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History of the Beetle Cat Boat and the New England Beetle Cat Boat Association
Leo j. telesmanick (1916-2001).
Leo J. Telesmanick was a master boat builder locally who began his apprenticeship under John Beetle at the age of 15. In 1936, he became foreman of Beetle production.
When Concordia purchased Beetle's rights in 1946, Mr. Telesmanick became head of the Beetle Cat Division. He was one of the last surviving builders of the Beetle whaleboats and built landing ships during World War II for Palmer Scott.
He was widely known in yatching circles for his sailing expertise and the New England Beetle Cat Association hosts the Leo J. Telesmanick Championship Race annually.
He was the founder of the Low Tide Yacht Club and a member of the New Bedford Yacht Club, The New Bedford Port Society, the New Bedford Whaling Museum and was Past Faithful Navigator of the Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree, McMahon Council. He was consultant to the Mystic Seaport Museum. He was a committee chairman for Boy Scout Troop 19 at St. James Church in New Bedford and was the recipient of the Silver Beaver and St. George Awards.
The Original Beetle Cat Boat was designed in 1920, and in 1921 it began to appear along the New England and south shores of Cape Cod, on Buzzard's Bay, on Narragansett Bay, at Nantucket Island, and on the Great South Bay of Long Island. Over 4,000 of these boats have been built to date. As the virtues of this class of craft came to be appreciated, Beetles made an important place for themselves in racing.
The design of the Original Beetle Cat Boat was taken from the old 20-30 foot catboats that were being used for fishing in shallow waters along Cape Cod. Earning a living in this area required a boat capable of withstanding rough waters, and able to cross over the sand bars that were such a menace, particularly at low tide. Catboats could overcome this difficulty because they had rudders that were slightly above the keel line of the boat, and centerboards which could be pulled up. The Original Beetle Cat Boat is 12' 4" long, and is a design adaptation of the great Cape Cod Cats.
The Beetle Cat Boat was named after the Beetle family who designed and originally constructed it. This family lived for generations at Clark's Point, New Bedford, MA and were widely known for the "Beetle Whaleboat", unexcelled in design and workmanship. The Beetle family could build these whale boats very quickly, and at the same time keep their sound standards of construction. They developed pre-fabrication in boat building, and employed mass production methods. Where it was usual to build the ribs first in other types of boats, they 'wrapped' the planks around the skeleton first, and put the frames in afterwards. This made it possible to build a complete whale boat in one day.
In 1920 the Beetle's designed and built a small sail boat for one of the younger members of the family. This was the first Beetle Cat Boat. Outsiders, impressed with the performance of this boat in New England coastal waters and rivers, were quick to express interest in it. The result was that the Beetles turned to making catboats, adopting some of the manufacturing techniques they had used in building whaleboats, thereby making the Beetle Cat comparatively inexpensive -- within the reach of the average man.
John H. Beetle (son of the founder, James Beetle) headed the business when production of the Original Beetle Cat Boat was underway. Upon his death in 1928, Miss Ruth Beetle, his daughter, took over the management. A full page article in the New Bedford Standard Times, November 8, 1931 tells of Miss Beetle's dual role of school teacher and boatwright. In the New Bedford Standard Times, July 27, 1932, Miss Beetle is described as the only woman boatwright in the U.S. and the article tells of the transition of the business from the building of whaleboats to catboats, and the spreading of Beetles along the New England Coast.
World War II interrupted all production. When the war ended, Carl Beetle (brother of Ruth) produced some of these boats at New Bedford, MA, but then became interested in the development of plastics for boat construction, and transferred the rights, title, and interest of the Original Beetle Cat Boats to the Concordia Company, South Dartmouth, MA. It seems ironic that the person who tried to be a forerunner in the fiberglass boat market was involved with a boat that still built only of wood!
The Concordia Company was headed by Waldo Howland whose family, for generations, have been followers of the sea. His great grandfather was in the whaling business, and his father's first job was putting bungs in whale boats in the Beetle family boatyard. The latter, Llewellyn Howland, wrote a very readable book, "Sou'west and By West of Cape Cod" in which he gives a most interesting account of the building of one of these 30-foot whale boats. He also tells of putting 40 bungs a day in a boat, for which he was paid a penny a-piece. Little did he realize that his son, Waldo, would one day turn ship builder, and carry on the tradition of the Original Beetle Cat Boats.
