wylie 45 sailboat

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Still Wylie After All These Years

Tom Wylie has pulled off an extraordinary achievement. We’re not just talking about his boats, which are marvelous in their own right and diverse in appearance, materials and rigging, but always connected by the common thread of sleek, refined elegance. Warwick ‘Commodore’ Tompkins, who owns the Wylie 39 Flash Girl , said of the new Wylie-designed C3 , “A lovely but wicked boat,” referring to the speed that seemingly permeates from the low freeboard and sheerline.

But it is Tom Wylie’s longevity that has separated him from the pack. He has designed two new boats that are being built on the West Coast — an extraordinary achievement unto itself. “Both boats are repeat business,” Wylie told us from his East Bay home in July. “That doesn’t happen much in our culture, but it used to happen all the time when I started.” The 60-ft C3 (pronounced “C cubed”) was launched on June 21 at Betts Boats in Anacortes, Washington, for owner Charlie Ray, a renowned sculptor. Ray has owned the Wylie 44 C2 (“C squared”) for almost 20 years. Wylie’s other new boat is the 80-ft Global Voyager , being built for Dave Raney, the current owner of the Wylie 70 Rage . The well-known Rage was built at Schooner Creek Boat Works in Portland, Oregon, some 30 years ago.

In 2004, Wylie told Latitude , “I may not have been the best at business, but of all the people I’ve worked with over the years, I can’t think of one who I couldn’t go up to and shake hands with. To me, that’s every bit as important as the career.” During our recent conversation, Wylie said, “It was probably a bad comment — that I’m a bad businessman. Some people will say to me, ‘Oh, you’re still in business? Everyone else has gone out of business.'” Wylie’s relationships with his clients run deep and are often predicated on a fidelity to the sport and lifestyle. “One side of my owners that’s unique is that they’re addicted to sailing. They are so in love with it, they’re not going to quit. I’m kind of like that in some ways.”

Charles Ray’s work has been called “difficult to classify; style, materials, subject, presence, and scale are all variable.” The same could be said for Tom Wylie. “He defies stereotyping; variety has been the spice of [his then] 40-year career in boat design and construction,” we wrote in the 2004 article. “Consider the four projects in which he’s currently engaged: a 21-ft singlehanded ocean racer, a 60-ft aluminum cruiser, a 30-ft production fiberglass catboat and a 52-ft wood-composite cruiser.” Wylie told us recently, “There’s a large amount of similarity between Charlie and me. He views boats and sailing as moving sculpture,” Wylie said of Ray. “He is doing black-and-white photography with his boat: a black sail, white hull and the wishbone — it’s a stunning statement. The boats he’s ordered for me are not something that you can mass produce. In every way, they’re a custom design.” Ray was similarly effusive of Wylie’s work. “Charlie was there for the launch of C3 ,” Wylie explained. “He said, ‘Tom, I can’t wait to see you when you see this boat, because you’ll be as happy with your masterpiece as I am.'”

Continue reading at Latitude38.com .

There are a lot of really great men and women in the sailing industry, and Tom is one of the best. Kind, innovative, environmentally conscious, and an artist. We’re all better for having him participate in our sport.

Here, here Chuck … right on!

One of that unique class of sailors from the 60s that epitomized the era: Skip Allan , Dave Wahle, Doug Peterson, Ron Holland and many more. I worked with Tom on several projects and was always a fun and rewarding experience. A gentle and talented man.

Love his cat boats. I’ve sailed everything! The cat ketch is my favorite type of boat!

GENIUS and can communicate with us normals – Steve Jobs in a different skin – he came, he changed our world and he left … thank Gawd we still have Tom’s magic!!

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• Sailboat Guide

1983 Tom Wylie 45′ Cold Molded Cutter

• Description

Seller's Description

Malaya is an inboard, mast head cutter that is intended to be a fast cruiser/racer to be sailed with a crew as few as 2. This is apparent in both the deck and cockpit layout as well as the unique cabin design. Not tied to a rating rule, Malaya is fast, extremely stable, comfortable and tracks extremely well.

