15' Marsh Cat Catboat

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Catboat owners tend to be a pretty devoted bunch and will seldom countenance any disparaging remarks on the type. There are some good reasons for their affection. Foot for foot, it would be hard to find a bigger boat than a catboat.

The great beam that provides all that room makes a catboat sail on her feet-having lunch while sail­ing is not such a scramble. For those who enjoy relaxed sailing rather than fiddling with lines, a catboat’s single, self-tending sail will be just the thing. And then there are submerged rocks and ledges to be avoided and, here too, the catboat excels, for with such shallow draft you can usu­ally see an underwater obstruction before there is any threat.

Joel White’s long experience with small catboats shows in the Marsh Cat’s lines. With slightly less beam and a bit more bow overhang than many of her type, she will display good manners to go along with her good looks. Her cold-molded construction results in a light, tight hull that is well suited to trailering.

White’s six sheets of plans leave little guesswork for the beginner, and they include many touches that would make an old salt nod with approval. Since there are no reverse curves in her hull sections, planking veneers should go on without a fuss. This will not be a quick boat to build, but she’ll be long lasting and relatively low in maintenance requirements.

The six-sheet set of plans for the Marsh Cat Catboat includes: lines, full-sized pat­terns (for molds, stem, and expanded transom-no loft­ing needed), construction, sail and spar plans, lumber and fastening list, full-sized hardware drawings, and even directions for making ballast bags. WB Plan No. 95, $90.00.

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Plan 95

DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Round-bottomed, centerboard boat
Rig: Gaff cat
Construction: Cold-molded

PERFORMANCE
* Suitable for: Protected waters
* Intended capacity: 1-5 daysailing
Trailerable: Yes
Propulsion: Sail, oars, outboard

BUILDING DATA
Skill needed: Intermediate
Lofting required: No
* Alternative construction: Carvel, lapstrake, strip

PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 6
Level of detail: Above average
Cost per set: $90.00
WB Plan No. 95

Completed 15′ Marsh Cat Images

Sailed level, the Marsh Cat has very little weather helm and can clip along at 5 to 6 knots.Phil Maynard

Sailed level, the Marsh Cat has very little weather helm and can clip along at 5 to 6 knots.

With a reef in her 152 sq ft sail for a fresh breeze, LITTLE T's 9" draft allowed her to take a break in some protected but thin water.Kevin MacDonald

With a reef in her 152 sq ft sail for a fresh breeze, LITTLE T’s 9″ draft allowed her to take a break in some protected but thin water.