Sylvester and Catspaw

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These are two little cats that I built in the early 80's. Catspaw was my own boat for several years and Sylvester was built for a client. Her second owner was Will Millar, lead singer of the Irish Rovers, who wrote about her in his book "Messing About in Boats" and which I last saw at the heritage docks of the Vancouver Maritime Museum about six or seven years ago.

These little vessels are 19'6" long and are flat bottomed "dory" type hulls, the smallest editions of designer Jay Benford's Sailing Dory series. They can be quite cheap and easy to build or as can be seen in Sylvester they can be dolled up a fair bit.

One photo shows the "catboat kit" as I call it, the assembled materials for Catspaw two months before her launch. The rest are "after" shots.

I should say for the uninitiated that all this feline nomenclature relates to the vessel type "catboat" which is a sailing vessel with one mast all the way up in the bow and only one big sail. (Not to be confused with "catamaran" which has two hulls)

I am posting this as an intro to the next "Shipyard Memories" which will illustrate this conventional plywood style of construction.

Thanks for looking.

Comments, critiques… All welcome.

2022 Edit: These two were built I the early 1980’s. I sailed Catspaw for several years and now in my old age I have a bigger somewhat more comfortable catboat. The last picture is Sandpiper, my current boat. She’s a 1984 Nonsuch 30U.
Paul

The early bird gets the worm but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.

Those are sweet. I like the style of the Gaft Rig. I got to say it, you are pushing the buttons by showing these. That dream is coming back around.

Main Street to the Mountains

Pretty amazing boat builds.


Petey

So is the jibless (is that a word?) design used because it is easier to sail single-handedly?  

--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.

real nice boats paul. 

working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.

Thanks all.


Lazyman

So is the jibless (is that a word?) design used because it is easier to sail single-handedly?  

The general design comes from working boats in the Cape Cod area. The simple rig and ease of handling along with clear decks and roomy hulls made them well suited to inshore fisheries.
The main reasons I have a Nonsuch are about the same. It’s a big comfortable boat that is easy to sail by myself.

The early bird gets the worm but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.