William Garden Family Cat

[Douglas Young]

I h have been looking around the web for information on William Gardens Family Cat. I found a few 2004 posts about the hull and how it had also been used with a motor launch. Looked sweet. I am still looking for more information and photos. I have just purchased a Family Cat called Lotus she has beautiful lines and we plan to clean her up and do a restoration. One major alteration. I would like to have a tabernacle fitting put on the mast. Any information of help appreciated. Lotus is 23' with a beam of 10' and draws 2'10'

 

[messabout]

No comments so far. I'll start.

The Lotus is gorgeous. Some of us are respectful of cat boats, some are not. In any case this looks like a nice one. That big old prop hanging out there to port does not thrill me but the rest of it looks like an honest cat boat should,

 

[Ike]

I grew up in Seattle and anybody who was around boats a lot knew how William Garden was. His designs are beautiful. There are books available that catalog his work. Here is one website, http://www.bluebookofboats.com/Yachtdesigners/WilliamGarden.htm
Another http://sailboatdata.com/view_designer.asp?DESIGNER_ID=14
And Another http://blog.tadroberts.ca/2011/07/william-garden/

Just do a search on william garden yachts

 

[Tad]

The design was originally done in traditional plank-on-frame wood and was named the James W. (for Whitney) Hart, for a old friend of Garden's. I think Philbrook's made the fiberglass mold and built a number of hulls out here before the molds went east to Ontario, Bluejacket Yachts I think they were called. Where the motorsailer version was produced.

The design itself is pretty standard catboat except for the old-time extended counter stern with tucked under rudder. With the original cat rig a tabernacle will be awkward to get stiff enough, as there's not much boat up there. The boom will either be raised a lot or get it's own mount.

I recall a snug December evening about 30 years ago spent aboard one of these (the Philbrook's version). A young couple with a baby were living aboard. They had a double berth to port of the centerboard case and the galley extended around the bow, with a central stool for the cook. The little woodstove was centered just aft of the mast. There was plenty of space for four adults and a baby, quite a feat for a 23' boat with a huge cockpit.

The original drawings......

 

[Douglas Young]

Thank you so much for the information you have posted. I had no idea how to get the DWG information from the archives in Mystic Seaport. Exactly what I needed and more. The first DWG has the sail dimentions on it . I am in the process of ordering a new sail. Quite an investment. It will be in Egyptian Cotton color but Bainbridge (up to date Fabric). The boat has a recently aquired one cylender Yanmar and has the original wood stove. We will be keeping her original.

 

[messabout]

Many an old sea dog would not trade his wood stove for any of the new fangled cooking equipment.

My grandmother, who was not an old sea dog, would not think of any other cooking and heating appliance either. She was among the words best cooks and swore that her wood stove was the secret.

 

[Shipway]

I have one of these fine catboats, and would worry if a tabernacle mast would be strong enough for the oversize rig. My mast (friends joke "It's a tree!") is solid clear Doug Fir, 7.5"D at the deck, and there are times with that 425' gaff sail I've seen the mast bend. But what fun! I'm currently about 500lb over design weight aft, but I'm often grateful for that extra ballast.

The hulls that Bill Boyd built are very strong. Garden designed the centerboard case off-center to avoid picking up rocks in the slot or weakening the keel, but in these hulls the big board is on center. The prop to port does cause some drag, so I went with a Campbell 12x8 Sailer. The old Penta MD1 still pushes her along at 4.5 knots.

Here's a picture running downwind in a local regatta with a small jib tacked to the stemhead. Even with 4 big passengers we were leaving bigger boats with spinnakers in our wake.

 

[Douglas Young]

Thanks for the post: I was able to enjoy and pic a few ideas from the photo. I have been working on my sail and how to reef it this fall. My boat had no sail bent on so attaching it and setting up lines has been a mistery. I am presently in the water and working out a few issues. My gaff jaw was deteriorated and the leather was replaced the the soft anti chaff stuff. Nice but the gaff jaw does not slide well against the mast. Im thinking harder leather is needed. I had also used perrel beads on the mast for the sail. Thinking about going to the lashing instal method. I will also try a new way of attaching the sail to the gaff and boom.

 

[Shipway]

Tad's remark about the galley up forward makes me wonder if it was my boat he was on board back then, since I haven't come across any other sister ships yet with this same interior layout. It works quite well by keeping galley clutter away from the companionway, where a settee is more useful, and sleeping amidships is a nicer motion than being up fwd. Here's a photo of the galley after I rebuilt it a bit, in it's usual chaotic state while I'm cruising. Whenever the weather's good I cook in the cockpit anyway.

 

[alan white]

Looks inviting and if you can stand up, practical, but that would require what size boat?

 

[Shipway]

stand up

The only catboats with full headroom are either over 28feet or have a deeper hull with fixed keel, either way a lot more tonnage and expensive upkeep. Hatchways and opening skylights strategically placed on smaller catboats help the spine a lot though, so does being a bit shorter than average, but I guess I blew that.

 

[Tad]

For standing headroom you don't need a bigger boat, just a taller one.....

The full headroom version of the Family Cat/Lotus is the Bluejacket 23 MS

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/28210

 

[gilberj]

Tad's remark about the galley up forward makes me wonder if it was my boat he was on board back then, since I haven't come across any other sister ships yet with this same interior layout. It works quite well by keeping galley clutter away from the companionway, where a settee is more useful, and sleeping amidships is a nicer motion than being up fwd. Here's a photo of the galley after I rebuilt it a bit, in it's usual chaotic state while I'm cruising. Whenever the weather's good I cook in the cockpit anyway.

Just wondering if you are Sandy, with the burgundy cat? If so we used to hang out some down in Canoe Cove. Good to hear from you....John

 

[Shipway]

"Sandy's boat"

Yes it was once Sandy's catboat Kyra, which he traded to a friend at the north end of the Salish Sea, and then I inherited it and did a major cockpit and engine rebuild. The rig and sail is still the original, but I didn't like the burgundy much. Yesterday I careened her on the beach to clean and bottom paint the port side. Luckily no rocks in the slot.

 

[gilberj]

Congratulations... really nice boat. Sandy and Leslie were good friends a long time ago. Yesterday's tide was a good tide for that. I am planning to dry out this weekend as well.