The MC30 "Quay Cat" (Pronounced 'Key Cat')

4th of July Raft Up in Poulsbo

2005-08-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Sue Karren, Rob Karren, Mike Roddy, Roberta Roddy
Weather: Clear and hot
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 97.5 to 103.5
Date: July 2nd and 3rd

Joint the Sloop Tavern Yacht Club for their annual raft up for the fireworks on the 3rd of July in Poulsbo. As we cruised up to the sail boats in the raft, the commodore of the club said "for a power boat, that is not even offensive." About 15 boats rafted up for the show.

We cruised over on the 2nd and spent the night. Tom and Rob and I were the only ones aboard. The next day we cruised back to Kingston and picked up Sue and cruised back to Poulsbo, about a 3 or 4 hour round trip. There was a large no wake zone that took about 30 minutes or more to get past.

We borrowed a dinghy from a neighboring boat and picked up the Roddy's at the dock in Poulsbo for dinner on the boat. The fireworks were great and lasted until about 11 PM. We slipped out of the raft after the fireworks and headed home along with thousands of other boats. Once clear of Liberty Bay and the crowd of boats, the night cruise home was delightful. The phosphoresce behind the boat left a trail in our wake that lit up the night.

We arrived home in Kingston by 1AM and had the boat washed and trailered and stowed by 2:00. Another great night on Quay Cat.

Sea Trials in March

2005-03-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: 4 Potential MC30 Customers
Weather: Clear and Windy, 20 to 25 Knots
Seas: 4 - 6 feet
Engine Hours: 97.6 to 102.0
Date: March 19

Had an Open House for North Sound Cruising Center today. Four potential customers came to see how the MC30 handled in the water. Although the seas were very high and choppy, we had a great afternoon. We went out from Kingston about halfway across the sound to Edmonds and then north about halfway to Point No Point. We slowed down to about 10 knots in waves that were 6 feet or mor high. Everyone thought that this was much smoother than thier other boats.

New Year's Eve Cruise

2004-12-31T14:40:00.000-08:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Rob Karren
Weather: Clear and cold
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 95.0 to 97.6

Cruised outside Kingston for an hour or two before taking the boat out of the water.

Maintenance Issues:

Cleaned and detailed the boat for the boat show. Took all bedding and food off. Scrubbed the hull. Need to replace faucet Rob broke when he sat on it. Need to replace safety line on bow.

Quay Cat Poses for the Local Newspaper

2004-12-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Showed Quay Cat to Tiffany Royal of the North Kitsap Harold this morning. It figures it would get sunny about an hour after we were at the boat. Quay Cat looks great regardless.

Video of Quay Cat

2004-12-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Check out the video we shot on Quay Cat. Click on the video on the right.

We spent the day with Jerzy Kostanski and his friend Gosia shooting video of Quay Cat all over the North Puget Sound. Alternately, send us an email and we will send you a DVD. Send the email to Scott@NorthSoundCruising.com

Trailer Modifications

2004-11-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Skipper: Scott
Guests: None
Weather: Sunny
Seas: n/a
Destination: Kingston Guest Slip
Engine Hours. 92.2

Put the boat at a guest slip in Kingston so we could modify the trailer. Boat is fairly easy to handle with just one person. Put it into the slip with no problems. Also took it in and out of the water several times after the wheels on the trailer were moved. Readjusted the center guides and the from bow stop on the trailer. Had to get the boat positioned just right before the welder came over to make the guides and bow stop permanent.

Fueled up. Put in 26 gallons. Last fuel was at 82.5 hours. That is 9.8 hours in 26 gallons; 2.6 gallons per hour. Fuel usage is lower than the averse of 3 gph, probably because of slow speeds while fishing.

Maintenance Issues:

Had local metal shop move axles on trailer forward two feet. Boat now sits properly on trailer with just the engines hanging over the back of the trailer. Trailer bucks when empty at about 30 MPH, but handles much better than before with the boat on. Tongue weight now under 500 pounds.

Also had the center guides, bow stop and winch stand welded in place. Lowered stops so they meet the kevlar beach shoes on the bows. Boat fits very tight now. Now side to side sway.

Fresh Sushi Courtesy of the MC30

2004-11-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Salmon Sushi we made from the fresh salmon we caught. We used to joke that we could not afford hamburger in Seattle and head to settle for buying salmon. Since we got the Motorcat30, we have not even had to buy salmon.

Fishing with Friends

2004-11-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Mike Roddy, Roberta Roddy, Sue Karren
Weather: Sunny and Clear
Seas: Calm
Destination: Apple Tree Point
Engine Hours: 92.2 to 94.6

Boat was much stiffer coming off the trailer. Had to tap the breaks two or three times to get it all the way off. Cruised near the ferry run fishing for salmon again. We did not catch any keepers, but had a great time on the water in the sun. Got new fishing gear of my own so I do not have to borrow Dicks tackle any more.

Sue and Roberta each brought enough food for a three day cruise. After about the third picnic basket, I asked Sue how many people she thought were coming aboard. Then Roberta showed up with just as much. We did not catch any fish, but we at well.

Cross wind at the boat ramp made docking a bit of a challenge. Took me three tries and still was not real slick when Mike jumped ashore. Not much room to maneuver at the ramp and it makes me nervous. With the supports welded in place, we can just drive the boat onto the trailer. No more winching or wet feet.

Maintenance:

None.

Weekend fishing with Robert

2004-11-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Robert Karren, Dick Anderson
Weather: Calm and cold
Seas: 0-2 feet
Destination: Apple Tree Point
Engine Hours: 86.1 to 92.2

Cruised the tide rips off of Apple Tree Point just outside of Kingston trying to catch a Salmon. Dick managed to hook a small fish about every 3 minutes. All of the action kept Robert entertained and the bait never got old. However, we still did not get to keep a fish. Dick thinks we may have a fishing curse on the boat. I think there are just not as many salmon as there used to be.

Maintenance:

Tied up in the guest Dock so we could work on the trailer. We are moving the wheels forward and welding the center boat guides in place.

Making Memories with the MC30

2004-11-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

We Caught a Salmon! Rob and Tom both happy with another day spent using the MC30.

Point No Point Fishing Trip

2004-11-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Sue Karren, Thomas Karren, Robert Karren, Dick Anderson
Weather: Clear and cold, 15 knot wind
Seas: 2-3 feet in the AM, calm in the afternoon
Engine Hours: 82.5-86.1
Destination: Point no Point

Went Fishing off Point No Point with Dick. Dick and his friends hooked over a dozen chum salmon the day before during the Kingston fishing derby and kept the 6 largest. Gloria Tupper won the derby with a 14 pound 8 ounce fish and Dick cam in 5th or 6th with a 10 pound 10 ounce fish. We were not as lucky the next day though.

