Cattitude is an all-electric shoal-draft 1986 Hinterhoeller Nonsuch 26 Ultra #205 now located on Georgian Bay at the Bay Port Yachting Centre in Midland Ontario. After a decade of improvements and adventures and enjoyment, we are now offering Cattitude for sale because of our age and health.
In 2014 we purchased Cattitude and kept her at RCYC in Toronto for seven years and had the pleasure of cruising most of Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands.
Early Improvements 2014 - 2020
- In 2016 we replaced the diesel engine and fuel tank with a Thunderstruck 10 KW brushless electric motor and a 2:1 gear reduction box powered with a 230 amp hour 48 volt bank of Firefly carbon-foam lead-acid batteries which provided a range of 25 nautical miles. A 3 KW Outback 120 volt AC/48 volt DC inverter/charger together with a Mate 3 display and controller let us automatically charge the batteries whenever we plug into shore power and automatically keep Cattitude’s 120 volt AC circuits powered when we unplug from shore power and cast off for cruising.
- We also removed the propane system and replaced the two propane burners with a two burner 120 volt AC hot plate by True Induction which fit perfectly on the gimbled oven (now used for storage of pots and pans). At the same time we added a Dinghy Tow system and replaced the gasoline outboard with an electric Torqeedo outboard motor (which completed the job of making Cattitude fossil-free).
- In the winter of 2017-2018, we had Custom Yachts in Whitby do a complete upgrade of the decks, coach roof and cockpit surfaces and fittings.
- Other early improvements included: upgrading the instruments to a Maretron system; upgrading the ice box with 12 volt DC refrigeration; re-doing the cabin settee and cushions with Naugahyde; replacing the mattress in the forward cabin; a Sunbrella stack-pack for the mainsail; a winter cover and frame; and lots of varnishing.
Recent Improvements 2121 – present
- In 2021 we added solar panels and a full cockpit enclosure with screens and windows all around in anticipation of relocating Cattitude to Georgian Bay. The full enclosure and solar panels optimized Cattitude for the journey up the Trent-Severn and for cruising in the North Channel (which is rightfully said to be the best fresh-water cruising in the world). The story of Cattitude motoring up the Trent-Severn Waterway can be found on the Nonsuch website or at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j4bpl_aS03Au95P6WcIJbCr-TgspIyAn/view?usp=sharing
- In 2022 we upgraded the 48 volt propulsion battery bank with lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. This increased power from 230 amp hours to 280 amp hours and increased range from 25 nautical miles to 30 nautical miles – while reducing the weight of the propulsion battery bank from close to 600 pounds down to 200 pounds and clearing additional space in the engine room. A Bluetooth battery management app called Smart BMS is used to manage the lithium iron batteries.
- In 2022 we also added a 48 volt DC to 12 volt DC converter from Thunderstruck which lets us use the 48 volt batteries to power the 12 volt DC house needs. The old switch used to select between house and starter batteries or ‘both on’ or ‘both off’ is now used to select between 12 volt power from the 12 volt batteries or from the 48 volt batteries’ stepdown converter or ‘both on’ or ‘both off’. (With ‘both on’ the effect is for the 48 volt batteries to charge the remaining 12 volt batteries, so we were able to eliminate the old 12 volt charger to simplify the system and clear a bit more space in the engine room.)
- In 2024 we added a swim platform from Stainless Outfitters which greatly improves getting on and off the boat for swimming or for access to the dinghy.
Asking Price
Our understanding is that Nonsuch Classics in good condition are typically listed between CAD$25K and $35K while Nonsuch 26 Ultras in good condition are typically listed between CAD$35K and $45K. We think that the above list of improvements more than justifies the CAD$49,000 asking price for our fully equipped fossil-free all-electric shoal-draft 1986 Nonsuch 26 Ultra. Especially when you consider that the luxuries of the $10K full enclosure with screens and windows almost doubles the liveable space while the $5K Lithium Iron batteries reduce weight and size of batteries while increasing power and the $2K swim platform makes swimming and access to the dinghy so much easier.
We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions and to answer any questions you may have.
Pictures will be added soon!