Thus the Beetle Cat Boat is rich in a history that stems from whaling days. But what are the features that have given it such wide acceptance? The wide beam, with the rudder not extending below the bottom of the keel, and center-board that lifts up, as previously mentioned, are features that lend this boat to shallow waters. It is a boat that can be beached. The great beam (6'), makes it unusually stable, and gives it a large carrying capacity. While racing standards call for a skipper and one person as crew, these Original Beetle Cat Boats have been known to carry as many as six 150-pound persons. Made entirely of wood, (oak frames with cedar planking) with no ballast, it is non-sinkable. The large decked area forward on the boat means spray falls on the deck rather than inside the boat. The rig is similar to that used on the old, large-size Cape Cod cat boat, with the mast well forward, and using a single sail. With this type of rig (gaff rig), if you release the tiller, the boat will head into the wind and practically stop. This feature makes it an ideal boat for youngsters. There is a great deal to be said for a Gaff rig on a catboat. You can shorten sail and keep the center of the sail effort where you want it without fear of the boat taking charge and falling off.
The bow of this boat is generous in proportion, so that even an extra-large man can stand on it without tipping over ----- a feature that is much appreciated when landing at a dock or float. The fact that the mast is short and the deck is long reduces to a minimum the possibility that such a boat may capsize while riding at its moorings, even in exposed locations where seas become decidedly heavy.
In the years since the first boat was built, the design has remained essentially unchanged. The builders have aimed to maintain this as a definite one-design class boat for racing. Up to seventy boats per year have been built although that number has been reduced in recent years.
The dimensions and standards of construction of the original Beetle Cat Boat, as adopted by N.E.B.C.B.A. are set forth in our regulations. Boats are to be standard 'Original Beetle Cats' (wooden) built by Beetle Boat Builders, Concordia Co., Inc., or Beetle Inc. In recent years some minor modifications have been made to the regulations to improve safety or handling.
A 1948 revision to the regulations attempted to standardize the dimensions of the sail. However, the Narragansett Bay Beetle Association had dimensions which varied slightly over the years. In the Fall of 1963, a committee finally standardized these dimensions, which action was approved by the membership of the 1963 annual meeting. In 1994, after a few years of discussion, the regulations were again revised and are printed elsewhere in this handbook.
The early records of Beetle Cat racing are not complete, but since 1951, there has been a movement afoot to compile them so that they may become a part of the permanent history of this class. Included in this project are three scrapbooks of clippings of Beetle activities, contributions to which will be welcomed by the Association.
From available records it appears that one of the first sizeable fleets was organized at Duxbury, Mass., in 1923 under the guidance of Commodore Edward N. Farnsworth and Ralph Lawson. The popularity of these boats spread, and soon there were fleets scattered along Cape Cod and on Buzzard's Bay.
In 1927 the first Beetle came to Bass River, Cape Cod. Ted Rowley, the owner, used to go as far afield as Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard Island, with his boat, to attend regattas. One such trip proved to be rather rugged, beating to the windward all the way, but the staunch little Beetle took it in good form, and but for a sound wetting, Skipper Rowley fared quite well. His enthusiasm for his Beetle was caught by others and today there is still an active fleet at Bass River.
Barnstable soon joined the growing number of Beetle fleets. Donald Griffin holds the honor of being first to own one there (1930). In 1932 he persuaded four others to acquire Beetles, and in that year they began racing.
In 1926 the first Beetle Cat ("Felix") appeared on Narragansett Bay, and by 1930 there were enough Beetle Cats in this area to hold "Friday races". In 1935 the Barrington Beetle Cat Boat Racing Association was formed. Later, in 1939, this group merged with the fleet at Edgewood R.I., to form the Narragansett Beetle Cat Boat Racing Association which subsequently became the Narragansett Bay Beetle Association.
Meanwhile on Cape Cod, races were being held by individual clubs as well as in Inter-club regattas. There was a strong feeling that the time was ripe to form a New England association for this growing class of boats. The first step toward this organization came when Commodore Charles F. Barber of the Barrington Yacht Club offered to be host club for the first New England championship races.
