yep "Daveyboy" I reckon it suits :D

Nah seriously Tony likes his boat and thats bloody great in my book... you and I dont? not the point really is it?

{Oh by the way HDD - Humour Deficit Disorder something you appear to be suffering from just now old son ;) }

[ 12-28-2005, 07:22 AM: Message edited by: Wild Dingo ]

[santone]

Thanks for your support guys. Dave Fleming is an old-time master shipbuilder and a prolific poster on the forum. He loves the woodPussy but is not crazy about the woodwork pattern in the prototype. My new boat will not have the fancy deck design you've seen. We've used Oak for the floor and deck to get the weight to class legal. The new boat (now on a truck in Stroudsburg Pa) will look more like the Lars Olsen cold molded WoodPussys of the 60's. Dave will like this one better than the prototype. I'll post photos when "Simba" arrives. Enjoy this link and jump into the fray if you wish, but don't jump on Dave too hard. I'm willing to bet my new boat will win him over. Regards, Tony