Hello Everyone

[DaveyJones]

I am new to the forum and sailing. Just wanted to say hi.

I have run power boats from 14' to 63' over the last 27 years but never set foot on a sailboat.

Anyway, I have been looking around and like the idea of sailing a cruiser around while the wind is still free.

I really like the look of the CSY yachts so far and really like the 44 mid cockpit walk over.


Aside from making a choice of boats how is it that someone never having sailed before should go about learning to operate a boat like the CSY 33, 37, or 44 and can any or all of them be handled by one person?

[scallywag]

David,

Welcome aboard! You will find a lot of opinions on this board about which sailboat is best or worthwhile. A boat is a she for a reason. Looks - I also liked the look of the CSY yachts. Durability - If I remember the CSY yachts were used in the rental fleets because of space and strenght. Cost - The wind might be free but the sails are not free and the upkeep of the yacht depends on how nice you want her to look.

John

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha David,
Welcome aboard!! Yes, you can handle nearly any boat singlehanded if you set it up properly. My personal feeling is that 36 is plenty big enough for a couple and smaller if you're single.
I think we have a few CSY owners here on the forum and I hope they respond.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[Pblais]

I really like the look of the CSY yachts so far and really like the 44 mid cockpit walk over.

I used to own A CSY 33 and CSYMan still does. The 44 walkovers are a popular Cruising boat. They hold a lot of stuff have large tanks. You'll find many have been refit but if it never was it probably needs it. They are pretty comfortable and take a serious beating. They are not fast but will handle heavy weather just fine. The CSY 33 has a spaciaous saloon that is actually a few inches bigger than the 44. It has no aft berth. The 44 basically adds a bit extra to the cockpit and and nice aft walkover cabin.

Handling by one person takes some experience before it is easy. I would say that about any 30+ ft boat. As displacements rise over 15,000 the boats need to be eased into tight places. You can't easily fend the boat off with just a hand on a piling. They carry a lot of momentum and can lose steerage at very slow speeds. You really have to know how the boat behaves so you can anticipate it. Having a good autopilot makes many things pretty easy since you can hold the boat on course as you raise the sails or take them in.

I always liked our CSY 33 and I do miss it from time to time. You'll never win the ugly boat contest any place you go. At anchor she was a great boat and behaved well on the hook. The CSY users group is found at: http://www.topica.com/CSY It's the best place to find out more about them a it's about the only place they hang out. They are a friendly bunch almost like they are here

[DaveyJones]

Hey,

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

I have not seen many CSY 44 walk thru's but they look nice.

What's the chance of getting the windows blown out at sea vs the other models?

[Pblais]

What's the chance of getting the windows blown out at sea vs the other models?

Depends on if they have been redone or not. On the 33 they were thick lexan for the cabin top ports. The raised cabin top makes the saloon very light instead of a dark cave as with most boats that size. The small ports are all a nice solid bronze with tempered glass.

The 44 walkthru was later and less of them were made. It's sort of a workroom hallway under the cockpit since the engine is still there too. . Some folks like it but I really think the walkover was nicer but I never owned one just sat on a few. I guess it depends on where you cruise. In colder climates the walkthru would be better I guess. Go see one yourself! Things all look different in person.

[DaveyJones]

Seems some of the the CSY'ers have migrated here..

Messages

Good idea about looking at them.

There is a lot of conflicting info on the brokerage sites. One thing I consider important is holding tanks and that is one area where information is not very consistent.