Catboats
Kathleen, Falmouth, MA
Bella, Vineyard Haven, MA
Henry M. Plummer, Fairhaven, MA
BeetleCat on Lake Tashmoo
Catboats are beautiful in their timeless lines, and powerful hulls. I have flown across Buzzards Bay in record time, skimming across the waves as if on plane. They can be ferocious when over canvassed, nearly pulling your arm out trying to go in her own chosen direction. They have vast amounts of space for friends, and tiny cabins that beg for daytrips. They are a perfect platform for catching bluefish, as the Henry Plummer can attest.
My first meeting with a cat was back in the 70's, when a wooden catboat showed up in the boatyard I kept my boat in, the Half-Tide Marina in Mashpee. Over the next month I watched as piece after piece of this old boat was discarded over the side. Soon the boat was a mere shell, most of it rotted and in need of repair. At some point in that time I met the proud owner, Phil Frankio. Phil restored antique houses for a living, and had admired this vessels for a very long time, snapping at the chance to buy it when it went up for sale. Unfortunately, Phil never really looked at the vessel too closely. The previous owner had an ingenious solution to rotting wood: a fresh coat of paint. Although this may work for a season, it took its toll over the years, and now Phil had a massive restoration on his hands.
Over a number of years Phil patiently worked on this vessel, evenings & weekends. We became friends, and he actually helped me to purchase a basket case that could not float, and I too spent a number of years in my youth working away at a vessel that was hopelessly beyond repair, the only type I could afford.
Eventually we both launched our proud vessels. Honestly, I don't even remember what his catboat's name was. She was built at the turn of the century, on the Vineyard. Sorry to say I have no photos but the one of Phil working away at her hull.
