Catboat

2025-10-02T01:39:14Z

2001:558:600A:78:70E2:8CE2:F341:BEBB: This page should have a link to "cat rigged" page

{{Short description|Type of sailboat}}
[[File:Winslow Homer - Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|[[Winslow Homer]]'s 1870s painting ''[[Breezing Up (A Fair Wind)]]'']]
A '''catboat''' (alternate spelling: cat boat) is a sailboat with a single sail on a single [[mast (sailing)|mast]] set well forward in the [[Bow (watercraft)|bow]] of a very [[Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)#beam|beamy]] and (usually) shallow [[Draft (hull)|draft]] hull. Typically they are [[gaff rig]]ged, though [[Bermuda rig]] is also used. Most are fitted with a [[centreboard]], although some have a [[keel]].<ref name=Assoc>{{cite web|url=https://www.catboats.org/page/About|title=About Catboats: What is a Catboat?|website=Catboat Association, Inc.|access-date=2019-05-15}}</ref> The hull can be {{convert|12|to|40|ft|m|order=flip}} long with a beam half as wide as the hull length at the waterline.<ref name="cca">{{cite web |title=The Catboat |url=http://www.chesapeakecatboats.org/the-catboat.html |website=Chesapeake Catboat Association |access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref> The type is mainly found on that part of the Eastern seaboard of the USA from New Jersey to Massachusetts.<ref name="Bennett 2005">{{cite book |last1=Bennett |first1=Jenny |title=Sailing Rigs, an Illustrated Guide |date=2005 |publisher=Chatham Publishing |location=London |isbn=1-86176-243-7}}</ref>{{rp|92}}

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 rigged|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.{{r|Leather 1970|p=92-93}}<ref name="Chapelle 1991">{{cite book |author1=Howard Chapelle |author1-link=Howard I. Chapelle |editor1-last=Leavens |editor1-first=John M. |title=The Catboat book |date=1991 |publisher=Catboat Association with International Marine |location=Middleboro, MA |isbn=0-87742-314-8}}</ref>{{rp|7}}

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.<ref name="Leather 1970">{{cite book |last1=Leather |first1=John |title=Gaff Rig |date=1970 |publisher=Adlard Coles Limited |location=London |isbn=0-229-97489-9}}</ref>{{rp|92–93}}

Some catboat one-design classes in current use include the [[Beetle Cat]], the Redden Catboat,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Redden Catboat|url=http://www.mahonebayboatworks.com/|access-date=25 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002514/http://www.mahonebayboatworks.com/|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> the [[Nonsuch (sailboat)|Nonsuch]], the [[Inland Cat]], the Zijlsloep,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Zijlsloep|url=http://www.zijlsloep.nl/en/the-zijlsloep|access-date=25 November 2016}}</ref> the Cape Cod Cat,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Cape Cod Cat|url=http://www.capecodshipbuilding.com/site/fleet.php?boat=capecodcat|access-date=25 November 2016}}</ref> Com-Pac Trailerable,<ref>{{cite web|title=Com-Pac Trailerable Cat Boats|url=http://www.com-pacyachts.com/trailerable-catboats/|website=Com-Pac Yachts|access-date=25 November 2016}}</ref> Marshall,<ref>{{cite web|title=Marshal Cat Boats|url=http://www.marshallcat.com/|access-date=25 November 2016}}</ref> Menger,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thompsonboatworks.com/index.html|title=Thompson Boatworks|access-date=25 November 2016}}</ref> and the APBY cat boat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://areyspondboatyard.com/|title=Arey's Pond Boat Yard|access-date=25 November 2016}}</ref>

From the 1850s to the early 1900s catboats were the dominant inshore boat on the New England coast, both for work and for pleasure.<ref name="cca"/> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the american catboat |url=https://www.catboot-seezunge.de/english/more-about-catboats/history-of-the-american-catboat/ |website=Catboot Seezunge. |access-date=15 May 2019}}</ref>

A typical New England style has a very long [[Boom (sailing)|boom]] that extends over the [[Transom (nautical)|transom]] and may carry [[foresail]]s stayed from a bowsprit.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.seatalk.info/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060217085422/http://www.seatalk.info/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 17, 2006 |first1=Mike |last1=MacKenzie |title=Home page |journal=Sea Talk Nautical Dictionary: The Dictionary of English Nautical Language |date=2005–2012 |accessdate=January 15, 2014}}</ref>

==History==
Around the turn of the 20th century, catboats were adapted for racing, and long booms and [[gaff rig|gaffs]], bowsprits and large jibs were fitted to capture as much wind as possible. The decline of racing and advent of small, efficient [[gasoline]] [[engine]]s eliminated the need for large sail plans, and catboats today are used as pleasure craft for [[Day sailer|day sailing]] and [[cruising (maritime)|cruising]], and have the virtues of roominess, stability and simple handling.

It is generally accepted{{according to whom|date=November 2016}} that the origin of the catboat type was in [[New York (state)|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]], [[Narragansett Bay]], [[New York (state)|New York]] and [[New Jersey]]. Some were fitted with [[bowsprit]]s for [[swordfish]]ing and others were used as 'party boats' with canvas-sided, wood-framed summer cabins that could be rolled up.

[[Image:BreckMarshall.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The ''[[Breck Marshall]]'', a {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=on}} Crosby catboat design open for public use at [[Mystic Seaport]]]]

One of the most well-known catboats is the {{convert|12|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Beetle Cat]] daysailer. Fleets of these [[one-design]] boats are found in harbors all across [[New England]], often competing in races. In the 1960s, [[Breck Marshall]] based his {{convert|18|ft|m|adj=on}} 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]]'', a {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=on}} catboat built and berthed at [[Mystic Seaport]].

