what is this Cat

[captainsideburn]

hey all,
My first post but been lurking around for last couple of months.
I've had the opportunity to borrow this boat from http://www.missionafloat.com/ for the last month or so, but no one seems to know what the design is. I believe it was built in the early 60s but just a guess.
Any one know?
the symbol on the sail is an A with a shape looking like an upside down boomerang underneath

 

[Doug Lord]

Very interesting-appears to have planing hulls.

 

[Chris Ostlind]

Interesting, it appears to NOT have planing hulls.

This looks like a fun, fast and completely enjoyable open deck cat styled much like the boats from the time when the Polycon cats were sweeping through the boating world.

Does everything have to be seen through this filter of yours, Doug, in which a boat has to be either planing capable or up on foils?

 

[northerncat]

thats a bit harsh isnt it

 

[Landlubber]

A Class cat.

 

[captainsideburn]

Thanks Landlubber, but the A Class seems to have to horizontal stripes under the A.
also to confirm with Chris, although it does have a jib, it does not plane. As I understand it, planing is when the boats rides on top of the water, and catamarans, including this one even at high speed ride through.

 

[Gary Baigent]

Looks more like 20 feet to me and the beam is far greater than the A Class 7 foot 6 - reminds me of 1960's heavy 18 or 20 foot NZ design with Shearwater type bridge deck. Actually Chris, if this boat was not way over weight, those hulls probably could plane. Hey, you never miss a trick to lambaste Doug, do you? Some free advice: deep breath, maybe some naval contemplation, could reduce the instantaneous red flag to a bull reaction.

 

[captainsideburn]

gary, you're right, it is 20ft. It was built here in Tasmania, so could be an australian or NZ design

 

[Chris Ostlind]

Hey, you never miss a trick to lambaste Doug, do you? Some free advice:...

Rather unbecoming of you, Gary. You know, the business of personifying that which you criticize.

I do not believe that this cat will plane, even if it were made lighter. Besides that... What's the point? This looks like a pretty darn fun boat as it is. The rest of the supposition is moot, really. The gentleman who sails it says it doesn't plane.

What do you say we celebrate the design for being beautifully executed in the classic forms as seen in the Polycon cats. This boat represents the essence of Choy, Seaman, Kumalae, Bartolone and Brown.

 

[Doug Lord]

This boat represents the essence of Choy, Seaman, Kumalae, Bartolone and Brown.

=======
You must be kidding.....

 

[Chris Ostlind]

You must be kidding.....

Ahh, yes, the experienced voice of the wizened one.

So, here's your challenge Doug. Prove that the cat shown is not in the fashion of the early cats of the sixties by the great ones so named above.

The lights are on, the mic is hot and the whole bunch of us are watching.

 

[yachtyakka]

the lights may be on, but there is nobody home, maybe the mermaids got him?

 

[Gary Baigent]

Sure, yeah, right ..... no! - those hulls are really asymmetric CSK, dream on Chris. However I agree the attractive looking classical cat design should be left alone. .... but if it were a lighter boat those very wide hulls and wide after sections .... if any cat was going to plane it would be this one. The rig is amply large enough to make it perform well too, by the way.

 

[Landlubber]

Hey, what about Lindsay Cunningham, he had some boats like these, who did the Arror and Arafura, wasn't it Lindsay

 

[Gary Baigent]

The Arrow was a 14 foot design with bridge deck but completely different hull shapes to this cat. The Cunninghams, I believe, preferred double ended canoe hulls and all their cats were to this shape - although they made a cruising cat which was somewhat different. The Yvonne was 20 feet but again completely different to this boat; the sheerline was a soft, reversed S from bow to stern - and I don't know about the Arafura - there has to be some Aussies out there who are more o fay than this kiwi with their designs.