Credit must be given to Mr. John G. Howard, Sr. of Barnstable Yacht Club and Mr. Henry A. Street, Sr. of Barrington Yacht Club in organizing the first New England Championship for Beetle Boats in 1937. This regatta was held off Bristol Highlands, Rhode Island, and Barnstable had the winning skipper, John G. Howard, Jr. Subsequent races were held in 1938 and 1939 with skippers from Cape Cod and Narragansett Bay. Tom and Had Gately of Edgewood, R.I. have the first trophy, a cup that had been awarded 1937 - 1947. It was retired in 1947, the year the Gately brothers won it for the Edgewood Yacht Club. The Junior trophies now awarded are plaques with Beetle half-models made by John G. Howard, Jr.
To assure the continuance of these Championships, the England Beetle Cat Boat Association was formed at New Bedford, MA, in the spring of 1940, with the following yacht clubs becoming charter members; Angelica, Mattapoisett, MA; Barrington, Barrington, R.I., Barnstable, Barnstable, MA; Bass River, Bass River, MA; Edgewood, R.I.; New Bedford, New Bedford, MA. In August, 1940 ten clubs were represented in the regatta sponsored by the newly-formed New England Beetle Cat Association. The years 1947 and 1948 marked a new renaissance for the Beetle Association, for under the guidance of Russell W. Field, Jr. Chairman (Barrington Yacht Club) and Arthur H. King, Sec.Treas., (Chapoquoit Yacht Club), the Association adopted new regulations and by-laws. Great credit must be given to these two men for the Association has continued to operate under these regulations and by-laws save for a few minor changes. Most of the changes are the result of handling the expansion of the organization from fifteen clubs to thirty-four member clubs. By 1948 the association had grown considerably, and new by-laws were adopted with a re-defining of the purpose of the organization.
During World War II, with its yachting restrictions, the Beetles were taken over - on Sundays, at least - by the fathers. At Barrington, R.I. the 'Tired Fathers" became a semi-official organization, and at Edgewood, R.I. a similar group became known as the "Peppy Pappies". These two groups held an annual race on some Sunday after Labor Day - usually off Comimicut Light, midway between Barrington and Edgewood. Barrington also has another unofficial group called "Grampy Gramps" who raced against the "Tired Fathers" and Juniors in this club for possession of a cup donated by Walt Seymour, who, at over 70 years of age, was still an active participant.
An annual race which captures considerable interest is the"Ancient Mariner's Race, Senile Seadogs' Series" held at Angelica, Mattapoisett, MA each Labor Day weekend. A water color of Beetle Cats was awarded annually since 1944.
Recognizing that Beetle Cats could no longer be considered a boat for juniors only, and in keeping with the great strides being made throughout the country in small boat racing, in 1946 the New England Beetle Cat Boat Association arranged senior championships for skippers over 18. The first senior series was held at the Falmouth Yacht Club and won by Philip Lenz of the Barrington Yacht Club. This remained an open series for men and women until the 1961 series when it was voted that the skipper be male and the crew of either sex. At that time the name of the series was changed from "Seniors" to "Men's".
The Duxbury Yacht Club initiated the women's series in 1953, which was won by Bass River Yacht Club, represented by Mrs. Frederick W. Horner.
The enthusiasm of the Point Independence Yacht Club, Onset, Massachusetts, resulted in the formation of the "Mitey Mites". This is a series for youngsters under twelve years of age. It is a one-day series and has proven to be one of the most popular events since its inception in 1958. Skipper Bill Adams of Wild Harbor Yacht Club won this first event.
In September 1960, the 'Tired Fathers' gathered at the New Bedford Yacht Club to prove that they too has been bitten by the "Beetle Bug". This is a one-day series in which the crew must be a junior, son or daughter of the father. Ted Spencer of the Cataumet Club had the honor of being the first Tired Father.
About 1947, Beetles began appearing at Great Bay, Long Island, N.Y. Bayberry Yacht Club has a strong fleet. Bellport Yacht Club has organized a fleet. Reports indicate that the Beetle is well suited to the peculiar sea and strong winds of this area.
With the acquisition of the rights to build the wooden beetle, the Concordia Company published a small pamphlet in 1949. In 1950, a 6' x 9' booklet was published and edited by Waldo Howland, containing the list of officers, member clubs and reports from the secretaries of 19 member clubs.
Volumes 3 & 4 of the original Beetle Cat Boats published in 1952 And 1953 were compiled and edited by N.E.B.C.B.A and Concordia. These were more ambitious booklets containing photographs and reports from the Association. Volume 14 of the official series of the Association was published in 1963. A report from the Chairman, previous year results, list of member clubs and their representatives and other general data were the items featured in the brochure.
