How to Buy a Catboat

A catboat can bring many days of fun on the water. Not built for long-distance sailing, catboats have a single sail, a rudder that rises through the floor of the boat and usually no cabin. Catboat owners love to sail together and race or gather for day sails. Associations for catboat owners are great places to find people with similar interests.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Spend a day on a catboat before buying your own to find out if this is the right type of boat for you. Find catboat owners in your local catboat association.
2. Take sailing lessons from a local marina or sailing club. A catboat, while small, can be even more difficult to sail than a larger rig. It takes all the sailing skills you can muster.
3. Plan to purchase a trailer with your new catboat. This purchase should be included in your initial budget since catboats do not dock well in most waters since they have a very shallow draft. If you do plan to dock your catboat, you will still need to find storage space for the sail and all the outrigging.
4. Think about how much maintenance you want to put into your new boat. A wooden boat will require much more time cleaning and repairing than a newer fiberglass model.
5. Consider the weather conditions in which you will be sailing. Catboats do not operate well in high winds, but instead sail better in light winds no higher than 10 to 15 knots. While they are easy to set right after tipping, you will enjoy your sailing more if you can keep it upright.

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