==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]]s served to keep water out of the large open cockpit … side decks provided a handy ledge on which to set a lobster trap."<ref name="soundingsonline1">{{cite web |url=http://www.soundingsonline.com/component/content/article/112-archives/203752 |title=Catboat moments |publisher=Soundings Online |date=2005-08-30 |accessdate=2022-04-13}}</ref>

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.<ref name="soundingsonline1"/>

==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]] lake in [[Hyde Park, London]]. She was seen by [[Dixon Kemp]] who was much impressed with her. After 'Una' sailed at [[Cowes]] on the [[Isle of Wight]], she impressed many of the sailors who built a fleet of them. After 1907 'Una' raced at the Upper Thames yacht Club.<ref name="Yachting Monthly August 1910">Yachting Monthly August 1910</ref>

In [[Bray, County Wicklow]] in Ireland a fleet of one-design catboats, {{convert|12|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} in length and {{convert|6|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on}} beam were designed and built in 1897, and they continued to race for several years at home and at local east coast regattas.<ref name="Yachting Monthly August 1910"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="220" heights="160">
File:Le catboat traditionnel PAROLE (5).JPG|Cruising catboat showing classical rudder design and [[Stays (nautical)|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]]
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Beetle Cat]], a small "daysailer" catboat
* [[Nonsuch (sailboat)|Nonsuch]], a series of {{convert|18-36|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} modern catboats
* [[Inland Cat]], {{cvt|14+1/2|ft|m|order=flip}}, designed and built in Northern Indiana.
* [[Snark sailboat]], a lightweight, two-person catboat

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

* {{cite book | last=Grayson | first=Stan | title=Cape Cod Catboats | location=Marblehead, MA | publisher=Devereux Books | year=2002 | isbn=1-928862-05-5 }}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|first1=John M. |first2=Howard I. |last2=Chapelle |location=Middleboro, MA |last1=Leavens |date=September 1991 |title=The Catboat Book |page=160 |publisher=Catboat Association with Intl Marine Publishing Co |isbn=0877423148 |type=paperback}} {{ISBN|978-0877423140}}
* {{cite book | last=Grayson | first=Stan | title=Cape Cod Catboats | location=Marblehead, MA | publisher=Devereux Books | year=2002 | isbn=1-928862-05-5 }}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons}}
* {{cite web |url=http://red-tshirt-blog.blogspot.com/2009/08/madigan-gil-smith-catboat.html |title=''The Madigan'', Gill Smith Long Island Cat Boat |date=31 August 2009 |accessdate=8 March 2014}}
* [http://www.worldofboats.org/boats/view/75/20 World of Boats (EISCA) Collection ~ Cayman Islands Cat Boat]
* [http://www.catboats.org The Catboat Association] a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history, and promoting the use, of catboats.
* [http://www.mengercat.com/ MengerCat.com] a resource for information about Menger Catboats built between 1976 and 2005. Now owned and supported by Wagner Boat Works.
* [http://www.sailselina.com/ Selina II] the largest surviving vintage catboat.
* [http://www.beetlecat.org/ New England Beetle Cat Boat Association] a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the maintenance, restoration, preservation and just plain sailing the Beetle Cat Boat.
* [http://www.soundingsonline.com/component/content/article/112-archives/203752 "Catboat moments"] an article about catboats in the August 2005 issue of Soundings Magazine.

===Manufacturers===
* [http://www.mahonebayboatworks.com/ Mahone Bay Boatworks] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002514/http://www.mahonebayboatworks.com/ |date=2016-03-04 }} designer and builder of the Redden Catboat 14'. This wooden traditional 14' daysailer has mahogany decks, ash trim and spruce hull and spars.
* [http://www.capecodshipbuilding.com/site/capecodcat.htm Cape Cod Shipbuilding] builders of fine sailboats for over 100 years.
* [http://www.com-pacyachts.com/trailerable-catboats/ Com-Pac Yachts Cat Boats] builders of the trailerable catboats Picnic Cat, Sun Cat, and Horizon Cat.
* [http://www.wagnerboatworks.com Wagner Boat Works] a manufacturer of traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats from 15 to {{convert|23|ft|m}} long.
* [http://www.marshallcat.com Marshall Marine Corporation] a manufacturer of traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats from 15 to {{convert|22|ft|m}} long.
* [http://www.thompsonboatworks.com/ Thompson Boatworks] a manufacturer of 15- and {{convert|19|ft|m|adj=on}} long traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats. Now owned and supported by Wagner Boat Works.
* [http://www.areyspondboatyard.com/ Arey's Pond Boat Yard] a manufacturer of traditionally-styled fiberglass catboats from 12 to {{convert|20|ft|m}} long.
* [http://www.beetlecat.com/ Beetle, Inc.] manufacturer of the Beetle catboat.
* [http://www.howard-boats.com/index.htm Howard Boats] manufacturer of the Barnstable catboat, a fiberglass version of the traditional wooden Beetle catboat.

==External links==
* [https://vimeo.com/359446397 "Nine Lives: The Story of the Catboat" (documentary film, 50 min.)]
* [https://sailselina.com/about-selina-boat/ Selina II, the largest vintage catboat]

{{Sailing Vessels and Rigs}}
{{Sail Types}}

[[Category:Sailing rigs and rigging]]
[[Category:Sailboat types]]
[[Category:Nautical terminology]]
[[Category:Catboats]]

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