Here is our own CSY 44 WT "SIESTA", about to go under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco one last time, as we initiate our voyage back to Florida, through the Panama Canal. There were only about 40 of these boats built by CSY before it shut its doors in 1981.

For more details on our trip, click here.

For more info on how we outfitted SIESTA for this long voyage, click here.

If you want to know which boat is which, click on each picture, and right-click for picture properties. The name of each picture gives away the boat name.

We believe, based on its hull number, that RAINBOW'S END was the first CSY 44 walk-thru model built. It is virtually identical to SIESTA, which is hull #37.

There are some readily apparent differences, though.

Rainbow's End has a 57' mast with single spreader, identical rigging to all the CSY walk-over models. This configuration and sail area is plenty for the hefty, reliable trade winds in the Caribbean. Plus the conservative sail plan was consistent with having these boats chartered by less experienced crews.

All the CSY 44 walk-thoughs I am aware of, except for Rainbow's End and Horizon, have a taller 65' mast with double spreaders, giving these sturdy boats significantly larger sail area and performance in light airs. 

Rainbow's End has an opening port opening forward in the forward cabin, just like the walk-overs.. All the CSY 44 walk-over's have one of those sturdy brass opening ports facing forward in the forward cabin. The CSY 44 walk-thru model mold has a much more gradual slope in the forward portion of the truck cabin, and thus the opening port is not as practical and tends to leak if not maintained properly. This was confirmed by Bill and Cindy.

Third, there is a step down when walking in the main salon towards the forward stateroom. I kept tripping on it out of habit. This adds headroom in the forward stateroom, as the cabin trunk above slopes down. This step was eliminated in all other CSY walk-throughs that I have seen, and I have seen a lot of them.

It is interesting to note that Van Ost, in his CSY Guide, published in 1977, is strongly on record against the walk-through design, and much more in favor of the walk-over design. In the section titled: Walk-Through Or No Walk-Through, Van Ost explains why his company will not build a walk-thru configuration. He summarized his strong views on the advantages of the walk-over design, and against a walk-through, as follows:

1) The walk-thru passage from the cockpit to the main salon goes from 3 steps to 5 steps, making it at least inconvenient, if not dangerous, in his view.

2) Reduction of storage space for extra sails, lines, fenders and the like.

3) Reduction in tankage. The walk-over has a 400 gallon capacity.

4) Negative effect on engine access and having noise and dirt inside the main living area.

5) Esthetics: the extra vertical room for the walk-thru would require higher cabin freeboard, and would result in a narrower, smaller cockpit.

And yet, by the end of 1979, CSY was going into production with a walk-through version of the CSY 44, due to very strong customer demand. The tankage was reduced to 165 gallons, and the companionway steps did turn out to be 5 instead of 3.  For storage, there are a couple of very large storage boxes: a tall square one between the two aft deck hatches and a much larger one aft of the mainsheet traveler, on the aft deck, to provide the storage that Van Ost was concerned about.

The issue of access to the engine room was address with a true "engine room", with a standard size door access from the main salon, with full height inside the engine room, and a work bench and the vise ready for the meanest, dirtiest project, inside the boat, yet keeping the dirt and mess from the rest of the living area. This is a unique feature of the walk-thru's.

Indeed, the cockpit in the walk-through is smaller, but of an adequate size. The walk-over design has one of the most spacious and comfortable cockpits on a boat. That had to be sacrificed on the walk-thru, but what is left is still adequate for most types of cruising.