What is a catboat?
A. A catboat is a boat traditionally fitted with a gaff-rigged sail on a single mast set well up in the “eyes” of the boat. Cruising catboats have cabins and normally range in overall length from 16 – 26 feet. Others are fully or partially decked and suitable for day sailing or camp cruising. apby2.gif (25583 bytes) Three Areys Pond Cats Most cats have centerboards, although some keel cats exist. Many cats have outboard or “Barn Door” rudders but some cats are built with underslung rudders. beetle.gif (4295 bytes) A popular Beetle Cat and crew A few cats have Marconi sails, but most are gaff headed. Most cats are shallow draft, broad beam boats. The classic Cape Cod Cat’s beam measurement is half the waterline length which makes a very stable boat. but all cats have one basic characteristic; a single sail on a mast set well up in the bow of the boat. For a personal and different perspective on the history of the catboat, you may find the following text from a recent address given to th