Her hull was built upside down, frames and bulkheads where erected, the massive, laminated keel and shear clamps epoxied (West Systems Epoxies were used exclusively). The first course of ¾” square cut Douglas Fir planking is edge glued, tabbed to frames and edge nailed with Monel staples. Three layers of 1/8” mahogany is set with epoxy and a fourth layer runs fore and aft. Additional veneers are added to her internal structure between the water line and the keel bringing the skin flush to the keel (the hull is over 10” thick in this location). All external surfaces have fiberglass sheathing, all internal surfaces are sealed with multiple coats of epoxy. The result is a complete monocoque structure and as such Malaya is tight, quiet, and dry; not to mention, incredibly strong.

For particulars and more pictures: www.malaya4sail.com or 1983 Custom Cunningham – Wylie 45 Cruiser/Racer for sale – YachtWorld

This listing is presented by SailingAnarchy.com . Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

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Professional BoatBuilder Magazine

Wyliecat 40: more than a facelift.

By Dieter Loibner , Jun 4, 2020

The Wyliecat 40 aims at the future of the recreational sailing market, which could well see a surge in multi-purpose boats

California designer Tom Wylie , 73 (PBB Nos. 75 and 152), can look back on a long line of seminal boats from his drafting table. Among them are successful ocean racers like American Express (the boat Norton Smith sailed to win the 1979 Mini Transat) and Ocean Planet (Bruce Schwab’s Vendée Globe racer), potent bluewater cruisers like Roxanne , Jade , and Convergence , the private yacht of West Marine founder Randy Repass, and the iconic Wylie Wabbit, a pocket-sized trailer yacht with trapeze. In the recreational market, he’s best known for the eponymous Wyliecat, a series of cat-rigged sloops and ketches with unstayed carbon masts and wishbone booms. These slender and unpretentious boats range from 17 ‘ to 66 ‘ (5.18m to 20.11m) and charmed judges with their simplicity and zippy performance, winning two Boat-of-the-Year awards.

I recently caught up with Wylie, whose mental acuity and elo­quence are as sharp as ever. He still prefers to work with time-honored tools like ducks and splines, so when he promises to send plans, there will be a thud when the UPS driver drops the package at the door.

Things are not as hectic while his business partner, builder Dave Wahle, recovers from a hip replacement, but there is a new boat sitting in their Watsonville, California, shop. It’s called the Wyliecat 40, a distillate of Wylie’s ideas for a future where boats will be shared by many rather than owned and operated by one.

A cursory look would mistake the new boat for a Wyliecat 39 like Warwick Tompkins’s custom cruising yacht Flash Girl . But a close inspection of the numbers and drawings reveals that the 40 traded the aft cabin for a large, open cockpit and garage space under the work deck. “It’s a spec boat,” Wylie said. “I wanted it to be versatile, fit for the corporate and the charter markets and for sharing among parties who have different use profiles.” He thinks this concept has enough inherent flexibility to work as a daysailer, as a charter boat for groups of a dozen-plus, or as a sustainably powered corporate yacht to take staff and clients out on the water for a head-clearing spin. Wylie’s sustainability vision puts the 40 to work in marine science, for instance at his nonprofit Ocean Planet Explorers, thus following the example of a much larger Wyliecat 65 (19.8m), the Derek M. Baylis , which earned her stripes doing research trips for the Monterey Bay Aquarium (see “Wylie’s Way,” PBB No. 165, page 70).

Large cockpit, modest accommodations and a simple sail plan: That always was and still is the Wylie Way.

To shape the hull of the new model, Wylie and Wahle, as consummate recyclers and reusers, altered the mold of the 39. It was industrial-strength surgery, cutting it open down the centerline 16 ‘ (4.87m) and using a wedge to pry apart the two halves at the transom by 13 “ (33cm). The result is a hull with more beam aft, up to 2 “ (51mm) more freeboard and headroom, and a steeper raked stem that adds 14 “ (35.6cm) of waterline.

