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"Sula", Kattegat 26 Lying, Essex
"Sula", Kattegat 26 Lying, Essex
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Comments
Builder's Comments The Kattegat was designed as a tough small cruiser. Ideal for two people to cruise reasonably long distances who want to own a boat which is different from the 'run of the mill' plastic cruisers which fill our marinas. Sula has proved to be seaworthy and strong. In the Summer of 98 we sailed her from Harwich to Mandal in Norway, a distance of some 450 miles, in a little over four days. Eight hours were spent hove-to in a gale, well off the coast, under double reefed main and reefed staysail before the final dash for Mandal. We then cruised for three weeks up the coast through Blindleia to Lillisand and then Risor before cruising the boat back to Kristiansand. There was much interest from local sailors in this very Norwegian English boat!. We sailed her back from Kristiansand to Harwich in again, just over four days. Sula was comfortable to live on for this time and we were able to carry ample stores and water for the trips. Sula is equipped simply but strongly with gear and scantlings being over rather than under size. From her review in Classic Boat magazine: - Bring the names of Colin Archer and John Leather together in the shape of a 26ft gaff cutter, and you've got a sure-fire recipe for success. Adrian Morgan certainly thought so when he sailed a sturdy little East Coast cruising boat fit for a gale. ....... We had the Kattegat 26 for a quick, bright, gentle afternoon off Brightlingsea on the sheltered reaches of the Colne. Yet I would trust her transatlantic. The 8mm rigging is galvanised, coated in linseed oil and varnish because we all know stainless can strand unpredictably. The galvanised bottle screws are from a battleship. Abaft the samson post the word massive scarcely does it justice — the 15 fathoms (20m) of 8mm chain run through a stainless steel machined slot in the bowsprit bitts that acts as a pawl — no need for a windlass when up-ending the 10kg (22lb) Bruce. And no winches; no need for them either, saving expense and maintenance. The headsail sheets have single whips — all they need. ...... The rig is hurricane proof, the hollow epoxied Douglas fir mast in its galvanised tabernacle
is, well Colin Archer-like. One suspects his rules of thumb were developed in a tropical
storm, but is that necessarily a bad thing on such a beamy, heavy displacement hull?
Weight aloft will do no more than slow the roll and make her easier in a seaway. With two ........ Cliché or no, the idea of a place for everything and everything in its place applies below decks. The plates and mugs rest in traditional stowage trays with cut-outs and the shelves and open lockers both here and behind the 6ft 3" (1 .9m) bunks — great for stowing bedding — have dividers which allow radios, teapots, books etc to be wedged behind deep fiddles. Under the bunks, which have solid wood leeboards doubling as backrests, you’ll find more dry stowage. There are Laurent Giles- style shelves at the bunk foots. The sink is near the centreline, though Jim is disappointed to find that his lovely-looking brass pump and its matching pump-out both leaked. Opposite, the chart table has stowage under for charts and around for books and gear. There’s a proper gash bin, plus space to squeeze in an icebox. There’s a Sestrel Radiant hand-bearing compass on the bulkhead and a GPS. Standing under the 5ft l0in (1 .8m) head- room of the deckhouse, dividers poised, Admiralty chart open, eye to leeward through a toughened glass window, a parallel rules and pencil person would be in their element. This is a chart table from a 40-footer. The finest view is from the Henderson Lavac, forward amidships — which shares spares with the Mk V bilge pump — under the hatch on a plinth. Stop cocks sensibly sited under a sole board below, pump behind, thus enthroned (if the door of the hanging locker is ajar) you can admire the length of your 26ft kingdom: past the oak mast supports, which pierce the deck to become the pin rail, into the saloon and up the short flight of steps to the cockpit, and feel entirely contented with one of the best value new traditional cruising yachts. Brokers CommentsSula is superbly and massively engineered with an immense amount of thought applied to the smallest details. Her finish is superb, having been wintered ashore since her build. She is an exceptionally attractive boat, both sailing and alongside, and always gets approving comments from whoever sees her. Sula was the demonstration boat for the Kattegat 26 and was also used personally by the builder / co-designer Jim Spencer for his family holidays. Unlike most modern production boats where important components are permanently hidden behind immoveable linings, most of Sula's cabinetwork can be dismantled for access. Traditional reliability is provided by her Taylor's paraffin cooker and heater and the WindPilot 'Pacific' windvane, self-steering gear. She has been fitted with Handheld VHF, MLR GPS, Yeoman Chart Plotter, Navtex and a very pretty Barrowboat tender.
Adrian Espin |
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