[walloon]

I own a wooden Walloon ketch designed by Bill Garden. I am very pleased with the sailing characteristics of the boat. Light air performance on my boat is exceptional for a full keel boat of this weight. I takes her a while to get moving, but her momentum once she is moving keeps her going in variable airs. She will easily move at half the wind speed in winds up to 10 knots, and in rough water and light winds I can easily pass lighter displacement boats that supposedly perform better. And the boat has never let me down when the going gets rough.

The boat is steady and seakindly and a great course keeper. Nothing happens fast on this boat, which is an advantage in rough going or in sailing short handed. Tacking requires a full commitment, and she carries way for a considerable time.

Garden, in his own words, has been "blamed" for many of the Formosa and CT designs which were altered from his originals and do not perform well. Having experienced some of these boats, I had some strong reservations when I first became interested in my current boat. As I got to know her, I was amazed at how well she sailed, and she has continued to surpass my expectations. Under engine alone, the boat does not handle well and is slow.

While I have never sailed a Porpoise, I have always admired the design a great deal. If I wanted a somewhat larger boat than I have now, a Porpoise would definitely top my list