Meow

So curiousity killed the cat? Not this lil kitty. I finally tried virtual cat sailing, - not a catboat, - a real virtual sailing cat... and it just loooves water... It's the Hepcat. Meow.

Goofing with a cat.

I always thought of cats as being weird boats. Kinda like windsurfers. They're like... not really a real boat. This made me stay off virtual cats too, but that's changed now. Lordmaldaine persuaded me to try his brand new Hepcat from Trudeau, and it was indeed a very nice sailing experience. And fast...

Getting the "hang" of it.

First, we goofed around a bit. It's a fast little thing. Easy to handle, but you gotta stay alert. Gaze at the scenery for thirty seconds and a puff will slam you right over. We quickly agreed that he was steering and trimming, while I concentrated on balance. That seemed to work pretty well. For a while at least.

Picking up speed

Here, we're picking up speed. I was simply stunned by the accelleration, and while I was being that - we crashed. Water everywhere. Not a problem. These waters are nice and warm. Besides, the sun is out to dry us. 

Woohoo

After a while Lordmaldaine needed a smoke. He had to go pick it up somewhere, so he left me alone with the cat. The picture above shows me accellerating on my own. It's rather hefty. 

Weeee...

Ahem... A little puff and it's up and away... Not really sure I am completely comfortable with this just yet.

Hmmm... sheets, tiller and trapez...

Yeah, I know it looks awkward. To be honest, I felt a little insecure when the windward hull lifted off the water. Better get out there in a hurry or it's swimming time again.

Landed on my "feet" this time.

Ahh, this is much better, but now I've been too busy sailing. Totally forgot navigation... Will it fit between those islands? Is it too shallow? It's full speed ahead and bend or break.

Yay!

It's ok. Enough water and a little less wind this side of the island. Lovely scenery by the way. The boat is lovely too. It has balance, sheets, lovely sails with great luffing. Nice sound too. Sadly there's the usual suspects missing such as waves, current, telltales and compass, but there is a wind indicator atop the mast. Not a very realistic one though. Looks totally like a Tako.

Meow, said that cat. Lovely ride..

That aside, the Hepcat is really a lotta fun to sail. It looks great, it feels great and there's no easy cruising for landlubbers. Look away for a few secs, and it will flip over and dip you. I love that. It's a real action boat. Pretty fast too. Not like the Foiling Moth but still... Better plan your route or you will run aground on unexpected shores.

So maybe curiousity killed the cat, but satisfaction surely brought it back.