We muched in the tide rips most of the morning. Robert hooked one right before lunch, but it broke the line before we could net it. After sitting for a few hours with no action, Thomas asked me to hold his pole for a minute while he went below. As soon as he handed it to me, a fish hit hard. I landed it, an 8 pound chum that looked pretty nice. This time we had the net ready and brought it aboard easily.

Maintenance Issues:

No big issues. Need to work on finding a heating system. Light on mast worked fine this time. Must have a short. Will need to un assemble and rewire.

"Quay Cat" with Cockpit Enclosed

2004-11-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

Quay Cat now has a full enclosure for the cockpit. We took her out yesterday to try it out. Great room and visibility. We were amazed at much it changed the feel of the yacht. The enclosure is spacious and tall. Although it was windy and cold out, the heat from the sun made it warm enough to cruise without coats or sweaters, at least until the sun set.

Halloween Fishing Trip

2004-10-31T19:54:00.000-08:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Chris To, Sammy To, Dick Anderson
Weather: Clear and cold
Seas: 1 to 2 feet
Engine Hours: 78.6 to 82.5
Destination: Edmonds, Possession Point, Point No Point, Kingston

Launched "Quay Cat" at about 1:00 PM to try out the new cockpit enclosure and go fishing. We met Chris and his son Sammy at Edmonds and then headed north to try our luck at fishing. Nothing at Possession Point so we headed over to Point No Point to try the tide rips. Immediately we had three hits. Dick was on first and mine was next. However, mine was a hit and run that stole the bait. Suddenly, Chris was yelling too. His was much larger and broke the line. We knew we would get some fish because I had forgotten the net. I had to grab the salmon by the gills to bring it aboard. Glad we did not loose it.

We got back to shore about 5:30 and sent Chris off to catch the ferry back to Edmonds while Dick and I cleaned up the boat. It is about 14 feet high now on the trailer with the enclosure. We had to watch for power lines on the lane into Dicks yard where we keep the boat. Tight fit. We will have to trim some lines from the trees to make it easier to get in and out.

Fueled up before the trip at 78.6 hours. Put 20.5 gallons in the right tank and 8.6 gallons in the left. Not sure why there was such a big difference or why the right tank was so low. Last fuel was at 74 hours. That is about right for the left tank. Fuel use per hour was 6.32. This is a record high. Will check the right engine to see if there is a problem if the fuel use remains uneven.

Maintenance: The aft white light on the mast does not work. We will have to drill the rivets out of the mast and redo the wiring. We had to extend the mast by about a foot when we added the Bimini and enclosure.

Need to decide on a propane heater now too and get it installed before the boat show in January.
Will make final alterations to the trailer this week. Need to move the wheels two feet forward and then place the forward stop in the right place. Then it needs some sanding and repainting.

Getting a Bimini

2004-10-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Eastern Ontario Canvas starts the stainless steel ribs for "Quay Cat's" bimini and enclosure. Canvas goes on tomorrow! Should be done this week.

"Quay Cat" at the Beach

2004-10-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

We beached "Quay Cat" at Shilshole. While not eliminating the need for a dinghy on longer cruising trips, the beaching capability is a great way to get to shore for quick visits.

Sea Trials and Video Shoot

2004-10-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Jerry Konstanski, Gosia, Pawel, Grahame
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 65 degrees
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 74.2 to 78.6
Destination: Agate Pass, Alki Beach, Elliott Bay, Shilshole and Kingston

Cruised south around Bainbridge Island. Had video camera and a second boat so we could get 360 degree shots of "Quay Cat" in action. We had hoped for some rough weather to demonstrate the Motorcat 30's stability, but water was very smooth. We will put links to the video up as soon as we edit it.

Beached on Alki. A Seattle cop started chewing out some men playing football near where we landed. When he came over to us he demanded to see a permit for beaching the boat. I had never heard of the need for a permit to take video for two minutes, but try not to argue with people with guns. Clearly he had nothing better to do than pester people playing football. Maybe they did not have a permit either. Seems to be my week for run ins with authority figures. Last Sunday it was the Coast Guard.
Except for the Seattle Police Department, we had a great day. We got our video up at Shilshole and cruised home.

Had dinner with Jerry and crew and discussed a 22 foot MotorCat for day cruise and fishing and a 34 foot MotorCat for long cruise and live aboard. This will give us a great family of MotorCats.

Fueled up with 38 gallons. Engine hours were 74.2. Since last fueling was Last fueling was at 63.8, that is 10.4 hours. That is 3.65 gallons per hour this time, a little higher than usual. Cruising at 20 miles per hour, this translates into 208 miles at 5000 RPM, about half of the range with the MC30.

Maintenance Issues:

Fiddled with the hot water. Restricted the inflow and perhaps that will give hotter water (but less volume. We need a much better hot water system.

We discussed propane heat and venting during the cruise. There is a double cooktop propane heater that I like. The biggest issue is where to vent the unit. Perhaps we can vent it under the step on the port side. Need to check into that.

Decided where to put the speakers in the cockpit for the stereo.

Title: Ready for Cruising at Edmonds Guest Dock

2004-10-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Quay Cat at Edmonds before our cruise with Robert Scoble. The Motorcat30 is a sleek boat that always looks great. No matter where we go, people always want to see more of the MC30.

Check out the new North Sound Cruising website for more information.

Seattle Day Cruise

2004-10-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Bill Weir, Robert Scoble, Maryam
Weather: Sunny and clear
Seas: Smooth
Engine Hours: 69.6 to 74.2
Destination: Edmonds, Seattle, Alki, Bainbridge Island

What a great day for a cruise! After several days of rain and fog, we took Quay Cat out for a cruise with blogger Robert Scoble. We had scheduled this a couple weeks earlier and crossed our fingers for a nice day. We will have to cross our fingers more often. The weather was spectacular.

Picked Robert, Maryam and Bill up in Edmonds at 12:30pm. I put the boat in the water at about 11:00 with Thomas helping out and left solo for Edmonds at 11:30. I stepped onto the dock in Edmonds with the stern line, but the wind had pushed the bow out too far. I climbed back aboard and tried again. After about the third try, I made it. I led a line aft and jumped ashore with both bow and stern lines in hand. Docking solo in wind is tricky.

We were boarded by the Coast Guard in Elliot Bay. This was a first for me. The were doing safety inspections and had chosen us at random. Random was a bit of a funny thing though, because we were one of only two boats in Elliot Bay at the time and they had just finished boarding the other one. Robert was surprised they could board us without any probable cause.

