Why do they call "cat boats" cat boats?

http://www.jsjohnston.org/~win_or_lose.html

Joe

"Joe" wrote ...
Why do they call "cat boats" cat boats?


It stands for *can't always tack*. You have to jibe them most of the time. The sail's too big
and it's too far up in the bow. They get in irons worse than anything......

Cheers,
Ellen

Ellen MacArthur wrote:
"Joe" wrote ...
Why do they call "cat boats" cat boats?


It stands for *can't always tack*. You have to jibe them most of the time. The sail's too big
and it's too far up in the bow. They get in irons worse than anything......

Having sailed catboats most of my life, I can say you are absolutely
wrong. In fact, you haven't been right on much lately, this could be
more proof that you are really Neal.

"Jeff" wrote
Having sailed catboats most of my life, I can say you are absolutely wrong. In fact, you haven't been right on much
lately, this could be more proof that you are really Neal.

I don't know about that but it IS proof that you should start acting like a gentleman.....
I've sailed on catboats, too. Atlantic City Cat 24. They're ok when it's light wind conditions.
But, when the wind gets heavy they don't do anything but head up and get in irons. The rudder
is practically on top of the water and when they heel it comes out and you round up. Once you
round up and get in irons you've blown your tack. People with cat boats *wear ship* in heavy
winds. It's more reliable.

Cheers,
Ellen

Ellen MacArthur wrote:
"Jeff" wrote
Having sailed catboats most of my life, I can say you are absolutely wrong. In fact, you haven't been right on much
lately, this could be more proof that you are really Neal.

I don't know about that but it IS proof that you should start acting like a gentleman.....
How so?

I've sailed on catboats, too. Atlantic City Cat 24. They're ok when it's light wind conditions.
But, when the wind gets heavy they don't do anything but head up and get in irons.

Sound like you don't know how to sail it.

The rudder
is practically on top of the water and when they heel it comes out and you round up. Once you
round up and get in irons you've blown your tack.

Yes, that is the sign of a novice, all right.

People with cat boats *wear ship* in heavy
winds. It's more reliable.

Are you seriously saying that people that only have one large sail,
often with a large heavy boom, find it easier to gybe in heavy air
than to tack? I am at a loss for words!

"Jeff" wrote
Are you seriously saying that people that only have one large sail, often with a large heavy boom, find it easier to
gybe in heavy air than to tack? I am at a loss for words!

The boom is very long and heavy and there's another one on top of the sail. But, if you ever
sailed one in heavy winds you'd know that jibing them is easy. It's easy because the boom on top
called the gaff boom blows the top part of the sail well forward. The main boom is held back by the
sheets. So when you wear ship you slowly tighten up on the sheet till it's almost centered but the gaff
boom keeps the top of the sail downwind. When you go through the eye, no that's not right, what's the
opposite of the eye? The tail of the wind? No that's not right either. Whatever, when you start to go
around on the other tack the gaff boom just swings across to the other side real easy like. Then you
can ease the mainsheet.
If your gonna get a cat boat you'd better learn how to do this....

Cheers,
Ellen

Jeff,

That is the answer of a "LIAR!" Pure and Simple.

A Cape Cod Cat has a Big Barn door rudder BUT If Nellen got the Rudder
of an Atlantic City Cat out of the water; That Cat was CAPSIZED!!!

The Atlantic Cat has an Internal Rudder out the bottom of the boat! So
does the "Freedom" As does most Catboats of modern design.

There was a very simple reason for the Darn Door Rudder, If Nellen had
any "Salt" at all, the reason should be obvious.

"Jeff" wrote in message

Ellen MacArthur wrote:
"Joe" wrote ...
Why do they call "cat boats" cat boats?


It stands for *can't always tack*. You have to jibe them most of
the time. The sail's too big and it's too far up in the bow. They
get in irons worse than anything......

Having sailed catboats most of my life, I can say you are absolutely
wrong. In fact, you haven't been right on much lately, this could be
more proof that you are really Neal.

I'm here. Please don't cornfuse this obvious imposter with me.

Respectfully,
Capt. Neal

Neal,

A little bit of Cat Boat history. They were designed as shallow draft
vessels. As working boats for Lobstermen, Oystermen, Clammers, or for
any independent Watermen. They were shallow draft, beamy boats so that
they could work shallow sand bars and when they had something to sell,
they could sail them right up on the beach and peddle their product
right from their Boat. That was why the Big Barn door Rudders and Center
Board Keels and sand bags. When you had a hull load of clams you could
bump the sand overboard and stack the cargo on the windward (High) side
and sail pretty flat, When there was no cargo you could fill the bags
with sand (Cheap) and sail flat.

About being "In Irons" they were good at that. As a work boat you could
sail up to a Lobster Buoy, grab the pot line and the well behaved "Cat
Boat' would go nose up to the Wind and just wait for you. When you were
ready to go you just had to hold the Boom over into the wind and she'd
drop off into and easy reach to the next Pot.

Joe! I asked my Skipper ONCE how come they were called "Cat Boats" and
he replied;" How the hell do I know. probably because the rigging on the
Gaff looked like a " Cat-O-Nine tail, don't ask me dumb questions!" I
never asked again but to this day I don't know why the name.

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
Neal,

A little bit of Cat Boat history. They were designed as shallow draft
vessels. As working boats for Lobstermen, Oystermen, Clammers, or for
any independent Watermen. They were shallow draft, beamy boats so that
they could work shallow sand bars and when they had something to sell,
they could sail them right up on the beach and peddle their product
right from their Boat. That was why the Big Barn door Rudders and Center
Board Keels and sand bags. When you had a hull load of clams you could
bump the sand overboard and stack the cargo on the windward (High) side
and sail pretty flat, When there was no cargo you could fill the bags
with sand (Cheap) and sail flat.

About being "In Irons" they were good at that. As a work boat you could
sail up to a Lobster Buoy, grab the pot line and the well behaved "Cat
Boat' would go nose up to the Wind and just wait for you. When you were
ready to go you just had to hold the Boom over into the wind and she'd
drop off into and easy reach to the next Pot.

Joe! I asked my Skipper ONCE how come they were called "Cat Boats" and
he replied;" How the hell do I know. probably because the rigging on the
Gaff looked like a " Cat-O-Nine tail, don't ask me dumb questions!" I
never asked again but to this day I don't know why the name.



It's not Nelly.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com