Compared to the 39, this model has a shorter coach roof and an inverted layout. “We put the salon and the [convertible] settees into the bow and installed two 6 ‘ 6 “ [1.98m] quarter berths on either side of the engine box,” Wylie noted. “The 6 ‘ [1.82m] galley to port is a good size for a 40-footer, and we also have an enclosed head with a 25-gal [94.6-l] holding tank.” With the mast up in the bow, there was flexibility for this arrangement, bringing the companionway forward by about 4 ‘ (1.2m) and centering the weight of the engine to better balance the boat with the weight of passengers and/or cargo.

Wylie was never eager to follow the mainstream and design a boat around technology that might make some aspects of sailing more convenient while also adding complexity and cost. With this 40-footer he continues his concept of simple boats that perform well, are cost-effective to operate, and easy to maintain.

Wylie Cat 40 Particulars

LOA: 39 ‘ 7-5/8 “ (12.07m)

LWL: 34 ‘ 2 “ (10.4m)

Beam: 11 ‘ 3-1/4 “ (3.43m)

Draft: 6 ‘ (1.82m)

Displacement: 12,000 lbs (5,443 kg)

Ballast: 5,920 lbs (2,685 kg)

Sail area: 961 sq ft  (89.3m²)

Wylie Design Group, P.O. Box 86, Canyon, CA 94516 USA, tel. 925–376–7338, fax 925–376–7982.

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W YLIE D ESIGN G ROUP

HOME | ABOUT | PORTFOLIO | ADVENTURES | SUSTAINABILITY | PRESS | CONTACT

WYLIE WABBIT

The Wabbit is a camper-cruiser for spirited people who want to go fast whenever and wherever. For this reason, she is the maximum trailerable weight for a small family sedan. Her sail inventory is minimal: one main, one jib, and one spinnaker, yet speeds of 20 knots are common. The boat lends itself to experienced sailors, but if a welcomed beginner makes a mistake on the trapeze, swimming is not the penalty.

The laminates are as simple as possible using iso resin, E-glass, and foam core on the bottom only. The aluminum spar is un-tapered with only one set of spreaders and upper and lower shrouds. For more information, please visit the Wylie Wabbit community website and check out Latitude 38’s coverage of the Tomales Bay Races . For historical reference, we encourage you to read, “Sailing Wabbit: Wylie’s Wet & Wild Water Rocket” by Dan and Judy Segal of Small Boat Journal. For new construction, contact Tom Wylie.

Composite, North Coast Yachts Built, 1982 Launch

23’- 9” LOA

20’- 0” DWL

5’- 7” Beam

3’- 6” Draft

875 lb. Disp.

composite | steel & aluminum | wood | wyliecat | drawing board

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The ultimate all around 30-footer.

Velella was designed by Tom Wylie of San Francisco and built in the cold molded style, making her strong and light, yet comfortable and capable as a long-distance cruiser. Launched in San Diego in 1979, she was built by her original owner, Michael Butler. Butler had worked for C&B Marine in Santa Cruz, California building a larger Tom Wylie designed sistership named Wild Spirit. Velella was sailed to the South Pacific by her owner/builder. After a series of owners in the Pacific Northwest, she was purchased by Garth Wilcox and Wendy Hinman and sailed 34,000 miles over 7 years in the Pacific, chronicled in Wendy’s book Tightwads on the Loose.

My wife and I have owned Velella since 2012 and have lived aboard, raced, and cruised extensively around the Pacific Northwest. She was extremely well conceived and configured for long term cruising and living aboard and her interior arrangement feels far larger than her 30 feet might suggest. And she is sneaky fast, always surprising other boats on the racecourse. We love this boat and if it were not for a growing family, we could see owning this boat forever. I can think of no boat that has the performance, strength, liveability and pedigree of construction in a 30-foot package that can easily be sailed and maintained on a modest budget. – Ryan Helling

Interior Accommodations

Velella’s interior planking is mostly bright finished with Herreschoff style off white painted bulkheads and mahogany trim. Her cabin sides and ceiling are beautiful varnished fir. The cabin sole is off white enamel with walnut nonskid, a surface that is bright and easily maintained.

