 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | John Beetle |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1921 |
| No. built | more than 4,000 |
| Builder(s) | Beetle, Inc. |
| Role | Sailing dinghy |
| Name | Beetle Cat |
| Boat | |
| Crew | two |
| Displacement | 450 lb (204 kg) |
| Draft | 2.00 ft (0.61 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 12.33 ft (3.76 m) |
| LWL | 11.67 ft (3.56 m) |
| Beam | 6.08 ft (1.85 m) |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | centerboard |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mountedrudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Cat rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Catboat |
| Mainsail area | 140.00 sq ft (13.006 m2) |
| Total sail area | 140.00 sq ft (13.006 m2) |
| Racing | |
| D-PN | 103.8 |
TheBeetle Cat is an Americanone-designsailing dinghy that was designed byJohn Beetle and first built in 1921. It is a smaller adaptation of traditionalCape Cod 20 to 30 ft (6 to 9 m)catboat designs originally intended for fishing in shallow waters.[1][2][3]
The basic design has been widely copied and built under many names in the US and other countries.[1]
The design was initially built by the designer's company, theBeetle Boat Co inNew Bedford, Massachusetts,United States.[1][2][4] Following the end of theSecond World War, the owner of the company at that time wasCarl N. Beetle, the son of designer John Beetle.[4][5] Wanting to concentrate on newer materials for boat manufacturing, he sold the Beetle Cat design rights to theConcordia Company, a company that builds a series of traditionalyawls.[5][6] The design was later passed toHoward Boats ofBarnstable, Massachusetts,[7] who still provide parts and repairs for the boat, although they no longer produce new boats.[8] The design was also built inMarans, Charente-Maritime,France byConstruction Navale Franck Roy.[9] The current manufacturer isBeetle, Inc. ofWareham, Massachusetts, which operates under thetrade name of theBeetle Boat Shop.[1][10][11]
More than 4,000 examples of the design have been built.[3]
The Beetle Cat is a recreationalsailboat, built predominantly withoak andcedar wooden construction, although some have been built fromfiberglass, with wood trim. The deck iscanvas-covered. It has agaff-riggedcatboat sailplan with wooden spars offir, a spoonedplumb stem, a near-verticaltransom, a shallow depth, transom-hungrudder controlled by atiller and a retractablecenterboarddaggerboard. It displaces 450 lb (204 kg), has a wide beam for load carrying capacity.[1][2][3]
The boat has adraft of 2.00 ft (0.61 m) with the centreboard/daggerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowing operation in very shallow waters,beaching or ground transportation on atrailer.[1]
The design has no seats. In light winds it is sailed sitting on the cockpit sole and in higher winds on thegunwale. Themainsail is sheeted to a rod-typemainsheet traveler on the transom.[2]
The design has aPortsmouth Yardstick racing average handicap of 103.8. For racing it is normally sailed with a crew of two.[2]
Notable owners of Beetle Cats includeJohn Kerry,Jacqueline Onassis, who had one shipped to Greece in 1969 forJohn F. Kennedy Jr. andCaroline Kennedy to learn to sail in,Steven Spielberg andCalvin Klein.[12]
In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "Look for the Beetle Cat on the south and east of Cape Cod, in Buzzards Bay, and in Narragansett Bay. There are also fleets on Long Island. Competition, especially for juniors, is stiff. The Beetle is an excellent, stable training boat."[2]
Reviewing the design in 2007,naval architectRobert Perry, wrote "Beetle Cats are true to the traditional Cape Cod catboat model. They are fat and heavy. They have no overhangs. The strange-looking rudder is designed to give you control in a very shoal-draft boat. Unfortunately, this puts the center of pressure on the rudder blade way aft which exaggerates any helm pressure. The stern is broad. The mast is in the eye of the bow." He summarized it as a "sturdy, traditional catboat with a lively personality."[13]
