We Find Catboats In Need of Rescue
We Find Catboats In Need of Rescue
We Find Catboats In Need of Rescue
We find catboats in dire need of restoration and need someone to step forward to bring them back.
We Rescue Catboats
We Find Catboats In Need of Rescue
We Find Catboats In Need of Rescue
We work with individuals and groups to restore catboats and we share the restoration stories of these catboat with our followers.
We Celebrate Rescued Catboats
We Find Homes for Retired Catboats
We Find Homes for Retired Catboats
We love to celebrate those Catboat restored and back in the water
We Find Homes for Retired Catboats
We Find Homes for Retired Catboats
We Find Homes for Retired Catboats
Some catboats cannot be restored. We have found good homes for these boats where they are used to educate visitors on the history of catboats.
Save This Cat
MARMALADE (A rare Chappaquiddick 25, Taiwan-built in 1974)
In the 1970’s, One Design Marine, of Toms River, NJ, had a Chappaquidick 25 built, in Taipei, Taiwan of mahogany with teak exterior trim. Information weaned from CBA Bulletin No. 30 indicated that as of January 1,1970, the price for a new 25’-3” X 24’ X 12’ X 3’, gaff-rigged catboat, designed by Edward S. Brewer was $18,000, FOB New York. Features included: 522 square feet of sail area, 5’-10” of headroom, Volvo diesel power, an enclosed head and hanging lockers.
About 3-years ago, in an unfortunate accident following many decades of active sailing, MARMALADE sank. It is believed that an electric bilge pump had reverse siphoned ocean water into this lovely catboat. MARMALADE was taken out of the water and has been stored ashore since then. The hull appears to be in remarkably good shape. The decks and cockpit sole will need replacement. What if any attempts to save her Yanmar 3GM are unknown. Please contact the CBPG (info@CBPGroup.org) for her location, volunteer opportunities and additional particulars.
BREAKING NEWS!
We are pleased to announce MARMALADE as the first successful CBPG rescue! Her new caretaker has already taken possession, and steps have been made to stabilize the old girl.
TRADEWINDS (A “Golden-Age” Cat-Ketch)
TRADEWINDS is a rare cat-ketch built in 1913 by an unknown shipwright. CBA member John C. Scott has endeavored to have her restored and moved North from the Carolina’s to more suitable New England waters. He recently secured a replacement engine for the boat but seeks help with its installation and with the boat’s continuing restoration in general. Parties interested in learning more, especially volunteer opportunities, can log onto John’s TRADEWINDS website: https://catboat1913.com/
Other Catboats in need of Rescue
Calynda
CALYNDA – A boat very familiar to members having been owned by the Titcomb family for many years. Built in 1932 by the Bigelow Brothers in Monument Beach, MA, to a Fenwick Williams design, she measures 28 feet LOA. Construction consists of bronze fastened cedar on oak. She was acquired by Art and Rosilyn Northrup as a salvage in 1944. They repaired her and renamed her after their family. CA(from daughter Carol), AL (from son Alan), LYN (from Rosilyn), and DA (Art was known as the Irish da). She carried 750 sqft of sail for a few years until they recognized this was too much sail to handle. Working with some friends and Fenwick Williams, they redesigned the rig to its present-day cat-yawl. The Titcomb family regularly cruised CALYNDA from Brandford, CT to Buzzards Bay, MA, a pilgrimage they made every year but one of their 25-year custodianship of CALYNDA Steven Pagels of DownEast Windjammer Cruise Lines of Bar Harbor ME currently owns the boat. He would like to find a new owner interested in the reasonable restoration she needs to once again actively sail.
DOVER
DOVER – A bit of a ghost and a lesser-known cat, DOVER (formerly LUCY) has resided indoors on Martha’s Vineyard for the better part of the last 50 years. Owned by Captain Bob Douglas of the Coastwise Packet Co. (dba Black Dog Tall Ships), she is an 1890 28ft Daniel Crosby cat that Capt. Douglas found during a vacation drive in Dover, England in 1961. Capt. Douglas fell in love with her and had her shipped home to Vineyard Haven where he sailed her until 1973 when she entered his “boat museum” to collect dust. She has sat here, nearly untouched since. It is suspected that Capt. Douglas may donate the vessel if asked by the right person or group since he has started clearing out the “boat museum.” DOVERappears in decent shape, other than being very dry. She will need extensive cosmetic work, some refastening and possibly a new centerboard. We encourage interested parties to engage a surveyor prior to an offer.