The check took about 15 minutes and we discovered we were deficient in the following areas. First, the life jackets sent with the boat by Bond Yachts, although nice with the MC30 logo and all, were not Coast Guard Approved. We will toss them and get real jackets. Second, the fire extinguisher is also from Poland and is not USCG approved. We have to replace it. They were nice about it and did not write us a ticked, but gave us a written warning to keep in the log.

Beached the boat at Alki. A little girl asked us if we had wheels on the boat. She also asked if she could look inside, how much it cost, and finally, Why we had come onto the beach at Alki. I told her that we beached it because we could. As she came aboard with her grandma, she told me that her dad needed to get a boat with a cabin and that perhaps they could sell their house and just live on the boat. Very Cute.

We stopped at the City Dock in Bainbridge Island and had a late lunch at Doc's. Great burgers. Sunset was spectacular as we cruised back north to Edmonds, dodging the gill netters. I dropped Robert, Bill and Maryam off at Edmonds at around 6:00 and was back in Kingston a half hour later. I still like cruising at night. The water was glassy smooth and the lights from the other boats, fisherman, commercial freighters and navigational markers are beautiful.

We all commented over and over during the day about what a great place Seattle was to live and how lucky we all were to be able to enjoy this place. The Motorcat definitely adds a larger perspective to the beauty of Seattle.

Maintenance Issues:

The GPS mount seems loose. Need to tighten it.
Need new life jackets and fire extinguisher that are USCG approved.
Condensation still in the two fuel gauges from Poland and the trim gauges from Honda, replace at 100 hour service.

Photo: Heading into the Fog

2004-10-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Heading into the fog with Thomas on lookout. We slowed down and kept a keen eye out for other boats. Keeping a straight course is much harder when you cannot see the land.

Photo: Spawning Salmon

2004-10-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

My boys show me what they think of the smell of rotting salmon along the Dosewallops River. Each of the little dots on the right bank is a 3' salmon that has spawned and died.

Overnight at Pleasant Harbor WA

2004-10-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Rob Karren
Weather: Clear on Sat. Foggy on Sunday. High 60's
Seas: Calm to 2'
Engine Hours: 63.8 to 69.2
Destination: Pleasant Harbor in Hood Canal

A week or two ago Bill Weir and I were exploring Hood Canal in "Quay Cat". Although I have been racing, sailing and cruising in Puget Sound since 1991, I had never been south of the Hood Canal Bridge until last week. (Except for one time crabbing just south of the bridge in my Porta-Boat, "Origami". Since we only went a few hundred feet past the bridge, that does not really count as seeing Hood Canal.) When we came around the corner from Fisherman's Harbor, Bill and I both were Stunned by the view of the Cascade mountains and the water. I immediately planned a weekend trip back.

Saturday morning we got up and gassed up the MC30 with 20 gallons. Engine hours at the last fuel stop were 56.7 hours. Fuel usage was 2.84 GPH. Seems that average fuel usage for me on nearly 70 hours of usage is under 3.0 GPH. Compared to the usage of 20 GPH for a similarly sized aft cabin cruiser, I will have saved 1,190 gallons of fuel since mid August! At $2.50 a gallon, that is $2,975 saved in fuel purchases! Also, since I am trailerable and can buy my fuel at the local gas station instead of the gas dock, I save another $0.75 a gallon on the gas I do buy. That is another $150 so far.

Cruised the Motorcat 30 to Pleasant Harbor. Water was glassy smooth. Five or six submarines were visible at the Bangor Sub Station. Even from the far side of the Hood Canal, they look huge. We got to Pleasant Harbor at about 3:00 PM. We took a quick hike to the mouth of the Duckabush, but the state park was another 5 miles up the canyon. Too far to walk in boat shoes. Went back to the marina and soaked in their hot tub for 20 minutes. Since we were hooked up to shore power, tried the electric cook top. Heated up a little slow, but got plenty hot once it got going. Dinner was salmon risotto. I bought Dove Bars for desert.

Walked up the highway to Dosewallops State Park on the Dosewallops River to see the salmon swimming upstream. Although there were hundreds of big salmon spawning in the river, there were thousands of dead ones rotting on the banks. Pew! We figure it is the NoseWallop right now. Although the fog had lifted in the harbor when we got back, it was still thick in Hood Canal. We cruised slowly home relying on charts, GPS and compass. Fog was thick and visibility was only 100' or so most of the way home.

Orca were swimming in Puget Sound this afternoon. We did not spot them, but friends we saw out on the water dropped by with a fresh silver for us tonight and asked if we had seen them. Evidently it was either one large pod of whales or two smaller pods. Maybe we will see them later this week.

Maintenance Issues:

Still no luck with the hot water. Although we were on shore power, water was just shy of warm. Not good enough for showers. The light on the water heater was on, but no hot water. Will check with the manufacturer and see if it can be adjusted.

Rob broke the faucet in the galley today. He was leaning on it (sitting on it actually) for some reason and when he shifted his weight, he snapped it off. I will try to superglue it back on, but will probably have to replace it.

Detailed the boat today. Looks great, but the patches in the gelcoat where I moved the VHF antenna do not match well. Will take back to Bay Marine to have them redo the getcoat patches.

Dropping off with Rapp Upholstery and Eastern Ontario Canvas to get the Bimini and aft enclosure started tomorrow. Should be done in a few weeks. I will still have access to the boat while they work.

Photo: Parking the Motorcat30 in Seattle

2004-10-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Parking is only $10 for an evening in Seattle. "Quay Cat" is nosed into hourly parling and I am coming forward along the port side.

Photo: Boatless in Seattle

2004-10-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

People stand on Pier 66 and watch us cruise into the marina. The look on their face is "I wish we had a nice boat like that Motorcat!" Seattle is a great place. Too bad so many of the people here miss out on so much of what it has to offer if they lack a boat.

Quick Elliot Bay Cruise

2004-10-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Jay Biagi, Ron Erickson
Weather: Clear with 15 knot winds
Seas: 2' to 3'
Engine Hours: 60.0 to 64.5
Destination: Elliot Bay

Took Jay and Ron out on Quay Cat. Jay is a principal at Monihan and Biagi and Ron is the CEO of Blue Frog Mobile. Ron was amazed at the interior, especially the workmanship and Jay was also very complementary. "I have owned several boats and this is the perfect boat for the Northwest."

I put the boat in the water at around 10:00 AM and cruised to Seattle at 17 MPH since I was not in a big hurry. I met up with Jay and Ron at Bell Harbor Marina. We cruised in Elliot Bay for about an hour. The seas were fairly rough, but Quay Cat cut gently through the chop and hardly bounced at all. Smooth as silk. The only sign of the roughness was some spray on the windshield.

Maintenance Issues:

Need to replace 3 fenders. Lost one today and only have 3 on board.

Photo: Seattle at Night from Elliot Bay

2004-09-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Water was a bit rough and made for an interesting night skyline shot of Seattle. The white streak in the center of the sky is the moon.

