A boat or yacht that is Cat-rigged has a single mast, stepped well forward, carrying a single fore and aft sail, behind the mast. A boat that is cat-rigged can also be described as having a Una rig. Laser dinghies are cat-rigged, as are Finn dinghies, Optimists, many Freedom Yachts and many traditional fishing vessels. Also cat-rigged are

catboat 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 hull. Typically they are gaff rigged, though Bermuda rig is also used. Most are ...

s,Encyclopædia Britannica, 1959, Volume 5, p. 24 a traditional style of wide-beamed, shallow-draft boat, typically gaff-rigged with a centreboard. Formerly common on the East Coast of the United States they are more commonly seen as dinghy-sized open daysailers and class racers. The terms cat-rigged, and catboat, should not be confused with catamarans. Catamarans are not related to the term cat-rigged, though catamarans can be cat-rigged, if they have a single sail and no jib. The term 'cat' may come from the 'cat head', a protruding cross beam, not far behind the bow, or head, of a sailing ship, to which the anchor was attached when the vessel was preparing for sea. The mast of a cat-rigged boat is stepped near the point where the 'cat head' would be.

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