Willis Rossiter 1958 "KATY D"

The Katy D has been restored and continuously maintained with significant upgrades since 2016 and stored indoors from November to June every year. In summers, she sits at her mooring in Lincolnville Beach and is cruised locally by her owners. KATY D makes the perfect day cruiser picnic boat.

Principle Dimensions and Information

Designer: Willis Rossiter

Builder: Willis Rossiter / Dark Harbor Boat Yard (Islesboro, Maine)

Year Built: 1958

LOD: 31', 0"

Beam: 9', 2"

Draft: 3', 6"

Propulsion: 2007, Crusader "Captain's Choice", V-8 gasoline, 5.7 liter (350 cubic inch) engine with multi-port fuel injection.

Transmission: Borg Warner "Velvet Drive" model 10-18-008 hydraulic gear with 2:1 reduction gear.

Fuel Capacity: 60 Gallons total in 2 stainless steel tanks

Cruising Speed: 12-13 knots (10GPH @ 12 knots)

Max Speed: 16+ knots

Hull Construction

General: Hull is a typical small wooden lobster boat of built-down construction type with the unique features of a reverse-curved (clipper) stem, and the construction aft eliminating the stern post.

Planking: Cedar carvel planking, caulked seam, approx. thickness 1"

Frames: Steam bent oak, 1.25 X 1.25", spaced 11" C-C.

Fastenings: Bronze screw. Ceiling fastening and shear clamp bolting is steel.

Shear Clamp: Oak, bolted to frames and deck beams

Bilge stringer: Not full length, at turn of bilge.

Floor timbers: Oak, approx. depth is 9", placed at every other frame, 1 3/8" thickness

Stem: Oak

Shaft log: Oak

Transom: Planked over vertical Oak frames and margin with interior ceiling

Structural keel: Oak, with oak gripe timber, stem, logged-up deadwood aft, with oak horn timber.

Waterline: There is a spray rail at the waterline that runs aft from the stem to near the aft end of the

canopy. Above the spray rail there is a thin sheathing plank about ½" thick X 6" wide, which was

probably put on as ice sheathing when the boat was used as a launch running from Lincolnville to

Islesboro. Aft of spray rail there is a thin .75" thick X 1.25" wide batten running all the way aft to the stern. Above the batten by about 10" there is a quarter guard running forward to end near the aft end of the spray rail. The spray rail's purpose is mainly to throw the bow wave out and away from the hull, and partly to help lift the bow as the boat starts going faster. The quarter guard is there to protect the hull when the boat is coming alongside a dock or float.

Deck Construction

Douglas Fir over Oak frames

Painted Tufflex non-skid deck covering

Toe Rails: Painted Oak

Cast bronze docking quarter cleats and mid-ships cleats

Samson post forward

Cast bronze chocks forward

Bronze ½ oval cockpit coaming and taff rail tops

Trunk Cabin Construction

Sides: Painted plank cabin sides and ends screwed to carlins and corner posts

Sawn timber coach roof beams

Marine plywood coach roof top

Painted Tufflex non-skid cabin top covering

Dorade vent center line aft

Full length teak hand rails port and starboard

Hinged door companionway with slide-out overhead

Fixed windows

Marine plywood bulkhead at the after end of the cabin trunk.

New port lights 2022

Canopy / Wheelhouse Construction

Canopy is an enlarged "lobster boat" type canopy / wheelhouse with a windshield forward, fully glazed side windows and an open back with canvas and isinglass enclosure curtains.

Wheelhouse top and sides are of marine plywood with sawn timber framing.

All windows are fixed in place with the exception of the window directly in front of helm station which opens for ventilation

Dorade vent

Teak hand rails port and starboard on house top

Teak grab rails port and starboard at aft end of house.

New side windows 2019

Cockpit Construction

Painted Oak cockpit coamings

Sheathed hull interior

Marine plywood cockpit sole over sawn oak frames

Self-bailing cockpit with two scuppers through the stern, approx. 1" X 2" each.

Small circular fiberglass hatch above the rudder shaft.

Steel hatch just aft of engine for access to stuffing box.

Large sound insulated engine hatch

Interior Accomodations Propulsion and Fuel Systems

Description: Single screw, single engine

Engine Year: 2007

Make: Crusader

Model: "Captain's Choice"

Engine Description: V8 gasoline engine which is a marine conversion of a General Motors 5.7

liter (350 cubic inch) engine with multi-port fuel injection.

Cooling system: Freshwater cooled by heat exchanger

Groco raw water filter

Controls: Dual lever, Morse cable control

Reverse Gear: Borg Warner "Velvet Drive" model 10-18-008 hydraulic gear with 2:1

reduction gear. Serial # 21959

Shaft: Stainless steel shaft

Stuffing box: Internal, fixed

Flex coupling: Engine mounts

Stern bearing: Neoprene water lubricated bearing

Propeller: 4-blade bronze propeller

Fuel Tanks: (2) welded stainless steel tanks, approximately 30 gallons each

Location: Outboard of engine, above platform deck

Tank fill: Outboard

Tank vent: Outboard

Shut off valves: ball valve

Feed lines: Neoprene, type A1

Fuel filters: spin on primary and secondary

Exhaust System: Wet exhaust: Iron water cooled manifold with water injection, Neoprene

steam hose to tailpipe

Engine Ventilation: Forced draft. DC axial vane blower, draws from lowest point of bilge.

Location: Engine compartment

Steering

6-Spoke varnished wood steering wheel

Mechanical gear and drag link

Cast bronze rudder blade

1" Bronze rudder post

Upper and lower rudder bearings

Electrical System

12-Volt ship's system

Two (2) heavy duty marine batteries

Cole-Hersee 4-position battery selector switch

Blue Seas circuit panel

Battery charging by engine alternator and Ganz solar panel

Electronics and Navigational Equipment

Wilfred O. White and Sons helm compass

Icom IC-M4028 VHF radio

Raymarine C80 Radar and GPS Chartplotter

West Marine Blue Tooth enabled / Sirius radio

Safety Equipment

Type II PFD/s (7ea) in storage bags

Life ring

Navigational lighting

DHR hand operated spotlight

Ongaro horn

Ground Tackle

Large Danforth anchor with appropriate chain and rode

Windline Marine stainless steel bow anchor roller 

Dewatering Equipment

Ultra Safety Systems high water alarm

Rule electric / automatic bilge pump

Thirsty Mate manual bilge pump

Additional Equipment

Dock lines (4ea)

Fenders (4ea)

Telescoping aluminum boat hook

Rope and plastic tread swim / boarding ladder

Gull sweep

AFI electric windshield wipers at helm and passenger windows