Photo: Relaxing on the MC30

2004-09-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Dick Myers enjoying a ride on "Quay Cat." Bainbridge Island is in the background.

North Sound Day Cruise

2004-09-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Susan Karren, Tom Karren, Rob Karren, Dick Myers, Tamra Myers
Weather: Fog in AM, Clearing in afternoon, 60s
Seas: Calm to 1'
Engine Hours: 54.0-60.0
Destination: Whidbey Island, Mukilteo, Poulsbo, Seattle

Cruised north in light fog to the bottom of Whidbey Island where we had a picnic and watched the seals. Then continued down to Edmonds where we dropped Tamara off. Continued on to Poulsbo via Agate Pass. We grabbed a slip for a few minutes at Poulsbo and walked around the waterfront. Continued south from Poulsbo to Seattle through Rich Passage.

Tom suggested dinner in Seattle. Not remembering if Salty's had a dock, we cruised to West Seattle to check it out. No luck. On to Bell Harbor Marina where we docked and walked down the waterfront to Red Robin (We let the kids pick the venue for the evening).

After dinner, we had our first night cruise in Quay Cat. Fog was starting to come in from the south, but stayed clear between Seattle and Kingston. Time from Bell Town to Seattle was 55 minutes.

Fueled up at Poulsbo. Engine hours was 56.7; 10.1 hours from last fueling on 9/20. Put in 44.6 hours for 4.46 gallons per hour. Guess Bill and I used a little more fuel cruising at 5000 RPM last week. Price was $2.50 a gallon at Poulsbo. I am sure glad we fill up on shore most of the time. That usually saves an additional $0.50 to $0.75 a gallon.

Maintenance Issues: None

Photo: Majestic Hood Canal

2004-09-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Cascade mountains emerge from behind the Dabob Peninsula in the Hood Canal. "We have to come back here for a longer trip."

Photo: Fisherman's Harbor

2004-09-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

After a narrow and shallow entry, Fisherman's Harbor opens into a beautiful cove. This would be a great place to anchor and have dinner some evening.

Photo: Entering Fisherman's Harbor

2004-09-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

The pasage into Fisherman's Harbor is VERY shallow. Becuase of the MC30's shallow draft, we were able to enter at mid-tide with just 3 feet of water below our props. Bill is on the bows looking for rocks as we inch into the harbor.

Exploring Hood Canal

2004-09-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Bill Weir
Weather: Sunny and clear, 70
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 48.6 to 54.2
Destination: New Places and Unknown Waters

Exploration was the theme for today's cruise. No set agenda other than to see new things.

I Met with Bill on the 1:30 Edmonds ferry after a morning meeting in Seattle. We arrived in Kingston at 2:00, picked up the truck, hooked up the trailer and launched the boat by 2:30. As we exited the harbor, I asked Bill "north or south" today? He chose north and we were off at about 19 knots. When we got past Point No Point, we decided to cruise the Hood Canal south instead of going north to Port Townsend. The key to the decision was that we had not been south of the bridge before.

Few people cruise Hood Canal, perhaps because of the limited number of marinas. The name Canal is misleading. This is no commercial, narrow, man-made canal, but a fjord carved by glaciers. We got the charts out and an old Waggoner Cruising Guide and started looking for places to explore deciding on the south end of Dabob Peninsula and Pleasant Harbor by Dosewallips State Park. We did not quite get to Dosewallips though, sidetracked by Fisherman's Harbor.

The Hales commented in Waggoner that they tiptoed into Fisherman's Harbor at less than full tide in a sail boat without touching. Since the MC30 only draws 18", we decided to give it a try although it was only mid-tide. After all, what is the point of a beachable, shallow draft boat if not to go where others cannot? We crept up at 1 knot or so when the depth read under 10 feet. Just inside the harbor we read 3 feet under our engines. The water was clear and the bottom was covered with oysters. Once inside the harbor, the depth drops to 20 feet and opens into an amazing cove.
We left Fisherman's Harbor after exploring for half an hour. Not enough time to really enjoy it. I want to go back and anchor there. Dinner on the boat in that cove will be a great outing. As we left the Fisherman's Harbor, we continued around Dabob peninsula. The Cascade mountains leapt into view with a great open bay of water stretching out from the mountains. Hood Canal is as pretty as any of the views in Desolation Sound 200 miles north, but only a few hours away from Seattle.

Lots of porpoises out today. We saw about a dozen of them in five or six different sightings.

Maintenance Issues:

None

Photo: The MC30 Feeling: Fun!

2004-09-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

John Bailey enjoying the afternoon on Quay Cat. We cruised south from Kingston to Blake Island at 18 MPH. As we accelerated out of Kingston Harbor, Bailey said: "This is the feeling you have to capture on the web site!"

Photo: Seattle Skyline

2004-09-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Skyline from the water. Without a boat, many of the best parts of Seattle are out of reach. Today we cruised to Blake island, a beautiful state park only accessable by boat.

Photo: Sunset in Rich Passage

2004-09-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

The sun setting over the water was spectacular as we cruised back to Kingston.

Afternoon Cruise to Blake Island

2004-09-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: John Bailey
Weather: Mostly cloudy, clearing later.
Seas: 1 to 2 foot with white caps
Engine Hours: 46.6 to 48.7
Destination: Blake Island

Cruised with John Bailey to Blake Island. John loved it as we left the harbor and throttled up to cruising speed. "That is the feeling you have to get onto the web site!" As we cruised up the west side of Bainbridge Island in 2 foot white caps, Quay Cat did not even roll a bit. Smooth as silk cutting through the chop.

Bailey and I discussed marketing. He suggested some of the Seattle social networking groups. These groups have 10 to 15K members and are actively looking for fun things to do. Not sure how we can approach them due to lack of charter insurance and also the fact that we are only good for small outings of 4 to 6 people. The MC30 is a great vessel for small groups of friends to explore, not a platform for 50 to 100 people to use to party. We also discussed joining some of the local cruising clubs.

Filled up with gas; 15 gal. in the starboard tank and 12 in the port tank. At 46.6 hours, we had run 10.6 gallons since the last fueling at 36 gallons. That is only 2.55 GPH! As Kurt Kolb, the owner of MC30 "Deuce" likes to say, "We are pumping out more than we pump in."

Maintenance Issues:

Stepped on guard line on bow and it broke open. Need to fix the line back in the clip.

Still need a line to lead from the winch line to the tow hook under the swim platform.

Need to decide where to mount the speakers for the stereo both inside the cabin and in the cockpit. Got a system with a remote control so we can operate the stereo from the pilots chair.

