Description

A catboat (alternate spelling: cat boat), or a cat-rigged sailboat, is a sailing vessel characterized by a single mast carried well forward (i.e., near the front of the boat). This mast position, along with the characteristic wide beam (width) of typical catboats, provides a roomier cabin or cargo hold compared to other sailboat designs of the same length. A catboat normally carries a single sail, traditionally gaff-rigged, although modern catboats often carry a gunter rigged sail. Sometimes a jib is added; this usually requires a bowsprit, and technically creates a sloop sail-plan.

Historically, catboats have been used for fishing and transport in the coastal waters of New England and New York. Around the turn of the 19th century they were adapted for racing. Today they are used for day sailing and cruising, and have the virtues of roominess, stability and simple handling, though many catboats have poorer upwind performance than well-designed sloop-rigged craft.

The terms catboat and cat-rigged are often confused with catamaran. Catamaran describes the hull structure of a boat (specifically, it refers to two hulls side-by-side) whereas cat-rigged and catboat describe the sail plan. To add to the confusion, some small sporting catamarans are cat-rigged and both terms are abbreviated cat when no ambiguity is foreseen.

External links

• The Catboat Association website.
• The International Nonsuch Association web site. The Nonsuch is a series of cat-rigged cruising boats.

Other Types of Sailing Vessel