The list of well-known New England skippers who, over the years, learned to handle a tiller in a Beetle Cat would be long and impressive. However, we cannot pass without mentioning Robert B. Nickerson of Edgewood Yacht Club, Edgewood, R.I. and Howard N. Fawcett, Jr., of Coles River Yacht Club, Swansea, Massachusetts, who won the Inter-Collegiate Championships in June 1951. More recent skippers would be George Kirk of Wild Harbor Yacht Club and Tom Hazelhurst of Edgewood Yacht Club, who also distinguished themselves in Inter-collegiate sailing.
A large part of the credit for the continued success of the Beetle Cat must go to one man, Leo J. Telesmanick. When Concordia fell heir to the Beetle Cat business in 1946, they received many more orders than they anticipated. They turned to the New Bedford boatbuilder Palmer Scott for help. Leo Telesmanick was working for Scott at the time and was put in charge of the building operations. In 1960 Palmer Scott retired and the entire operation, including Leo and his crew were transferred to Concordia, which set up a separate Beetle Cat operation on Smith Neck Road where the shop stands today. Leo made a number of changes over the years to improve productivity and to assure uniformity of the hulls, and in 1973 the fastenings were changed from galvanized to bronze. Many of the patterns, and the basic mold that the boat is build on, were developed by Leo and are still used today. In 1969, Waldo Howland sold The Concordia Company, including the Beetle Cat Division, to William Pinney, Jr. who managed it until he sold it to Robert A. (Brodie) MacGregor in 1981. In 1983 Leo Telesmanick retired as full time superintendent, although rumor has it that, even today, he walks down to the shop once in a while "just to make sure everything is being done correctly".
In December 1993 the Beetle Cat Division was sold to Charlie York who continued to operate at the same location under the name Beetle, Inc. Beetle production had sunk to a low ebb, but Charlie increased production to as many as 25-30 boats in 1995. In October 2003, Charlie sold Beetle, Inc. to Bill Womack and the shop moved to its current location in Wareham, MA. Bill continues the tradition of building the boats and has gradually expanded the business to allow for storage and maintenance of over 150 Beetle Cats in addition to the building of new boats.
Beetle Cats are scattered in most of the fifty states and in most of the world. One of them was even sent to Scorpio, Greece a number of year ago for young John Kennedy, but that boat was eventually returned to Hyannisport. Recently, a Japanese TV company came to the shop to film operations for a documentary on traditional crafts, so maybe a market will open up in the Far East also.
Over the years a number of different Beetle Cat Regattas have been developed by different Clubs. At West Falmouth harbor, the Hog Island racers have had a Fall series for several years with as many as 37 boats on the starting line Sunday mornings. West Dennis has the Gusto Cup in September while Bass River holds its traditional Turkey Day race on Thanksgiving (weather permitting!). Recently, Chatham Yacht Club has conducted a single handed regatta. And in Connecticut, the Mystic River Beetle Cat Club conducts races on Summer evenings that include Beetles rented from the Mystic Seaport Museum.
The premier Beetle Cat Regatta in recent years has been the "Leo J. Telesmanick Championship". This regatta started in 1980 to honor Leo and is the annual "World Championship" for Beetle Cats. It includes divisions for Women, Juniors, and Old Salts (over 50 years of age) in addition to the overall winner of the open class which is emblematic of Beetle supremacy. In 1994, the format for the Mitey Mite and Junior Championships was changed and they are now held on the same weekend and at the same location as the Telesmanick Championship although the events are run separately. Also at this regatta, the Chairman's Trophy is awarded. This trophy was established in 1964 by William H. Potter to generate enthusiasm in regatta participation by member clubs. It is awarded to the club that has amassed the best cumulative point total in the Telesmanick Championship Series.
The Beetle Cat Class has a long and varied history. It is one of the oldest classes raced actively and probably the only one still made in wood. The New England Beetle Cat Boat Association is dedicated to continuing this success into the future.
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Affordable Classics 14 – Beetle Cat
I f the USA had an ability throughout the 20th century to create global icons, particularly in transport, then the Beetle Cat is surely one of them. The boat probably holds various records in terms of the number built (more than 4,000), and the length of production: Beetle Cats have been built continuously since 1921 and they are perhaps now the only traditional wooden boat in the world that is built ‘factory style’, albeit in lesser numbers than in their heyday.