In the forward cabin there is a v-berth. Beneath the berth, there is storage configured in two levels to maximize the space. Beneath the aft end of the berth there is a large drawer. To port, there is a large hanging locker and a locker with shelves. To starboard there is a narrow workbench with lockers above and below that is excellent pantry space. The Lavac toilet is located aft near the mast. A curtain separates this space from the main cabin. There is a large opening hatch overhead.

The salon is configured with a L-shaped galley forward to port, a curved settee to starboard and another settee bench to port aft of the galley. There is a fixed table with drop-leaf and a drawer for flatware. Storage is available outboard of the settees behind the seatbacks and beneath the aft/inboard end of the starboard settee. Six bronze opening ports and a small hatch provide ventilation.

The galley counter is bright finished cherry surrounded by mahogany fiddles. A deep stainless sink is located at the forward, inboard end with fresh and raw water foot pumps. There is a propane cabin heater mounted on the bulkhead above and two drawers below the sink. There are also open storage compartments on the inboard side of the counter near the forward bulkhead. Outboard from the sink is the top loading refrigeration compartment with cutting board top. There is open storage for dishes, glasswear, spices and other kitchen items outboard. Aft of the counter is the Shipmate 2-burner stove and oven with a stainless crash bar across the front. Custom knife storage slots aft of the stove allow safe and convenient storage. There is a large open storage space outboard of the stove and a locker for pots and pans below.

Aft of the starboard settee adjacent to the companionway stairs are the radios and electrical distribution panels. There is a large top loading storage space and an open storage locker in this area.

The aft berth is larger than one normally sees on far bigger boats. A bookshelf runs along the hull side to port. There ample storage space for clothes and other items in open lockers to starboard. A port opening into the cockpit and two ports in the transom provide nice light and ventilation.

Shipmate propane two burner stove/oven

Dickinson P9000 bulkhead mounted propane cabin heater

10# aluminum propane tank with remote solenoid control, pressure gauge and regulator

Propane system from tank to appliances replaced (2013)

Frigoboat BD35 12v refrigeration system with digital thermostat and Smart Speed controller (2013)

Fresh and raw water foot pumps at galley

Lavac toilet, holding tank with manual overboard pump

Salon upholstery in Sunbrella upholstery fabric (2012)

Fleece covers for salon upholstery and aft berth

Electronics & Navigation

Raymarine tiller pilot

Cape Horn self steering windvane

Raymarine ST40 Bidata speed and depth display

Suunto compass

Garmin 2010C chartplotter

Icom IC M402 VHF radio with wired ram mic

Icom IC 735 HAM radio with Pactor III modem (KISS counterpoise and insulated backstay currently not installed)

Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo receiver with (4) interior speakers

Weems & Plath clock and barometer

LED tricolor and anchor light

Running lights and steaming light

Electrical Systems

12v DC and 120v AC electrical systems

Blue Sea Systems DC distribution panel with ammeter and voltmeter

Weems & Plath AC distribution panel

Xantrex Link Pro battery monitor (2019)

Smart Plug 30 amp shore power inlet and 50’ cord

Victron Bluesmart battery charger (2019)

Lifeline GPL 4DL house battery (2018)

Optima SC34U engine start battery (2016)

(2) BP 50w solar panels on hard dodger

Flex Charge solar panel regulator

(2) 12v outlets

(2) 110v outlets

Mechanical Systems

Universal M3-20 18hp diesel engine installed 1994 (2135 hours)

ZF 5M 2:1 direct drive transmission (reconditioned unit installed June, 2018 at 1991 hours)

Universal engine panel with tachometer, coolant temperature gauges

New starter and raw water pump (2018)

Racor primary fuel filter

Morse throttle/shift control (new cables 2017)

Stainless propeller shaft (removed and trued 2016)

PYI dripless shaft seal (2016)

