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East Coast featured boat: ‘Catsnip’

Our featured boat for August is ‘Catsnip’, a 17ft production catboat built by Com-Pac Yachts in the USA, shipped out new in 2006 to her first owner here in the UK. She is believed to be the only ‘Sun Cat’ to make it across the Pond, albeit in a shipping container. Daniel Stoker purchased ‘Catsnip’ with his father in 2021 after seeing an advert on eBay during lockdown. He discovered she was already listed on the OGA Boat Register. This prompted him to join the East Coast OGA and ‘Catsnip’ has become a regular participant at OGA events along the East Coast since 2023.

A season on the Cleddau in 2022, learning how to sail a gaff rig for the first time and beginning to discover the abilities and character of ‘Catsnip’ included a circumnavigation of Skomer and a night at anchor near Dale. The following season, ‘Catsnip’ made the journey east to her current home on the River Colne. 

Finding that, with her mast down, ‘Catsnip’ would probably fit under the Heigham Potter Bridge, Daniel decided to enter the Three Rivers Race (3RR) on the Norfolk Broads with ‘Catsnip’ in 2023. He had first done the 3RR in 2019, crewing on a friend’s boat when they failed to finish within the time limit. This challenging race must be completed within 24 hours and includes sailing 50 miles to round four marks on three rivers and pass, mast down with paddles, under three bridges.