| Catboat Rendezvous, page 2 |
General Observations
There are a number of similarities among the boats that are worth mentioning. For example, all three are good-looking variations on the basic traditional Cape Cod catboat design, with single-stayed gaff rigs, short overhangs, strong sheers and generous cockpit coamings faired into low-profile cabin trunks. The cabin sides are punctuated by traditional bronze oval cabin portlights.
All three boats had big, roomy cockpits that could comfortably accommodate four average-sized people for a quiet daysail. The cockpit seats range from 6 feet 4 inches in the Sanderling to almost 8 feet in the Molly. None of the boats had seats wider than 18 inches, a bit narrow for sleeping comfort.
Catboats have a deep skeg aft, so they need a relatively steep ramp to launch and retrieve easily. Still, all our test boats are trailerable and ramp-launchable. Menger, for example, sells a stock Easy-I.oader roller-type trailer that happens to be a perfect match for the hull. Menger also offers a tabernacle for the 5-inch diameter, 23½-foot mast. The $590 option makes it possible for a single person to raise or lower the mast in a couple of minutes, without removing the sail or spars. Menger says they’re very popular, and he has yet to hear of a failed mast. The Molly, heaviest of the test boats at 3,000 pounds, came to the rendezvous all the way from California on a custom built four-wheel trailer towed by a van. The boat sits on bunks, and is floated rather than rolled off. Her mast, lighter (60 lbs.) and shorter (21 feet) than the other two boats, is simply hefted to a vertical position and manhandled into place.
The Sanderling is also trailer-launchable, but her 23-foot-4-inch mast has no tabernacle and would require special equipment and/or several strong men to step and unstep.
All the boats had space below for at least a couple of berths and a portable chemical toilet, and all can accommodate an inboard engine. A 4- or 6-horsepower outboard is adequate for most needs, but if you want sufficient power for any occasion, all three of the little cats are available with 9-horsepower Yanmar 1GM diesel installed under the cockpit sole. Considering the significant extra cost ($5,400 to $5,800), they’re surprisingly popular. About a third of Marshall’s and Menger’s boats have Yanmars installed, and practically every Molly Cat built so far sport an inboard mill.
None of the boats come with any through-hulls, unless the inboard engine is installed, so all have cockpit drainage via centerline scuppers into the centerboard trunk. That’s traditional catboat design, but it can be a problem when a catboat is heeled. Moreover, water could back up through the trunk and out the scupper if the boat’s moving fast enough, particularly if the cockpit sole is sunk close to the waterline. Then you have to plug the scuppers and bail with a bucket if necessary.
The Sanderling (outboard model only) comes standard with expanded polystyrene “peanuts” under the cockpit for flotation. Menger Enterprises will inject polyurethane foam into the forepeak, under the berths, under the cockpit, and around the cockpit lockers if the owner doesn’t mind losing some storage space. The Molly Cat has no flotation. Phil Fernandes explains that “there’s space for flotation, but since everything is completely enclosed, we felt it wasn’t needed. If you get knocked down, the water only comes up to about the inside cleat [on the bulkhead].
