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A catboat (alternate spelling: cat boat) is a sailboat with a single sail on a single
mast set well forward in the
bow of a very
beamy and (usually) shallow
draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
hull. Typically they are
gaff rig
Gaff rig is a sailing rig (configuration of sails, mast and stays) in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the ''gaff''. Because of the size and shap ...
ged, though
Bermuda rig is also used. Most are fitted with a
centreboard
A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...
, although some have a
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...
.
The hull can be 12 to 40 feet long with a beam half as wide as the hull length at the waterline.
The type is mainly found on that part of the Eastern seaboard of the USA from New Jersey to Massachusetts.
Advantages of this
sail plan include the economies derived from a rig with a limited number of component parts. It is quick to hoist sail and get underway. The cat rig sails well to windward, especially in calmer water. As a working boat, the forward mast placement gave ample room in the cockpit for fishing gear. Cruising versions can provide a large usable cabin space in a relatively short hull.
Disadvantages of the rig include the limited deck space around the mast, which can be problematical when raising or lowering sail, or when reefing; halyards are often led back to the cockpit, so partially mitigating this problem. It is usually wise to reef early in a rising wind to avoid an excess of weather helm. The weight of the mast in the bow has to be allowed for in the hull design – if this is got wrong the bow may be "buried" when sailing downwind. The narrow beam where the mast is stepped makes it difficult to gain any benefit from shrouds, so the mast has to be stronger, and so heavier. Despite the simplicity of the rig, a good level of skill is required to design a balanced catboat, since there are limited options to correct any slight errors.
Some catboat one-design classes in current use include the
Beetle Cat
The Beetle Cat is an American one-design sailing dinghy that was designed by John Beetle and first built in 1921. It is a smaller adaptation of traditional Cape Cod catboat designs originally intended for fishing in shallow waters.Sherwood, ...
, the Redden Catboat, the
Nonsuch, the
Inland Cat
Inland Cat is a class of one- or two-man sailboats, almost exclusively found on Lake George, Indiana/Michigan. The craft is approximately 14.5 feet in length, with a 4.5 foot beam. The sail is a Marconi rig (aka Bermuda rig), with the mast f ...
, the Zijlsloep, the Cape Cod Cat, Com-Pac Trailerable, Marshall, Menger, and the APBY cat boat.
From the 1850s to the early 1900s catboats were the dominant inshore boat on the New England coast, both for work and for pleasure.
They were used for fishing and coastal transportation. Their popularity declined in the commercial world where they were replaced by motorized boats. In boat racing the tendency was for larger sails, which favored other rigging styles.
A typical New England style has a very long
boom that extends over the
transom and may carry
foresails stayed from a bowsprit.
History
Around the turn of the 20th century, catboats were adapted for racing, and long booms and
gaffs, bowsprits and large jibs were fitted to capture as much wind as possible. The decline of racing and advent of small, efficient
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organi ...
engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.
Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...
s eliminated the need for large sail plans, and catboats today are used as pleasure craft for
day sailing and
cruising, and have the virtues of roominess, stability and simple handling.
It is generally accepted that the origin of the catboat type was in
New York around 1840 and from there spread east and south as the virtues of the type — simplicity, ease of handling, shallow draft, large capacity — were discovered. Historically, they were used for fishing and transport in the coastal waters around
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
,
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Sm ...
,
New York and
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. Some were fitted with
bowsprit
The bowsprit of a sailing vessel is a spar extending forward from the vessel's prow. The bowsprit is typically held down by a bobstay
A bobstay is a part of the rigging of a sailing boat or ship. Its purpose is to counteract the upward tensio ...
s for
swordfishing and others were used as 'party boats' with canvas-sided, wood-framed summer cabins that could be rolled up.
One of the most well-known catboats is the
Beetle Cat
The Beetle Cat is an American one-design sailing dinghy that was designed by John Beetle and first built in 1921. It is a smaller adaptation of traditional Cape Cod catboat designs originally intended for fishing in shallow waters.Sherwood, ...
daysailer. Fleets of these
one-design boats are found in harbors all across
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
, often competing in races. In the 1960s,
Breck Marshall Breck may refer to:
People
* Daniel Breck (1788–1871), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky
* Helena Breck, British actor
* James Lloyd Breck (1818–1876), priest, educator, and missionary of the Episcopal Church i ...
based his fiberglass ''Sanderling'' upon an existing, wooden design. The ''Sanderling'' has since become a very popular boat, with more than 700 built, and it has helped to rekindle interest in the catboat. To honor Marshall and his contribution to the type, the Catboat Association funded the construction of the ''
Breck Marshall Breck may refer to:
People
* Daniel Breck (1788–1871), member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky
* Helena Breck, British actor
* James Lloyd Breck (1818–1876), priest, educator, and missionary of the Episcopal Church i ...