Gori 2-blade folding propeller (2016)

50-amp alternator (rebuilt 2012)

Balmar external alternator regulator (2012)

Manual bilge pump

Deck & Hull

Velella’s hull was built using cedar strip planking with two diagonal veneers on the exterior and additional veneers in way of the bilge all encapsulated in fiberglass and epoxy. A laminated backbone runs stem to stern. Her deck is two layers of mahogany plywood with mahogany planking, currently painted. A laminated sheer clamp strengthens the hull to deck joint. Her construction details provide an extremely strong and well insulated structure while only displacing a moderate 8,000 pounds. A complete set of drawings from Tom Wylie is included.

Her underbody is configured with a fin keel with lead ballast. The ballast is attached with bronze bolts through bronze structural floors in the bilge. Her rudder is stern hung with bronze gudgeons and a full length skeg. She is stiller steered.

Her cockpit is surrounded by a fiberglass coaming and protected by a canvas dodger with foam/fiberglass hard top. Solar panels are mounted on the hard top. There are two storage lockers in the cockpit to starboard – one that houses the 11-gallon fiberglass diesel tank and additional items and another large locker that houses the propane tank and additional storage. Her deck is surrounded by a short toe rail and double lifelines with stainless stanchions. A hatch at the bow allows access to the anchor locker. All halyards and control lines are located at the mast.

Lofrans Project 1000 electric anchor windlass with wired remote

Rocna Vulcan anchor with 240’ 5/16” BBB anchor chain

30’ 5/16” chain and 300’ 9/16” nylon rode for secondary anchor

200’ 7/16” nylon rode with with chain for stern anchor

(2) Spade A80 aluminum anchors

45lb CQR anchor

22lb Danforth anchor

Anchor snubber Johnson raw water anchor washdown system (2016)

(2) 75’ 3/4” nylon mooring lines

(3) dock lines and (4) fenders with covers

(6) heavy duty mooring cleats

Outboard motor mount

Canvas cockpit awning

Canvas cockpit dodger by Sew Salty (2017)

Foredeck awning

Full boat awning

Canvas covers for tiller, transom, foredeck and anchor locker hatches

Sails & Rigging

Aluminum single spreader mast and aluminum boom, painted white

The forestay and cap shrouds were replaced in 2016 and a new heat set dyneema backstay was installed in 2018. A 1×19 backstay with Stalok insulators was new in 2013 and is currently in storage. All chainplates removed, inspected and rebedded between 2012 and 2016. There is a removable inner forestay for the storm staysail with dyneema running backstays and a dedicated storm trysail track on the mast.

(2) mainsail halyards, boom topping lift, (2) genoa halyards, spinnaker halyard, pole topping lift/staysail  halyard Aluminum spinnaker pole

(2) Crown 22 stainless primary winches

(2) Crown 10 stainless halyard winches on mast

(1) Crown 16 and (1) Lewmar 16ST winch on cabin top for staysail sheets

(2) winch handles

Ballard Sails full batten mainsail on low friction Strong Track mast track (2014)

Ballard Sails 148% heavy #1 dacron genoa (2018)

Ballard Sails 155% AP #1 carbon genoa (2016)

Ballard Sails 100% #3 jib with battens and reef points (2015)

#2 dacron genoa

Light #1 dacron genoa

Storm staysail

Storm trysail

Ballard Sails S2 .6oz spinnaker, Superkote 75 (2017)

.75 oz symmetrical spinnaker

Assymetric spinnaker with ATN snuffer

Ballard Sails mainsail cover (2017)

Miscellaneous & Safety

Lifesling MOB recovery device

(3) fire extinguishers

Jordan Series Drogue

12’ parachute anchor

4-man liferaft (certification expired)

EPIRB (battery expired)

Flares and flare gun

Wyliecat 17

The wyliecat 17 is a 17.5ft cat (unstayed) designed by thomas wylie and built in fiberglass by moore sailboats since 1999..

The Wyliecat 17 is an ultralight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat.

Wyliecat 17 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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