The Beetle Cat’s roots lie even further back, with boatbuilder James Beetle, who built open whalers for the whaling fleet. By the 1920s, whaling was on its knees, but sailing just for the fun of it was on the up, and so it was that in 1921, John Beetle, then head of the firm, produced the Beetle Cat as a family dayboat, and that’s exactly the role it has played ever since.
The Beetle Cat, as the name suggests, is a catboat and like a true catboat has a beam of nearly half the length of the hull, as well as the characteristic single sail, flown from an unstayed mast in the very bows of the boat. It’s a beautifully simple rig to handle, and many of north America’s top sailors over the years will tell you that they learned to sail in a Beetle Cat, but unlike other ‘children’s’ boats, like the Optimist and Mirror, or the later very limited singlehander the Topper, this is a beautifully built, solid timber, carvel work of craftsmanship.
Also, unlike those other boats, the Beetle Cat has real accommodation, as befits the ‘family daysailer’ description. This is, of course, thanks to that generous beam. A Beetle Cat will take a family of four, together with their picnic and gear for a day out, across the lake to the island, or quite a bit further, in inland or coastal waters. The weight and that extreme beam, as well as the relatively low centre of effort afforded by gaff (as opposed to bermudan) rig, make it so stable that an adult can stand up on the large foredeck without being tipped into the drink.
The very low draught, even centreboard down, another hallmark of a catboat, is coupled to a ‘barndoor’ rudder (so called because it is longer than it is high) which does not extend below the keel. For that reason, it is beachable, which is a big part of the appeal; it makes the perfect camp cruiser for this reason.
Lateral resistance is supplied by a centreboard, and the long, tapered skeg that starts about a third of the way after the bows. A Beetle Cat’s combination of form stability and heavy timber build means it is unballasted. This, in turn, makes it unsinkable.
These days, Beetle Inc, as it’s known, is based in Wareham, Massachusetts, not far from the old whaling centre of New Bedford, where the story started. Construction is still on the original moulds using the same timber types – Atlantic white cedar on steamed oak timbers – as the first boats from the 1920s. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is not Beetle Inc’s strapline (they don’t need one), but if they did, it would probably be about right.
The design has evolved slightly over the years, most importantly in 1973, when all fastenings, which had previously been of galvanised iron, were replaced with silicon bronze. This is worth knowing about for buyers in the used market, as it was often iron corrosion that spelled the end for these boats, at least those that were not one of the hundreds that, over the years, have been restored by students at the IYRS boatbuilding school in Newport, RI. Cutting your teeth on a battered Beetle Cat has become a right of passage for IYRS undergraduages. Look for a hull number higher than 1535 if you want a bronze-fastened boat.
And as for the boats themselves? They are, these days, to be found all over the USA, but particularly in their home waters of New England, and they still serve precisely the same purpose for which they were conceived by John Beetle in 1921. Owners over the years have included John F Kennedy and John Kerry, and today they are owned by such luminaries as Steven Spielberg and Calvin Klein, among the thousands of families, who must spend these cold months waiting for the day when they can throw the covers off the Cat and go for that first sunny sail.
LOD: 12ft 4in (3.8m); b eam 6ft (1.8m); draught (c/board UP) 0ft 8in (0.2m); draught (c/board down) 2ft (0.6m); sail area 100sq ft (9.3m 2 ); weight 450lb (204kg)
Owners’ View
“We bought two Beetle Cats when our daughters were learning to sail, with the idea that each boat could carry one parent and one kid. Now we sail one, and the kids sail the other (and sometimes beat us racing). We appreciate the simplicity of being underway just minutes after deciding to sail, and we enjoy the authenticity of a wooden sailboat that has low maintenance and the full support of an active boatbuilder for parts, repairs, and expertise. More than anything, we love sailing the same kind of boat that four generations of our family have sailed, and we love racing our Beetles in a place where they’ve raced for nearly 100 years!” George & Stephanie Shuster, Edgewood Yacht Club, Cranston, Rhode Island.
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- Sailboat Guide
Beetle Cat is a 12 ′ 4 ″ / 3.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Carl N. Beetle and built by Concordia Company, Howard Boats, Beetle Boat Co.(USA), Beetle Inc., and Construction Navale Franck Roy starting in 1921.
