Choate Boats from the past

[Nutrunner Dorchester]

As I grew up in So Cal back in the 70's, I admired what Choate did over the decades.  And last year I ran across an '79 51 footer called Cannibal - an Embroden designed daggerboarder with a 2nd trim centerboard aft on a 3' wide box keel only drawing 4' of water with her heels up, and of coarse the signature sugar scoop stern extension - still looking bichin' over 40 years later.

Unconventional, strong AF (original owner circled globe twice), simple layout, you can feel the So Cal wood, balsa and glass work when you drop in her main hatchway.  She now berths in Kemah Texas awaiting our next adventure. 

Here are some pix to stir up appreciation for old boats and builders, and the sailmakers who ordered them - and those of us who raced this classic plastic back in the day, and won't them die.  

Cheers!  Ralph Dorchester

 

[Sail4beer]

Wow!

 

[sledracr]

That's a Choate-boat?  Had no idea. 

I remember seeing Cannibal at the docks in prep for the '79 TransPac (won overall by Choate himself on Arriba...)

 

[Nutrunner Dorchester]

Transpac?  Wow.  The Black and White Tri Radial pic looks like Newport to Ensenada as well.  A great down hill boat, she tracks like a freight train.  

 

[Not for nothing]

Choate 44 boat for sale in Key West, FL for $27,500 | 165200 (popyachts.com)

 

[SloopJonB]

Looks like a lotta boat for small money.

 

[Hitchhiker]

Looks like a lotta boat work for small the money.

FIFY.

 

[Left Shift]

Why would you name a boat Cannibal?

 

[Nutrunner Dorchester]

"Solidly Built" is no lie.  And like all boats, it's not what you paid, but how much it will cost you later...  Not to mention blood, sweat and beers!

A great dog boat!  

 

[Nutrunner Dorchester]

The way I understand it, the original owner  liked the HMS Wager story, which sank close to Cape Horn, captained by David Cheap.  

I can't make that [email protected]*t up.  Thus, I've  kept her Cannibal, as everyone seems to know it after all these years. 

Not to mention, its PC, lol...

 

[Somebody Else]

Choate 44 boat for sale in Key West, FL for $27,500 | 165200 (popyachts.com)

That is one seriously abused, mistreated, unmaintained boat!

 

[Not for nothing]

That is one seriously abused, mistreated, unmaintained boat!

looks that way , 

 

[sledracr]

That is one seriously abused, mistreated, unmaintained boat!

I'm always amazed, too, at the crap photos that the broker is (apparently) willing to use in the listing.

I mean how hard is it to spend a few hours doing at least a cursory cleaning?  Empty the trash.  De-clutter.  Put crap away.

And, c'mon, leave out the photos that are going to accomplish nothing except make a potential buyer gag.

 

[Chris in Santa Cruz CA]

As I grew up in So Cal back in the 70's, I admired what Choate did over the decades.  And last year I ran across an '79 51 footer called Cannibal - an Embroden designed daggerboarder with a 2nd trim centerboard aft on a 3' wide box keel only drawing 4' of water with her heels up, and of coarse the signature sugar scoop stern extension - still looking bichin' over 40 years later.

Unconventional, strong AF (original owner circled globe twice), simple layout, you can feel the So Cal wood, balsa and glass work when you drop in her main hatchway.  She now berths in Kemah Texas awaiting our next adventure. 

Here are some pix to stir up appreciation for old boats and builders, and the sailmakers who ordered them - and those of us who raced this classic plastic back in the day, and won't them die.  

Cheers!  Ralph Dorchester

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I like it! Very stylish and practical profile. Daggerboard? Reminds me of a Newport 41 I sailed on once. The cable and winch to deal with the dagger board was a bit iffy for my taste. Not a trivial endeavor to crank it up. Boat was fast upwind though.

 

[some dude]

I'm always amazed, too, at the crap photos that the broker is (apparently) willing to use in the listing.

I mean how hard is it to spend a few hours doing at least a cursory cleaning?  Empty the trash.  De-clutter.  Put crap away.

And, c'mon, leave out the photos that are going to accomplish nothing except make a potential buyer gag.

View attachment 507533

Yeah but which boat? Figured you would know. Mini Xpress?

 

[sledracr]

Yeah but which boat? Figured you would know. Mini Xpress?

Nah, Mini Xpress was a 42, like Geronimo. 

this appears to be a 44, an earlier design (sisterships included Travieso and the original Illusion)

 

[kinardly]

Sled, if you mean Terry Lingenfelder's Travieso from San Diego ca 1980, I don't see the resemblance at all. And I seem to recall she was a bit smaller Doug Peterson design. Was there another?

 

[sledracr]

Sled, if you mean Terry Lingenfelder's Travieso from San Diego ca 1980, I don't see the resemblance at all. And I seem to recall she was a bit smaller Doug Peterson design. Was there another?

Hmmm, now that you mention it... Travieso was a NM 44, not a Peterson 44.  At least that's how they're listed in the 1981 Transpac program.

I have in my head that Electra, Roller Coaster, Jet Stream, Illusion and ZigZag were all Choate-built Peterson 44s.  You're probably right about Travieso. 

And to @some dude's question, the only 42s I remember are Geronimo, Medicine Man, Glory and Mini Xpress.  there were probably others, but...

Dunno.  I thoroughly enjoyed the 80s so the memories tend to be a bit fuzzy.

 

[Alan Andrews]

Is the Choate/Peterson 44 in the advert the old "Roller Coaster" of the Gollison family?  If so, it has a different rig than the original.  The 44's I recall were Illusion, Glory and Roller Coaster.  If memory is right, ZigZag and the Hi Roler which became Jetstream were different Petersons 44's both built by Eichenlaub with aluminum hulls and plywood decks.  Of the Choate/Peterson 42's there is/was also a black one which was Ya Turko at one time.  Last seen in downtown LB marina.  The Electra I remember was a blue N/M boat built in NZ.  Travieso was a different N/M design most likely built by Terry Koch's OB Boatworks.  Interesting times in the 1980's when custom/semi custom boats didn't cost a whole lot more than production boats...