Photo: Towable Fun with MC30

2004-09-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Ben takes a trun on the tube. He give the MC30 two thumbs up. "Your boat (the MC30) is so cool."

Salmon Fishing off Possession Point

2004-09-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Thomas Karren, Robert Karren, Dick Anderson
Weather: Partly cloudy
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 41.5 - 46.7
Destination: Possession Point, Mukilteo, Point No Point, Eglon

Tried salmon fishing for the second time. Although we caught no salmon, we spent another glorious day on the water in Quay Cat. The day started a bit overcast and threatening, but turned into a beautiful fall day. Days like this make me even happier that I bought a Motorcat30.

Tom and Rob each caught several small salmon (aka shakers.) We saw only one big fish jump out of the water and none of the multitude of other boats seemed to have any real action either. After a couple hours trolling off of Possession Point, we headed for Point-No-Point. Tom and Rob then went through a dozen leaders and hooks on dogfish. Kids had a great time and I will eventually catch a big salmon.

Several other boaters came up to compliment us on our boat. The MC30 is an attention getter. Gave away a brochure to an interested boater at the dock as we pulled Quay Cat out of the water. He talked with us for 30 minutes as we washed the salt off and rinsed the engines out. He said his aft-cabin cruiser burns 20 gallons an hour and was VERY impressed with our 3 GPH statistic. We calculated that is 250 gallons ($500) more than Quay Cat uses on a typical weekend. He was amazed that we cruise at 15 to 20 on a couple of Honda 50s and will call North Sound Cruising Center and schedule a time to cruise with us.

Maintenance Issues:

All the port gauges went dead for a while. Fuel, Tach, Speed and Trim all out. Will talk to Bay Marine.

Noticed a small scratch in the gelcoat on the port side halfway back about two feet above the waterline. Will patch.

Testing MC30 with Tow-ables

2004-09-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Robert Karren, Thomas Karren, Brad Swartzwelter, Ben Swartzwelter
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 65 degrees.
Seas: 1 to 2 foot chop
Engine Hours: 38.5 - 41.5
Destination: Madison Bay

Cruised south to Madison to try out MC30 with tow-able devices. Used a tube and a surf board. Due to the chop, we were much more successful with the tube, although Ben gave the surf board several good tries. He was able to get up to his knees before falling over on the surf board. Towed Ben at 17 MPH on the tube. Was able to get him outside the wake and skipping across the chop. Robert tried the tube next. We towed him at about 10 MPH and he stayed directly behind the boat. Thomas tried it last. Initially he did not want to try it, but saw how much fun Robert and Ben had and decided to give it a go. We also tried towing Tom at about 10 MPH. He did fine until we turned. He slowed down on the inside of the wake and got splashed good with very cold Puget Sound water.

Maintenance Items:

Need to get an additional rope with handle for knee boards and surf boards.

Cabin door will not stay latched open. Need a better latch on the outside. Should be covered under warranty. Will contact Bond Yachts.

Photo: Coming to Shore

2004-09-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

Heading for the beach at Mukilteo. Days like this remind us why we live in the Northwest. Blue sky, blue water and green trees.

Photo: Lowering Beach Steps

2004-09-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

Beached and ready to lower the bow steps. We had to come to the beach twice. There was a current to the north that pushed Quay Cat abeam to the shore. We costed in the second time just right.

Photo: Beached at Mukilteo

2004-09-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Quay Cat guest posing for photo after coming ashore down the bow steps. "What a great hook for customers."

Photo: Beached Quay Cat Draws Admirers

2004-09-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

People are impressed with the Motorcat30, but are awed when they see her come to shore. "I have never seen a boat that can do that" was a common statement from people on the beach.

Scott Karren, President North Sound Cruising Center

2004-09-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Sailing in Desolation Sound

Mukilteo Sales Cruise

2004-09-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Rob Karren, Chris Carle
Weather: 75 Degrees, Sunny
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 36.0 - 38.5
Destination: Mukilteo

Took boat to Mukilteo to show to Chris Carle and wife. Fueled. 15.7 gallons and 15.6 gallons = 31.3. 8 hours = 4 GPH. Not bad for running at 5000 RPM all day!

Beached at Mukilteo. Need to come in straight or wind & current will knock you sideways. Second time worked very well. People on beach stared at us. Given they do not see motor cruisers come ashore to drop passengers often!

Maintenance Log

*Port speedometer still not reliable
*Both trim gauges still have condensation
*Port trim gauge broken/uneven inside

Weekend Cruise to the Butchart Gardens Day Three

2004-09-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Rob Karren, Sue Karren.
Weather: Mostly sunny
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 29.1 - 36.0
Destination: Kingston, WA

Moored for the night at Todd Inlet, spent the afternoon at Butchart Gardens after putting Origami, our dinghy, together. We actually got a mooring buoy! Lots of loons, herons and geese.

When we put Origami together, we engaged in rusty combat against boat and bolt on the bow, but Dad's imagination saved the day. He turned bungee cords into seat latches! It took the better part of the hour. Bolts rusty, needed pliers. Launched, docked, and retrieved off the bow.
Cooked risotto with chicken for the first hot meal on the boat. Served with chopped vegies, cheese, and salami. Breakfast was scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese. Boys went for a morning row.

Cleared US Customs @ 1:05 P.M.
Got home at 4:00 P.M.

Maintenance Log

***Need hot water w/o shore power. Scott rivals the herons when he showers cold!

Photo: Moored in Butchart Cove

2004-09-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Quay Cat moored in Butchart Cove, Vancouver Island, B.C. Used dinghy Origami to row to dinghy dock. Kids under 12 can enter the Gardens for only $2.00 CAN!

Weekend Cruise to the Butchart Gardens Day Two

2004-09-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Sue Karren
Weather: Partly cloudy
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 24.5 - 29.1
Destination: Todd Inlet/Butchart Gardens

Cleared customs in Sidney, B.C., 11:20 AM

Bought 111 litres of gasoline, 28 hours.

*Buy: Painter for dinghy, measuring cup, measuring spoon, silverware, placemat/coasters

Thomas and Robert learned to row and went out by themselves in Todd Inlet. We made good time from Port Townsend to Sidney - just under 2 hours. It started partly cloudy and cool with a bit of a swell. The wristband and meclazine kept Sue from feeding the fishes. It smoothed out and got sunnier 3/4 of the way across the Strait. We saw a Minkie whale - Scott saw it first. Seal and a porpoise followed. Sue made lunch, Thomas' sandwich and cutting board blew overboard, had to go collect the cutting board in dinghy. Scott made hot dinner.

Photo: Rowing Away in the Dinghy

2004-09-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

The boys learned to row, and spent a whole hour rowing around Todd Inlet!