Rig and Sails
Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3
- SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D : Displacement in pounds.
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Ballast / Displacement * 100
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
The ‘authentic’ BEETLE CAT is a strict one-design class and built of wood. After World War II, Carl Beetle, son of the designer, passed the rights for construction of the original Beetle Cat Boats to the Concordia Company. As of 2014 it was being built solely by the Beetle Boat Shop. (Beetle Cat Inc.) There are, and have been, numerous boats modeled after the original BEETLE CAT, of fiberglass and other methods of construction. (In the US and elsewhere.)
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One-Design Class Type: Dinghy
Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both
Approximately how many class members do you have? 250
Photo Credit:Land’s Edge Photography
Photo Credit: Land’s Edge Photography
About Beetle Cat
The Beetle Cat is a 12′ 4″ gaff-rigged wood catboat first built in 1921. It is the oldest one design racing fleet continuously built out of wood that is still actively raced. Beetle Cat sailboats compete all over the northeast with large fleets in Chatham, Bass River, Nantucket, West Falmouth, and Westport, MA; Weekapaug and Edgewood, RI; Brooklin, ME; and East Hampton, NY. With over 4,000 boats built to-date, it continues to remain a popular family boat for people of all ages.
Boats Produced: 4000
Class boat builder(s):
Beetle, Inc. – https://beetlecat.com/
Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 600
Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:
New England, Mid-Atlantic
Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? No
How many people sail as a crew including the helm? 2
Ideal combined weight of range of crew: 300
Boat Designed in 1921
Length (feet/inches): 12′ 4″
Beam: 6′
Weight of rigged boat without sails: 450
Draft: 8″ board up, 2′ board down
Mast Height: 14′
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The Beetle Cat boat shop is dedicated to preserving the art of traditional Plank-On-Frame wood boat construction, using the highest quality of materials and craftsmanship while providing a source for new wooden Beetle Cat sailboats. In addition, the shop offers a full service boat yard for the Beetle Cat community and Beetle Cat sailors for ...
Base Price: $22,995. Order Form (Download PDF) The original Beetle Cat boat was designed and built in 1921, and immediately began to appear along the shores of New England. Over 4000 of these boats have been built to date. The design was taken from the old 20-30 foot catboats that were used for fishing in shallow waters along Cape Cod.
The Beetle Cat is a recreational sailboat, built predominantly with oak and cedar wooden construction, although some have been built from fiberglass, with wood trim. The deck is canvas -covered. It has a gaff-rigged catboat sailplan with wooden spars of fir, a spooned plumb stem, a near-vertical transom, a shallow depth, transom-hung rudder ...
Her performance in the first season afloat impressed the locals, and orders for the model followed. By 1921, the Beetle Boat Co. put the 12-foot catboat into production, employing the assembly line method that allowed the shop to build a 29-foot whaleboat in 48 hours. After the Beetles established the design of a boat, they made a pattern for ...
The 'authentic' BEETLE CAT is a strict one-design class and built of wood. After World War II, Carl Beetle, son of the designer, passed the rights for construction of the original Beetle Cat Boats to the Concordia Company. As of 2014 it was being built solely by the Beetle Boat Shop. (Beetle Cat Inc.) There […]
boats beetle cat sail. By. Lydia Mullan. SAIL Managing Editor Lydia Mullan grew up racing dinghies in the New England area and has crewed on a J/122 in the Annapolis-Newport Race, Marblehead-Halifax Race, Ida Lewis Distance Race, and others. She is a mentee in the highly regarded Magenta Project, which aims to improve diversity and in ...
The Original Beetle Cat Boat was designed in 1920, and in 1921 it began to appear along the New England and south shores of Cape Cod, on Buzzard's Bay, on Narragansett Bay, at Nantucket Island, and on the Great South Bay of Long Island. Over 4,000 of these boats have been built to date.
The Beetle Cat bears more resemblance to the shallow centerboard cat boats used for fishing along Cape Cod (see Dewey). This form had evolved along the coast in the mid-1800s, and its characteristics are the large shallow rudder, cat rig, and ample cargo room. John designed the 12' 4" boat for pleasure daysailing and for sailing instruction.
The Beetle Cat, as the name suggests, is a catboat and like a true catboat has a beam of nearly half the length of the hull, as well as the characteristic single sail, flown from an unstayed mast in the very bows of the boat. It's a beautifully simple rig to handle, and many of north America's top sailors over the years will tell you that ...
