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Escape From Al-Cat-Traz

On the left-hand boat and peering out of a porthole is a cat that cannnot be contained.  

© 2017 Quincey Cummings

My wife Quincey Cummings and I recently moved onto a friend’s beautifully finished West Sail 32, Costanza, while our Fuji 32 Windrose was in the yard. Not adjusting well to the move was our cat (‘Pandacat’). As this was a new place for her, we made it a priority to batten down the hatches in order to keep her aboard. Sometimes we call her Houdini-cat, a nickname that would turn out to be quite fitting.

"Panda: Pirate Queen of Cats!" wrote Quincey Cummings on Instagram.

© 2017 Quincey Cummings

Quincey dropped off the cat and walked back to our boat to pack. About 20 minutes later, Quincey heard the bell in the cockpit of Windrose. It was Panda, aka Houdini. Scratching our heads, we moved the cat back over to Costanza.

 . . . And lands successfully back at home.

© 2017 Quincey Cummings

Minutes later . . . and out of thin air . . . Panda had escaped again! Long story short (and after my initial denial), the cat was jumping out of an eight-inch portlight. New nicknames are Porthole Kitty and Rocket-cat.

Mitch Andrus (left) poses with Pandacat when she’s not in full escape mode.  

© 2017 Quincey Cummings

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Casual club racing brings an alternative style to the normally very competitive and very challenging high-profile sailing events found on San Francisco Bay.