Flat-Bottomed Boats for Power, Sail, Paddle, and Oar

CATBIRD 16 his Chesapeake camp-cruiser will carry us across the Bay and (with 6"-board-up draft) take us up the farthest creeks of the Eastern Shore. Catbird’s cat-ketch rig offers easy handling, and it looks fine. Her sprit booms, combined with jib-headed sails, will prove a revelation to the uninitiated. This arrangement goes by the unwieldy appellation “leg-o’-mutton” on the Bay. Let’s take a look at its advantages. The foot of each sail (in tension), working with the sprit boom (in compression) and the mast, forms a triangular boom-vang that allows us to control sail shape and twist. To flatten the sail and lessen twist, take up on the snotter (the line that secures the boom to the mast) and/or slide it farther up the mast. Reverse the procedure to put plenty of shape into the sail for light-air work. We can accomplish this magic with almost no store-bought hardware. At the mastheads, the halyards pass through well-faired drilled holes—“dumb sheaves” or “bee holes,” we used to call them. No blocks, expensive or otherwise, are required. Because the sheets need only pull the booms in, not down, they can be lighter and simpler. We can build Catbird with the open cuddy as shown, or we might eliminate the cabin to create a deep cockpit that measures a full 13' in length. Perfect for daysailing a party or camp-cruising a couple.... Although elegant in shape, this hull will go together easily. For the most part, it consists of straightforward sheet-plywood construction. Fitted with a pair of rugged oars for rowing poling, and fending off, this good little boat will take her crew just about anywhere they ought to go. Plans from Chesapeake Marine Design, 794 Creek View Rd., Severna Park, MD 21146; 800–376–3152; <cmdboats.com>. n our previous issues, Maynard Bray described the traditional construction of his Lumberyard Skiff, and John Harris showed how to build his sheet-plywood Peace Canoe. With the lessons learned from those projects, you can build a fleet of simple and handsome craft. Here’s a gallery of good flat-bottomed boats: a fast and stable kayak, a daysailer, a rowing/sailing skiff, a camp-cruiser, and two rugged outboard boats. —Eds Catbird 16 Particulars LOA 16'0" Beam 5'4" Draft (cb up) 6" (cb down) 2'6" Weight 350 lbs Sail area 110 sq ft In our previous issues, Maynard Bray described the traditional construction of his Lumberyard Skiff, and John Harris showed how to