The 'authentic' BEETLE CAT is a strict one-design class and built of wood. After World War II, Carl Beetle, son of the designer, passed the rights for construction of the original Beetle Cat Boats to the Concordia Company. As of 2014 it was being built solely by the Beetle Boat Shop. (Beetle Cat Inc.)
About Beetle Cat. The Beetle Cat is a 12′ 4″ gaff-rigged wood catboat first built in 1921. It is the oldest one design racing fleet continuously built out of wood that is still actively raced. Beetle Cat sailboats compete all over the northeast with large fleets in Chatham, Bass River, Nantucket, West Falmouth, and Westport, MA; Weekapaug ...
The Beetle 14' catboat is cedar planked over white oak frames, with a canvas deck and oak coamings similar in style to the Beetle Cat. While only two feet longer in length, the boat is actually 80% larger in volume. This is evident in her roomy cockpit which seats four adults comfortably. The interior of the boat is painted using classic paint ...
The Beetle Cat, named after its original designer and maker, was created in the Bay State in 1921 and is still gracing the waters of New England.Subscribe to...
Beetle Cat Boat Shop, Wareham, Massachusetts. 2,756 likes · 1 talking about this · 68 were here. Sole builders of the classic 12'4" wooden Beetle Cat Sailboat built since 1921.
The New England Beetle Cat Boat Association is dedicated to continuing this success into the future. Builder: Beetle, Inc. 3 Thatcher Lane Wareham, MA 02571 Telephone: 508-295-8585 Fax: 508-295-8949 . In addition to new Beetles, Beetle Inc. provides parts, accessories and services including repair, maintenance, moving, and storage.
A Beetle Cat Story. Robert Brown. Dec 14, 2022. A handmade Beetle Cat model speaks volume about one family's long history with sailing. Growing up, sailing was always part of my life. This did not happen by chance but rather was the result of generations before me having made sailing and sailboat racing part of normal activities.
2024 Yamaha Boats 255 FSH Sport H. US$97,399. Performance East Inc | Goldsboro, North Carolina. <. 1. >. * Price displayed is based on today's currency conversion rate of the listed sales price. Boats Group does not guarantee the accuracy of conversion rates and rates may differ than those provided by financial institutions at the time of ...
Feature article in Woodenboat Issued#276 Sept/Oct 2020 by Stan Grayson digs deep into the history of the Beetle Cat sailboat as the boat approaches its 100th Anniversary in 2021. Never before seen photos and history revealed, along with a section on "Beetle Techniques" from some of the best and most prolific Beetle Cat sailors.
1984 Beetle Cat Boat. US$7,350. ↓ Price Drop. Tripp Marine Group | Westport Point, Massachusetts. Request Info; Sponsored Boats | related to your search. 2025 NauticStar 242L Offshore. Request price. Iconic Marine Boat Sales & Service | Washington, North Carolina. 1981 Gulfstar 44 Ketch Electric.
Beetle preowned sailboats for sale by owner. Beetle used sailboats for sale by owner. Home. Register & Post. View All Sailboats ... Length Year Price Added. Beetle Cat Custom BOBCAT based on Beetle Cat: Length: 12'3' Beam: 6' Draft: 1' Year: 2000: Type: daysailer: Hull: wood monohull: Engine: 1 gas outboard; Location: Addison, Maine; Asking ...
Then look no further, the 12'-4″ Beetle Cat is the boat to have. It is a boat to dream about, of high quality, flawless construction, embodies the maritime tradition, and makes one proud to own and sail. In its 98th year the Beetle Cat sail boat is still handcrafted in the USA. The Beetle Boat Shop is dedicated to crafting quality boats ...
30' Cape Dory 30 -Alberg design cutter rigged Atlantic Highlands Marina, New Jersey Asking $14,000
New Beetle Cat Sailboats; Beetle 14 Catboat; Skiffs; Custom Boats; Brokerage; Beetle Cat Parts & Accessories; Spars & Flagpoles; Services; ... Showing all 6 results. Beetle Cat Hull#2293, Year: 2009 $ 11,000.00 Product Inquiry; Beetle Cat Hull#1934, Year: 1983 $ 3,950. 00 Product Inquiry; Beetle Cat Hull#1869, Year: 1981 Price Drop!!! $ 3,500. ...