I just got home from the show. All the usual suspects were there, but it just didn't seem to be as exciting as before. My old boss from Chesapeake
Catamaran Center was there, selling a
steel and
aluminum gaff headed Schooner (OMG) He's returning from the Dark Side where he had been testing the waters in the
trawler market.
I got a lot of reassuring information about
AIS B, and N2K features from ACR and
Garmin. Unfortunately I was there to watch a Flamer jump all over one the the
Garmin Reps about something truly mundane. Kudos to the Garmin Rep, who dealt with the episode with admirable fortitude. I would have dowsed said Flame with a CO2 extinguisher, and rolled the frozen remains into the harbor. I'm so wishy-washy.
I checked out the
current Gemini and have to say they have really improved the cabinet
work inside. I suspect that if you added most factory options you still couldn't get the
price over $200,000.
But the most exciting
boat at the show is the Moxie 37, by Uwe Jaspersen in Capetown. This
boat rocks!
Item: Resin infused carbon and glass fiber hulls from female molds as fair and shiney as anything I've ever seen. The bows are beyond plumb: they are just barely concave in profile and sharp enough to shave with. I can't imagine how much time the take to lay up and join.
Item: A
cabin liner in a light weight cat would be like putting a football helmet on a ballet dancer; inappropriate. Instead the
interior is finished with a pebbly surface that looks good and will be easy to clean with a soft brush.
Item: The
dagger boards are assymetrical and curved from the longitudinal aspect, leaving really no obstructions to the
interior. Brilliant.
Item: The controls for everything come to the open forward
cockpit, with just enough room between the
wheel and the
mast to fit a big multifunction display. The
mast is composite, manufactured in Uwe's facility, and rotates with sensible controls.
I was initially disappointed by the bulkhead between the
helm and the rest of the bridge
deck, but there are some reasons and advantages. I'll wait untill we've sailed to form an opinion.
There have been a few semi-open bridgedeck boats before now: The Aquilon 26, Main Cats, Seawinds, and the Great Barrier Express Sport
Deck come to mind. There the similarities end. This Cat is light, clean, and functional. The quality of craftsmanship is superb. It is not meant to carry a complete household, and probably should not be loaded up with gadgets that would require more amps. The bridgedeck can be enclosed, and there are provisions to protect the
helm from
weather, but it's not a high lattitudes explorer. Boards up this thing will float in a heavy dew.
I like Uwe Jaspersen. My first impression is that he's a sailor,
designer, and a consumate craftsman. I think he delights in making strong structure look airy. The bridgedeck roof has 1.5 inch coring, but it looks like its just floating above the boat.
This boat first appeared as a design for a 34' cat that caught the eyes of the Gunboat folks. The first one built was the Gunboat 37, which got mired in builder/marketer tensions. Then came the Jaz 37, which was hugely fast, but preferred to fly a
hull under any provocation; a circumstance tending to provoke mutiny by some members of the crew.
Some magic happened, and this boat appeared. But sit down before you ask the
price. Think two Geminis.
I'll be sailing it Tuesday at Demo Days, and might get back to the Show Monday. Anyone want something looked at?