[PCW] TomCat 24/Why we decided on the original TomCat

[Georgs Kolesnikovs]

Paul Christman wrote:

>How did you come to the decision to get the TomCat?

We did not want to spend more than $100K, as we're not certain how 
much we'll be able to use the boat over the next few years.

Our priority was capability for cruising in inland and coastal waters 
for one week to one month.

Trailerability was somewhat import.

We can be happy with minimalist amenities. We don't need or want all 
the comforts of home out on the water.

>What alternatives did
>you discard?

Motorcat 29 and 30, close to the mark, but with greater emphasis on 
light weight and fuel economy than we require. The heavier, more 
rugged TomCat had greater appeal.

The new TomCat 255, because we don't like the C-Dory look and it was 
more than $100K.

World Cat, Glacier Bay and other small cats, because they're 
essentially day boats with a focus on fishing.

If we were not restrained by that $100K budget and the wish to be 
able to trailer on occasion, we would likely have gone with the 
Buzzards Bay 33 for our purposes.

http://www.mdcats.com/MDBuzzardsBay33OBspecsandequipment.htm

There are many fascinating and challenging cruises to be had not far 
from home. Here are the possibles:

-- Loop Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence River and Rideau Canal
-- Enjoy Trent-Severn Waterway
-- Cruise the North Channel
-- Explore Lake Superior
-- Take the train to Moosonee for a poke around James Bay
-- Circumnavigate Vancouver Island
-- Poke our way up the Inside Passage
-- Head north to Alaska and maybe even the Aleutians
-- Trailer down to the Sea of Cortez
-- Cruise a winter in the Bahamas
-- Circumnavigate Cape Breton Island and cruise Lake Bras d'Or
-- Make the passage to Iles de la Madeleine in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
-- Circumnavigate Newfoundland
-- Look for icebergs and whales off the Labrador coast.

For such cruising dreams, the TomCat 24 may be the perfect boat--for 
us. Time will tell the tale.

--Georgs
-- 
At Last, TomCat 24
Frenchman's Bay, Lake Ontario