Louisiana catboat

[goodguysconsulting]

Am considering the purchase of a1957 cypress Louisiana catboat, 16 x 8. Anyone know anything of these boats? how do they compare to Cape Cod?

Thanks, Ken

Hey everybody, thanks for the info. I bought her, she was delivered to Hull this week & I hope to be sailing this weekend. Will spend the winter on repairs/refinishing & will post some pictures when I get 'em.

Thanks, Ken

[ 09-20-2002, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: goodguysconsulting ]

[Roger Stouff]

Man, I would LOVE to see a picture of that! I have never heard of such a thing. Do you think you could get us one to gander at?

I wish I could help with your question. Is it homemade or by a manufacturer?

In all my life, I never heard of catboats being built down here, so any more info you can provide would be GREATLY appreciated.

R

[Steve Paskey]

Small catboats were used as working boats on the Gulf coast a century ago. I don't think they differed much from a Cape Cod-style cat. In the early 1900s they were raced at a yacht club in Biloxi, but the "class" died out. Back in the 1950s some folks in Biloxi decided that they'd try to revive the breed, and several boats were built. Most likely the boat you're looking at was one of them.

[cmtacking]

I think Steve is right, the boat probably has roots in Biloxi. From what little I can gather, there were many catboats around that area at one time. I theorize they were imported by easterners who vacationed in this area around the turn of the century....but that's just a theory, I have found nothing written anywhere about how catboats came to this part of the country.
There is a fellow in Ocean Springs that has several of the old boats. He displayed them at the Biloxi Wooden Boat show a couple of years ago (that was the last time I made the show) Unfortunatly I didn't get to meet him or get his name. Most are about the size you are looking at, if I recall correctly. Cypress was a favored material in Gulf Coast boats because it was so plentiful back then. smile.gif cmtacking

[Steve Paskey]

Here's an excerpt from an on-line history of the Biloxi Yacht Club (established 1849). You'll find a link to the full history below.

"They were a free-spirited crew, devotees of the cat boat, a singled, mast, shallow draft craft with an unusually wide beam. In his 'Condensed History of the Biloxi Yacht Club,' Gerald J. Quave, a past BYC commodore, reports these boats were used primarily in shrimping until the growth of the seafood processing industry. Then, because of their limited size, roughly from 16 to 24 feet, they gave way to the Biloxi Schooner, a shallow draft, broad beam craft of from 0 to 60 feet in length. The 'Biloxi Cat' remained popular on the coast as a recreational sailboat, however, and in time with the 'Biloxi Schooner' became mainstay attractions of the many Biloxi Regattas."

http://biloxiyc.tripod.com/committees/history/history.html

[ 08-01-2002, 09:54 PM: Message edited by: Steve Paskey ]

[Ariel]

Bob Holland, boat builder in Biloxi's Back Bay used to have several old catboats built in that area. Might still...Ariel

[Ariel]

Oops! I think that should be Bill Holland instead of Bob...sorry--Ariel