After the purchase of a lovely old cottage on a wonderful island in Maine, the next decision was how to best enjoy the sometimes challenging, but always inviting, waters of the Maine coast. The plans of a lifelong sailor were rudely interrupted by a spouse weighing in with,
When I want to go to Castine for lunch, I want to get there by lunchtime!
So off to the magazines, web sites and boat shows we went. We decided we wanted a boat with classic lines; something that we could fill with friends and family, and something that would allow for overnight trips, so that we could take in a late dinner and an occasional movie or show without hurrying to make the last ferry. She had to be fast and capable of avoiding the ‘joys’ of impromptu swims into the cold waters of the Penobscot Bay to cut lobster trap lines from a prop.
The first boat show was just across the bay in Rockland where we saw CW Hood Yachts’ Katama 30. On board we met Chris Hood, offering a familiar yachting name and a low-key demeanor which spoke of a pride in design and construction that appealed to us. As with all decisions of this importance we said we would think about it, look at some other boats and compare how they would meet our needs.
No matter where we looked, we kept coming back to the Katama’s mix of classic lines, high technology and comfort. Despite our best efforts to remain objective, we also kept being drawn back by the sheer beauty of how she looked in the water.
The Annapolis Boat show that year gave us a chance to take a Katama out for a test ride and confirm our initial impressions. She handled very well, although I had to take Chris’s word for the fact that, as someone who was used to putting along at five knots, I’d get used to the jet drive and stop overcompensating on the steering in just a few hours’ worth of practice. Chris was smart enough not to allow me to dock her in a tight space on my first outing, but I was impressed by how easy she was to maneuver. We were hooked! A warning to all potential buyers: It takes too long between order and delivery… even if that wait was only 24 hours.
Maine Reason was delivered to the CW Hood Yacht Yard in February of 2006. We hopped on a plane to see her, and arrived amidst subfreezing temperatures and 25-knot winds. Little did we know, as we waited at the airport for our delayed plane ride home, that this weather would come back to visit us. Christening and sea trials that May were greeted by torrential rains, 25-knot winds, 8- to 10-foot seas and frequent lightning. The boat performed well under most difficult conditions (though I must talk to Chris about him not wanting to have the canvas installed until after the sea trials. He didn’t exactly seem to enjoy being soaked, either).
You never know when exactly it is that you find out whether or not you’ve made the right decision on a purchase like this, but our time came soon after Maine Reason arrived in Islesboro that May. One morning I had to visit the town ferry dock to pick up the fine elderly gentleman who was to adjust the boat’s compass. As I approached I was greeted by the normal bustle of lobstermen preparing to tend their traps. Maybe 35 feet of dock space was available to tie up and wait for the ferry. The joystick controls responded beautifully, and I docked her as if it was a normal event for someone who knew what he was doing (which I did not). While waiting, a friend who was in line for the ferry came up to me and asked, “Is that your new boat? You should know all the lobstermen watching you dock her said, ‘Say, that fellow really knows how to handle a boat’.”
I hope the secret is safe.
The second time came at Castine, of all places, where we had decided to go for lunch. A couple whom we had never met before came up to us at the lunch table overlooking the restaurant’s dock and asked, “Is that your boat? Who made it? It’s the prettiest boat we’ve ever seen.”
Maine Reason has been a joy both when we are on her and when we are just looking at her resting on her mooring. Since that lunch we have received countless comments, all of which say, “She’s the prettiest boat in the harbor.” We always say, “Thanks, but you should see how she handles.”
As for the lifelong sailors in us, we’ve scratched that itch with a Herreshoff 12-and-a-half. Small boat racing at our age is a challenge… but that’s a different story.
John and Terry Castellani
Katama 30 Maine Reason
