10m Plywood Cruising Sailing Cat

Performance cruising and comfort on a moderate budget

The 10m plywood sailing cat design came about from the requirement for a cruising sailing cat that would be relatively easy and inexpensive to build. The drawings are very well detailed and should not be too much of a challenge for the amateur with a minimal knowledge of wood work, using basic hand tools, and the use of epoxy resins and light glass cloths.

Aesthetic requirements couple with a good bridge deck clearance dictate a headroom in the saloon of only 1.56m (5’ 2”) but more than ample when standing down in the hulls in the galley, heads, and forward cabins.

Construction is almost totally out of sheet ply materials with foam cored panels for the cabin top, bridge deck. and 2 primary bulkheads, there is a minimal amount of ‘solid wood’ required in areas such as the stems and connecting some panels where access is prohibited for coving and taping.

A ‘beaching’ skeg is detailed that will allow the cat to take the ground without damaging the bottom and simplifies the steering with fixed, under hull rudders (and for prop protection should a small sail drive unit be fitted instead of  an outboard).

As is normal for all cats that are expected to sail well to windward centerboards are fitted but are not intrusive to the layout nor difficult to build and fit.

The rig and sail plan is nice and simple and the deck layout has all the sailing controls lead aft to the cockpit for ease of handling and safety. The sail area should give sparkling performance with out being to much to handle for the less adventurous sailor.

For those requiring standing headroom in the saloon there is an option for this that allows up right access in to the saloon and down into the hulls.