at St. Michaels, Maryland
(edit: Word from Ned is this boat now has a new owner, congrats to both.)
I’ve been writing about Marsh Cats a lot lately. The boat I sailed aboard for the Chesapeake Float to Smith Island was Pete Peter’s Marsh Cat Obadiah. Magnificent boat.
Also on that trip were Kevin McDonald in his Marsh Cat little t – the same boat that he and Mike Wick sailed from the Florida Keys to Dry Tortugas. Twice.
And also on that trip was Joe Manning in his new Marsh Cat Makani.
Another regular of these trips is Doug Oeller and his Marsh Cat Comfort, though he brought new boat this year.
These Marsh Cats have appeared consistently on all the extended camping trips and events I’ve attended over the years, and they never cease to impress me. Big, stable, comfortable, and fast. Perfect camper expedition boats, especially when you want to explore shallow creeks and shorelines, and roomy enough to camp aboard for several days at a time.
As it happens, I recently learned of one coming up for sale. Ned Asplundh has been a regular of these annual trips until recently, when health issues began to get in the way. He’s ready to sell his Marsh Cat and let it go to someone who can use it more.
on the 2012 Chesapeake Float on the Sassafras River
I’ve photographed the boat many times over the years. When she was called Catnip by an earlier owner, and after Ned gave her a full makeover with new bright paint and varnish. Since my latest photos were taken he’s added a hollow birdsmouth mast with stainless steel hinge. I believe she’s 8″ wider than other Marsh Cats, so would have even more room inside.
before the first makeover
My understanding is the boat is currently garage kept at a summer place in southeastern Pennsylvania, but will return back East in the Fall, so if you’re near either place you have a chance at her.
For details, you can see the ad he’s posted on catboats.org at: Sneak Previews Cats4Sale 168 – Catboat Association, Inc..
More photos at: Joel White Marsh Cat | Flickr – Photo Sharing!
Or contact Ned directly at: nasplundh@yahoo.com
You really really ought to build one. I’ve been wondering if you will. No melonseed posts for a while… That must be a sign?
My father-in-law is looking for a boat design and wants me to help him build it. Do these (or something very similar) ever have a tiny cabin that could sleep two? Maybe he would be interested…
Hi Jayson, believe me I’ve thought about it. But I still have a Gannet in the yard to finish first.
These Marsh Cats do sleep two comfortably, along with several days worth of food and gear, but with a boom tent instead of a cabin. Usually, to get a boat with a cabin big enough for two you’re talking about a much bigger boat.
I now have mixed feelings about cabins. They seem like an awful waste of space, given that you only use them when sleeping. Hardly worth the expense and hassle of dealing with a big boat all the time. A necessity if you want to stay aboard for long periods, or typically sail in inclement weather, but for day sails and camping trips they become more a burden than a boon. There are some great cruisers out there, but most are well beyond my skills for building.
Maybe some others will chime in here with ideas or different thoughts on it.
I am enjoying the beautiful videos and posts of eyeinhand, and the comments above echo some of my current thinking. I have a nice 19′ Stuart Mariner, which combines a cabin and a large cockpit. It also sails nicely, thanks to the sweet hull of the Rhodes 19. It has a portable head inside which my wife and I have avoided using thus far, preferring the bucket or simply going ashore for such business. Cooking is best done in the cockpit. Throwing gear below is often the best use for the cabin, and our children might go below for a nap. Trailered home, the cabin is a good place to securely store sailing gear when ventilated properly. But that said, I’m leaning towards the idea of something like the Marsh Cat with a simple boom tent. Most often we will daysail, where simplicity, beauty, fun and sprawling out are prized. Overnight is a special treat, and in the temperate climes of Southern California I think a tarp over the boom would work fine for us. One more thing: small, trailerable cabin sailboats are often aesthetically wanting, in my opinion. My $0.02
Good morning,
I live on the upper Chesapeake Bay and am thinking about getting a Joel White Marsh Cat.
Can you put me in touch with a Marsh Cat owner/sailor on the Bay who I can talk to and – I hope – visit to see the boat?
Thanks,
Doug Heisler