CSY 44 Pilothouse (Ketch)

The rare Pilothouse version of the CSY 44 contained everything the company could add to a cruising boat that seemed to be desirable. Some things change, yet some do not. The Pilothouse version is emulated today by many other manufactures and their models have been found for years in nautical magazines.
Photo 1: Was taken off the cover of the 1980 Chart Pack 1980. It shows the Pilothouse charging up to NYC for the Boat Show in the NY Coliseum with a CSY cutter in the backround.           

The Company's objectives were clear, as stated in their manual.

  The first CSY Pilothouse CSY was built on the "FLY". Owner of record of hull #1 was, Martin Dean, CFO of the company and also supplier of much of the heavy stainless steel components on the CSY during those years(like the Anchor Platform). He and his wife cruised only locally on the West Coast of Florida, so he wanted a shoal draft version @  4' 11"  (Deep Draft is 6' 6"). To make the N.Y. boat show on time, a team of craftsmen were along for the ride, working on the offshore passage up the East Coast, to finish the interior.  
Yup! IT was finished along the way from Tampa to NYC  for the 1978 Boat Show!

Martin Dean later sold the boat in a degraded condition to Bob Jefferies in 1988. But Bob was sharp enough to get Frank Hamlin, early N.A. for CSY on the Pilothouse project, to survey it for him and help him get it home.  You see, there were inches of oysters on the bottom-etc..
All went well and the boat, first named Mad Dream for (MD-Martin Dean), was renamed "Whatever", Bob's quick, 'smiling' shot at any bs. was    "Whatever..........."   :)

Bob Jefferies at the helm motorsailing alongside us in 7 kts. of wind +/-. (1993)









From what I can gather, the Design of the Pilothouses was not a simple matter at CSY. The designing of it was contentious to some degree in the factory.  I have NO facts to offer. I do Know, that Peter Schmitt seems to have been the top gun at CSY drawing board, but, resident Naval Architect Frank Hamlin was also listed and seemed to be strongly linked to the Pilothouse project.

 

The advertisements for all the CSY fleet were frequent but it was clear that the company considered the Pilothouse Ketch as the Queen of their fleet.

There were hull numbers for 22 of these rare vessels, but it seems only 15 or so were actually built.




 For a bit more.... click on link just under this line.
A bit more on Pilothouse CSYs...Will combine these links when I get back to the US