Weekend Cruise to the Butchart Gardens Day One

2004-09-04T15:30:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Rob Karren, Sue Karren
Weather: Mostly cloudy, light rain
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 22.5 - 24.5
Destination: Port Townsend

Cruised to Port Townsend. Averaged 18 knots SOG. Was cruising at 5000 RPM and 20 MPH. Victoria Clipper passed us doing 25 MPH.

Rafted up with powerboats at slip 74 in the Point Hudson Marina. Cost was $19.50.

Walked into town for dinner. Kids wanted pizza. We ordered way too much. Had a Waterfront Combo 16" & a Greek 12". Next time a 16" is plenty. Maybe even a 12" will do.

Bought to metal crab sculptures for M&N. Wefigure that when you find a present for them, you buy it!

*Still have condensation in trim gauges. Will need to be fixed.
*Gel coat fix on side where VHF antenna was removed is very rough.
*Need to order more decal from Poland.

Found motor mounts in bottom of large cabinet. Too late! Starboard engine makes larger rooster-tail than port.

20 Hour Engine Service

2004-08-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Took Quay Cat to Bay Marine for 20 Hour Service.

Maintenance Issues:

Move VHF antenna
Install VHF radio in temporary spot
Remove fender holder installed by factory from stern.
Patch holes and gelcoat.
Reseal all gauges and engine remote control to fix leaks
Check gauge lighting connection to instrument switch
Service engines and change oil

Picked Quay Cat back up on 4 September. Weather was great all week because my boat was unavailable. Rained all morning on 4 September.

Need to order some decal tape from Poland to patch graphic on side of boat where VHF antenna was. Also need code for gelcoat color. It was expensive to move and patch the antenna. Be very sure where you install items.

The fender holder on the stern was not what I thought I ordered from the factory. I ordered two stainless steel fender holder for the rails on the bows, not the one installed on the stern. Cost to patch the holes was a couple hundred.

Crabbing off President Point

2004-08-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Susan Karren, Thomas Karren, Robert Karren, Jeff Bender, Donna Bender, Kyle Bender
Weather: Sunny
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 19.5 - 21.5
Destination: President Point

Picked up the crab traps. We had not bought a boat hook yet. The crab pot buoys were VERY hard to grab. after thinking about it for a few minutes, I sat down by the motor well and grabbed at the trap as we coasted by. This took us several tries. On the next trap we tried the starboard side of the Motorcat and that worked better. On the third trap Sue turned too sharp and the buoy went down the tunnel between the hulls. I just leaned over and easily picked it up off the swim platform on the stern. That is the way to get the traps in from now on!

The wide, flat foredeck on the Motorcat 30 is great for working with crab traps. We had plenty of room for 3 people and all of the equipment. Much more enjoyable then crabbing from the dinghy. We handed the line up to the foredeck and coiled it around buckets as we hauled them up. This way the lines are all neatly coiled and ready for storage when the trap is brought aboard. Further, none of the mess gets anywhere near the cockpit or cabin. Once back ashore, we simply hosed off to clean off the seaweed and salt.

The first trap had about a dozen crabs. We tossed back the females and small crabs, keeping about 6 of the biggest ones, averaging about 7 inches and 3.5 pounds each. The next trap had both dungeness and red rock crabs. We tossed back all but three dungeness. The third trap came up with only starfish. Yuck. The door to the trap was not secured well, so we had not a single crab. We dumped them back went on for the last trap which had two more keepers.

Donna and Jeff had never been crabbing before. They got a real kick out of seeing the crabs, trying to grab them and toss them in the buckets without getting pinched. Baby Kyle was not impressed. He hated his life jacket and preferred to sit in the cabin with either Jeff or Donna.
Cruised to Point No Point and then home again to cook the crabs. Half we cooked plain and ate with butter and half we cooked Singapore style as chili crab.

What a great place to live. Having a boat like the Motorcat 3o really lets us take advantage of our local environment.

Tried launching at low tide. No luck. The MC3o sits high on the trailer above the wheels and needs lot of ramp and water to launch. Getting much better at handling the trailer and launching and retrieving Quay Cat. We can launch her in about 15 minutes now. Picked her up this last time without even getting my shoes wet.

Maintenance:

Need to sand and paint spots on the trailer. Have some small spots of rust where we modified it.

Tie loops for boat hook onto crabbing buoys

Buy boat hook

Fishing off Jefferson Point

2004-08-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Robert Karren, Dick Anderson
Weather: Mostly cloudy, showers.
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 17.5 - 19.5
Destination: Fishing off Jeff Head.

Dropped four crab pots with old chicken from the freezer as bait. Plenty of bait for each pot. Dropped them off of President Point in 50 to 100 feet of water. Took about 30 to 40 minutes to get the pots ready, bait them, untangle the lines and toss them overboard.

Robert caught two "shakers." Even though we had to toss them back because they are too small, Rob was very excited. He was jumping up and down every time a current tugged on his pole. Dick was hustling just to keep Thomas and Robert baited and in the water. Dick snagged a flounder which we also tossed back.

Rained as we cruised back to the dock. Tom and Rob went in the cabin and left the adults to stand in the rain.

Maintenance Issues:

Lights on most new gauges do not work.

Need two more fishing pole holders.

Trailer will be ready tomorrow. Still need to balance wheels and weight.

Motorcat 30 Ferry Service

2004-08-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Thomas Karren, Robert Karren, Sue Karren
Weather: Overcast and calm. 65 degrees.
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 13.0 to 17.5

Ran boys over to Edmonds to meet Marilyn. Then cruised by myself to the mouth of Port Ludlow and back to Edmonds. Picked up the boys and Sue and ferried back to Kingston. This trip to Port Ludlow only took a little over an hour. Port Ludlow is a full day trip for a sail boat! Distance is not the same for me now with the Motorcat 30.

Almost done with the break-in period for the engines. Although the Honda owners manuals say break in for 8 hours, Bay Marine advised 20 hours moderate cruising at non constant speeds.

Maintenance Issues:

Bought Stereo, cooler, shore power cord, towable tube, tow rope, pump, and fishing pole holders. Boater's world loves me since I spend $1ooo every time I drop in.

Installation of the stereo is going to be a trick. I would like to put it and the VHF in the circuit panel, but will have to cut the opening at a bias and trim out. This would be better done as a factory option next time.

Talked to personnel at Boater's World and West Marine about heat. No good decisions yet. I need both AC and propane heat since I spend at least half of my cruising time away from shore power.

Need to consider an inverter to run AC units while away from shore power. Will post questions to MC30 group on Yahoo.

Installed first fishing pole holder on stern. Used a white pole holder with a cover. It is almost invisible when covered.