'', a catboat built and berthed at
Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport Museum or Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic, Connecticut is the largest maritime museum in the United States. It is notable for its collection of sailing ships and boats and for the re-creation of the cra ...
.
Features
Designer Fenwick Williams summarized the original design philosophy as: “The ample beam made the use of stone ballast feasible … the high bow provided good support for the unstayed mast … the barn door rudder provided adequate strength … high
coaming
Coaming is any vertical surface on a ship designed to deflect or prevent entry of water. It usually consists of a raised section of deck plating around an opening, such as a cargo hatch. Coamings also provide a frame onto which to fit a hatch cov ...
s served to keep water out of the large open cockpit … side decks provided a handy ledge on which to set a lobster trap."
Modern catboat fans appreciate the catboat's traditional design and classic appearance and the features that make it a versatile recreational boat:
simplicity, large capacity, shallow draft, stability, and safety in a boat that is easy to sail.
Catboats in Europe
Great Britain and Ireland
In 1851, during the 'Great Exhibition' a Catboat called 'The Una' was put on display at The Serpentine, Hyde Park. She was seen by Dixon Kemp who was much impressed with her. After 'Una' sailed at Cowes, she impressed many of the sailors who built a fleet of them. After 1907 'Una' raced at the Upper Thames yacht Club.
[Yachting Monthly August 1910]
In Bray, Co. Wicklow, south of Dublin a fleet of one-design catboats, 12 feet in length and 6 foot beam were designed and built in 1897, and they continued to race for several years at home and at local east coast regattas.
Gallery
File:Le catboat traditionnel PAROLE (5).JPG, Cruising catboat showing classical rudder design and wire stays supporting the mast
File:Oyster Bay Catboats, by Archibald Cary Smith.jpg, Painting "Oyster Bay Catboats" (circa 1865) by Archibald Cary Smith
File:MysticSeaportCatboats.JPG, Catboats with Bermuda rig
See also
;Catboats
:Catboats
*
Beetle Cat
The Beetle Cat is an American one-design sailing dinghy that was designed by John Beetle and first built in 1921. It is a smaller adaptation of traditional Cape Cod catboat designs originally intended for fishing in shallow waters.Sherwood, ...
- small "daysailer" catboat
Redden CatboatTraditional wooden 14' daysailer, built in Nova Scotia.
*
Nonsuch - a series of to modern catboats
*
Inland Cat
Inland Cat is a class of one- or two-man sailboats, almost exclusively found on Lake George, Indiana/Michigan. The craft is approximately 14.5 feet in length, with a 4.5 foot beam. The sail is a Marconi rig (aka Bermuda rig), with the mast f ...
- 14.5 footer designed and built in Northern Indiana.
Zijlsloep- classic design Dutch modern 16 ft (5 m) catboat
*
Snark (sailboat)
Notes
Citations
*
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
World of Boats (EISCA) Collection ~ Cayman Islands Cat BoatThe Catboat Associationa non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history, and promoting the use, of catboats.
MengerCat.coma resource for information about Menger Catboats built between 1976 and 2005. Now owned and supported by Wagner Boat Works.
Selina IIthe largest surviving vintage catboat.
New England Beetle Cat Boat Associationa non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the maintenance, restoration, preservation and just plain sailing the Beetle Cat Boat.
"Catboat moments"an article about catboats in the August 2005 issue of Soundings Magazine.
Manufacturers
Mahone Bay Boatworksdesigner and builder of the Redden Catboat 14'. This wooden traditional 14' daysailer has mahogany decks, ash trim and spruce hull and spars.
builders of fine sailboats for over 100 years.
Com-Pac Yachts Cat Boatsbuilders of the trailerable catboats Picnic Cat, Sun Cat, and Horizon Cat.
Wagner Boat Worksa manufacturer of traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats from 15 to long.
Marshall Marine Corporationa manufacturer of traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats from 15 to long.
Thompson Boatworksa manufacturer of 15- and long traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats. Now owned and supported by Wagner Boat Works.
Arey's Pond Boat Yarda manufacturer of traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats from 12 to long.
Beetle, Inc.manufacturer of the Beetle catboat.
manufacturer of the Barnstable catboat, a fiberglass version of the traditional wooden Beetle catboat.
External links
"Nine Lives: The Story of the Catboat" (documentary film, 50 min.)Selina II, the largest vintage catboat
{{Sail Types
Sailing rigs and rigging
Sailboat types
Nautical terminology
Catboats