Matchless
MATCHLESS – Constructed in 1906 by WW Phinney at his shop in Monument Beach in Bourne, MA she was built for speed, perhaps to compete with the Golden Age cats. Legend has it, Phinney was best pals with Wilton Crosby, and they would regularly race their most recent builds against one another for bragging rights. On one such race with a new boat Phinney’s daughter watched her father from shore. Phinney apparently beat the pants right off Crosby to which Phinney’s daughter remarked “Dad, that boat is matchless!” The name stuck, and she has kept it her entire life. At some point, her centerboard and rig were cut back, her cabin was reworked, and her gas engine replaced with a diesel. She still sports a big wood stove inside and a bat-wing rig. Legend has it that her current mast was the spinnaker pole from Nathaniel Herreshoff’s Cup Defender RESOLUTE. She currently resides in Harwich on a waterfront property in Saugatuck Harbor, uncovered and fully exposed. Her rig lies in storage on Factory Road in Harwich. Asking price is $25K. Our concern is she may not last much longer in her current situation.
Catboats Being Restored
Ongoing Projects
Here we will share stories on on-going restoration projects. Come back often to get the latest news.
A Cat Rescued
The Catboat Preservation Group is on a mission to find historic catboats and give them another chance to grace New England waters. Our list of potential prospects has begun to grow.
To qualify as a prospective candidate, a boat needs to have a significant history i.e., she could be the prototype or last of a builder (fiberglass or wood), the last of a design, or, for example, a boat raced or fished or chartered during the Golden Age of the catboat (1890-1929). Such examples of this latter group include HARBINGER, ALMIRA, GRAYLING, PATCHY FOG, BUCKRAMMER, TIGRESS, PINKLETINK, EVENTIDE, and others.
FYI: We welcome suggestions of catboats you know of that could qualify as prospects. Please send them our way by emailing us at info@CBPG.org.
Our FlagShip
The Catboat Preservation Group traces its roots to the restoration of the D-Class catboat SUSPECT (possibly MARVEL or ELAINE circa 1892) whose story is currently featured in the CBA Bulletins. Upon her relaunch in the 2023 season, SUSPECT will become the flagship and goodwill ambassador of the organization. She will initially be campaigned at CBA Rendezvous’ and other sail-race events off Cape Cod, along the South Coast of Massachusetts and in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.
Those following our SUSPECT (perphaps MARVEL or ELAINE) story know that several catboat historians have researched the provenance of the boat for several years. Recent discoveries from sources as diverse as turn of the 19th century Quincy Yacht Club records to Connecticut DMV 1962 registration files have narrowed the boat to three Crosby-built possibilities: MARVEL (built 1892); ELAINE (Built 1890) or a third, Herbert F Crosby catboat (nameless thus far) built in 1905. All apparently qualify as D-Class racers. Due to the uncertainty of her pedigree, the officers of the newly formed Catboat Preservation Foundation (boat owners) have decided to temporarily rechristen her SUSPECT…
We suspect she is one of the above D-Cats but will continue to sail her under her new name until research confirms her pedigree. The practically new sail that we plan to use this season, branded with an enormous letter “S”, was fabricated in the 1990’s when the boat was known as SUNNYSIDE.
For this reason alone, SUSPECT seemed appropriate. Wehope you agree.
A Cat Retired
The Catboat Preservation Group is on a mission to find historic catboats and give them another chance to grace New England waters. Our list of potential prospects has begun to grow.
Sometimes, a boat cannot be restored. We will try to find good homes for these historic boats in museums and other organizations where their history will be preserved.
FYI: We welcome suggestions of catboats you know of that could qualify as prospects. Please send them our way by emailing us at info@CBPG.org.