Made a harness for the front of boat to pull in and out of water. It works OK, but not optimal. We have to winch the boat up, pull part way out of the water, unhook the harness and hook the winch to the center tow hook, back the trailer back down into the water, winch a couple feet more and then pull out of the water. I think an extension that is clipped onto the center hook and cleated off on the bow may work.

Photo: Kids Love the Quarterberths

2004-08-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Tom and Rob love the quarterberths. Here they share a book while snug in the port berth. Rob often stays in his berth for hours while we cruise. I hear his voice over the engines as he sings to himself.

Edmonds and Mukilteo Day Cruise

2004-08-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Bill Weir, Thomas Karren, Robert Karren, Sue Karren
Weather: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees, no wind or rain!
Seas: Calm, no waves.
Engine Hours: 7.8-13.0
Destination: Edmonds and North Sound

Cruised to Edmonds to pick up Bill Weir and then up to Mukilteo for a change of scenery. Then we went west to Whidbey Island, South to Edmonds, south to Karkeek Park, North to Edmonds and back to Kingston.

Bill loves the Motorcat30. He took a bunch of pictures, some of which we put on the temporary web site for North Sound Cruising Center. Next time we will bring his wife along too. No one wants to miss out on the fun.

Saw seals on the green navigation bell south of Whidbey. Kids loved that and were very excited. Seals ignored us completely.

We picked up Sue Karren in Edmonds and gave her personal ferry service back to Kingston. We were only a little slower than the commercial ferry at 18 knots.

Filled up Quay Cat in Kingston with 21.8 gallons of fuel for 7.8 hours of use. That is only 2.8 gallons an hour in fuel. Exactly in the range predicted by Bond Yachts.

Filled wash down tank. Used to wash off deck and motors after cruising.

Speeds and RPM for the day were similar to the previous levels.

2000 RPM 5 MPH
2500 RPM 6 MPH
3000 RPM 9 MPH
3500 RPM 11 MPH
4000 RPM 14 MPH
4500 RPM 16 MPH
5000 RPM 19 MPH

Maintenance Issues:

The port engine is 100 RPM slower at low speeds (about 2000 RPM) and 300 RPM faster at high RPM. Will talk to Bay Marine about this for adjustments.

Filled up with water, but it tastes funny. Will drain tanks, refill and drain a couple times.

Quay Cat is difficult to launch and retrieve without getting wet. The towing hook is 5 feet under the bow platform. There are two more hooks, one on each bow. Perhaps a harness?

North Sound Afternoon Cruise

2004-08-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Thomas Karren, Robert Karren
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 15K winds, showers
Seas: Rough and choppy with 3 to 4 foot waves
Engine Hours: 5.1-7.8
Destination: North Sound Locations including Shilshole and Edmonds

Kids are hooked on the Motorcat 30. They wake up in the morning and ask when we are going out.

Cruised to north end of Bainbridge Island, east to Shilshole, north to Edmonds and back to Kingston.

Waves were 4 feet tall and short and choppy. Boat handled well, but was most comfortable at 4000 RMP in the rough water. At higher RPM and sppeds, the props would cut through the top of the waves and race to 5500 RMP.

Speeds and RPM for the day's testing were as follows:

3500 RPM 11 MPH
4000 RPM 13 MPH
4500 RPM 16 MPH
5000 RPM 19 MPH

Docked again at the guest slip while I modify the trailer.

Maintenance Issues:

Fuel primer bulbs a bit difficult to reach.

Trailer Modifications

2004-08-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

I had a trailer built quickly by Quality Trailers of Bellingham. It is a metal double axel trailer. We had only rough hull dimensions to build the trailer from and it needs some modifications.

First, the runners are not high enough above the fenders. I unbolted the runners and raised them up with 2 x 8 blocks under each support. This worked great.

Second, the winch pedestal and bow stops are not in the right positions. The winch is way too high and the bow stops were 3 to 4 feet too far forward. Allmetal Works of Kingston cut the winch pedestal down to a usable height and added a support to the trailer so the pedestal and bow stops could be moved forward. They also will weld some diamond plate on the tongue to make winching more convenient.

Third, we need to move the wheels forward about 18" to balance the trailer better.

It would be nice to have a couple steps welded on the pedestal too. Climbing onto the MC30 while on the trailer is a bit difficult.

At that point, we will have a serviceable local storage trailer for the boat. However, we will need a stronger trailer for distance travel to neighboring states.

Afternoon Cruise to Point No Point

2004-08-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Mike Roddy, Tom Karren, Rob Karren
Weather: Partly cloudy and calm
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 3.2-5.1
Destination: Point No Point

Cruised to Point No Point and back. Glassy seas and no wind. What a great day to be out on the water! I called my wife at her office and told her how hard I was workign testing the boat so I can tell customers about how it handles.

Cruised at 16 MPH at 4500 RPM. Tested speed and turning ability of Motorcat 30. Glides through turns with almost no banking. Very stable. Had engines all the way down. No real difference. Will try next time at the 0 degree mark.

Teaching Thomas how to operate the boat. He is doing great at handling all the lines and bumbers while docking and launching the boat. He also loves driving and navigating. Thomas set way points for the local harbors on the GPS today.

Mike Roddy commented that he had forgotten how much he liked cruising and that he had to get a new boat. He identified this as a need, not just a want. (Mike used to live aboard a larger cabin cruiser.)

The MC30 really draws attention! A neighbor at the harbor in Kingston saw us hauling the boat out on the trailer and walked around the bay just to talk to us about the Motorcat. He stayed and talked to us for 20 or 30 minutes while we trailered the boat and washed it down.

Maintenance Issues:

Starboard speedometer not working at times.

Engine Break-In and Sea Trials

2004-08-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Tom Karren, Rob Karren
Weather: Cloudy with showers
Seas: Calm
Engine Hours: 1.1 to 3.2
Destination: Madison Bay and Blue Ridge

Stowed safety gear under double berth in cabin and in port storage compartment on bow.

Showed boat to guest in next slip. David Crawford. He commented "The cabin has great head room. My wife always complains about the lack of headroom in our Bayliner. "

After 2 hours of break in time, increased power to 3000 to 5000 RPM range. Kids love the extra speed. Took to full power in short bursts as per Honda manual. Boat reached 21 MPH on full power. Most of the third hour was spent between 2000 and 300 RPM reached sustainable speeds of 13 to 15 MPH. Motored to North Beach and back to Kingston.

Played with engine trim. Because the Motorcat does not raise it bow or sit back on its stern when at cruising speeds. The engines need a little adjustment. They seem to operate best with just a couple degrees of tilt after reaching cruising speed.

Maintenance Items:

Need 50' water hose for use at dock

Need shore power cable

Need plastic pages for operating manual

Need zipper pouch for receipts

RPM on port and starboard engines not equal. Port is weaker.

