main salon (drop down) full bed, and two full-sized quarter berths. Comforts include a full galley to port, roomy head, and two pressure sinks. The twin-sized quarter berths can accommodate children, or provide accessible large storage for hundreds of pounds of food and gear. The linear galley is away from the companionway, so you don’t trample your meals coming and going. The onboard shower, roomy head, and spacious cockpit provide all the comforts necessary. Spacious headroom and teak woodwork below decks makes it feel like a larger boat. The companionway opening is large, allowing for easy in-and-out tasks, and the step to go below can be raised to make extra seating around the table. We lived aboard with dogs, kids, and herb gardens, and had enough room to invite up to 18 for dock cocktails and eight for dinner. Every rose has its thorns, and Cals do have limitations. They are sometimes referred to as “around the world” boats, but anyone who has been in heavy seas in one can attest that they were not built for that purpose. It is fun for a day or two, but handling the Cal in large seas for day after day gets old. Famous 16-year-old circumnavigator Robin Graham may have partially inspired the round-the-world myth. (Graham’s boat, Dove, was a California (Cal) 24 designed by Bill Lapworth, who designed the Cals and had them built by Jack Jensen. Cals have taken the credit for circumnavigation ever since.) Other distance limitations include the measly tankage and provisioning storage. They have a lot of headroom and interior space for a boat that size and weight, but the additional living space limits storage volume. It’s a trade-off, but we like to get off the boat often, anyway, and carried a folding bike in the V-berth for provisioning. So she’s roomy enough for two adults, two children, and a bicycle to fit inside! Having a shelf board in the V-berth allows for greater storage, and there are 11 access points under the cushions to fill. Some Cal 2-29 flaws relate less to design and more to decades of sailing. Some of them have been abused by racers, the scoundrels. Almost all unrestored ones suffer from worn decks. The strut holding the prop on can be a weak point if electrolysis goes unchecked. While we have not experienced this problem, we have heard that rust of the post that supports the mast can be a lurking invisible issue. Keel-to-hull connection problems and blistering issues were non-existent
Mistral, the author’s latest Cal, at the dock.
Along with a roomy cockpit, If you’re looking for speed, comfort, maneuverability, and economy, try the Cal 2-29.
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www.thenauticaltrader.com News & Views for Southern Sailors
SOUTHWINDS January 2013
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