Waste tank gauge shows full. Curious since we have not used head or sinks yet. Will pump out and try again.

Launching Quay Cat for Sea Trials

2004-08-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Skipper: Scott Karren
Guests: Sue Karren, Rob Karren, Tom Karren and Dick Anderson
Weather: Overcast and windy with 20 knot winds
Seas: Rough chop 3 to 4 feet deep.
Engine Hours: 0.1 to 1.1
Destination: Apple Tree Point and back to Kingston

Boat came off the trailer easily. Hope it goes back on easily. Need to raise the runners on the trailer first. Cruised to Apple Tree Cove then back to Kingston. Boat handled well in the chop.

Started to break engines in, operating at various low speeds of 1000 to 2500 RPM. Eager to see how the boat handles at cruising speeds. Ran engines at 3000 RPM for 2 to 3 minutes. Reached only 7.6 knots.

Tied up at the Kingston Guest Dock so we could raise the runners on the trailer and modify the pedestal for the winch on the trailer.

Not used to maneuvering the cat. It handles a lot different from my 40' sail boat inside the marina. Need to practice all types of turns and docking.

Filled each tank with 30 gallons of gas; 10 from Bay Marine and 20 from ARCO. Gauges show 3/4 full although tanks are full.

Maintenance Items:

Fuel and engine trim gauges have condensation inside. Need to be replaced.

gauges and throttle need to be resealed by Bay Marine since they are in an exposed cockpit and will leak into cabin.

VHF antenna must be moved from port side to starboard side. Current location impedes access to bows from cockpit

Need clock in dashboard

Port quarter berth portal stiff. Needs lubrication on hinges.

Naming Our New Motorcat30

2004-07-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time choosing a name for our new Motorcat30. I joked with my sailing buddies that "Heresy" would be a good name for a power boat owned by a sail boater. However, Grant Fjermedal, my source for all nautical lore and knowledge, advised against it. He said cursing a boat with a negative name would be wrong. He suggested a few I really liked, including Salty Cat, I countered with Beach Cat, among others, but was not satisfied. We even talked about how much fun it would be to have a fleet of Cats to charter -- Cove Cat, Beach Cat, Salty Cat, Wharf Cat, Swell Cat, etc.

One night I woke up at 2:00 AM with the name Quay Cat. Naturally, Sue was less excited about the name when I woke her up to tell her the name. Both kids liked the name and it passed Grant’s scrutiny, so "Quay Cat" it is.

We picked up the boat at 5PM from Bay Marine and trailered it to Kingston for launching. My wife had picked up a bottle of champagne for the launch and christening. Without a lot of fanfare, I backed the boat down the ramp to the water. We had worried about damaging the bows with the champagne bottle, but figured we could break it on the Kevlar beach shoes. No problem at least for the boat.

With the boat resting on the trailer in the water, I smiled for the camera, made up some nonsense for drama and ritual named the boat and tapped the bottle on the bottom of the port bow. BANG!! Glass shards hit me in the hand and tooth. (The tooth cost $250 to get fixed.) Note to future boat owners. Use a fake bottle of champagne, wrap it in a towel or skip the hokey ritual altogether.

Bay Marine Selected as Service Partner

2004-07-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

North Sound Cruising Center chose Bay Marine to be its service partner. Although I had origianally planned to install Bombardier E-TEC engines, I put Honda engines on insted. Why? Simple, Bay Marine was eager for my business. (I tell more of the story in my other blog, The Channel Professional. Becoming a dealer and distributor of yachts has been a great case study in channel development too.)

We selected Honda 50 hp engines for the standard package for our Motorcats. Alternatively, if a customer wants to install a non-standard power system, we will help them find an appropriate dealer nearby.

Grand Opening of North Sound Cruising Center

2004-07-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

MC30 Quay Cat in Kingston's 4 July Parade

Picked up Motorcat30 from Port of Tacoma

2004-06-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

We picked up our first Motorcat from the Port of Tacoma today. All of the staff at the shipping company and the port raved about it. My salesman, Don Tupper drove down with me to pick it up. After stopping in Federal Way to clear paperwork and pay the last fee, we went down to the port to get the boat.

It looks huge on the trailer! Other people on the freeway must have had sore necks from intense rubber-necking as they drove past. And it is not just the men. Women were waving at us too. I told Don I figured it was his middle-age good looks and not the boat getting all the attention. A customer at the diner we stopped at for dinner wanted to know if he and his mom could go for a ride.

Photo: Almost Ready for Shipment

2004-05-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hull 29 a few weeks prior to shipping to Tacoma, Washington. She shipped in mid May and arrived in Tacoma in late June. We picked her up on 28 June from the Port of Tacoma

Photo: Friends at Bond Yachts

2004-04-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

Roman, The factory general manager in Hull #28

Photo: Friends at Bond Yachts

2004-04-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

Krzysztof, Bond Yachts' sales agent, aboard Hull #28. Kris picked me up at the airport in Prague and drove me to the factory in Piechowice, Poland. After touring the factory and discussing options, we had a traditional Polish dinner at a small cafe. Roman and Kris are both a pleasure to work with.

Photo: Hull #29 Under Construction

2004-04-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hull 29 under construction. Shown here as woodwork and cabinetry is added. The top was added a few days after this photo was taken in early April 04

Photo: Bond Yachts Factory

2004-04-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

Main assembly bay at the Bond Yachts factory in Poland. Factor has separate rooms for woodshop, lamination and upholstry. Offices are upstairs.

Buying a Motorcat 30

2004-03-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

The decision to buy a Motorcat 30 was not trivial for me. And the reluctance was more than just a reluctance to spend $100K on a boat. As a sail boater, buying a motor boat is sacrilegious. Heck, even saying you admire a motor boat is a sin.

I met Jerry Kotanski in October 2001 just after 9/11. Grant Fjermedal, a local wharf rat and good friend commented that the Motorcat 30 had the soul of a sailboat. I too really liked the style, layout and feel of this family cruiser. Although in no mood to spend money on a boat in late 2001, Jerry's Motorcat 30 design stuck with me. Last Christmas at a Sloop Tavern Yacht Club dinner, I confided to a fellow sailor that I wanted two boats, a sail boat AND a power boat. I got back in touch with Jerry, visited the Bond Yachts factory in Poland and ordered my first boat.

Since their was no dealer, I also became a dealer and importer of yachts. I live in the small unincorporated township of Kingston outside of Seattle. Importing yachts from Poland in not an everyday activity. When I wired the first payment to Bond Yachts, everyone in the bank (and therefore the town) knew Kingston had a new business, The North Sound Cruising Center.

Our first yacht arrived in Tacoma in late June and we finally got her in the water in August. Most of the delay between delivery and initial sea trails was spent selecting a local marine service partner, engines, etc.