Build the Instant Catboat Paperback – January 1, 1997

Great information for building this boat.

If you are interested in building this boat, you need to absorb every detail Payson describes. Lots of fun nautical terms-read to understand what they mean. I have built boats and wanted a small sailer similar in size to the Beetle cat, which a new one is above my pay scale. I made a model from the plans shown in the book and it revealed problems that will likely arise with the full-sized craft. I wish the photography was less grainy.

When you peruse the v-bottom cats in wooden boats magazine compendium, the building is a bit daunting. But by a careful study of "Dynamite's" building technique and explanations it will all come together for you. What you learn by reading this work, and preferably building it, makes the other v-bottem cats that much easier to understand. And perhaps build. Remember, a twenty or twenty-two foot catboat is a big vessel, only lacking in the headroom department. And if headroom is what you want, a cat is not the boat for you. But the broad beam more than makes up for it. So, I reccomend this book most highly - - - it will open a lot of doors for you.

There is always more involved in a project than you could anticipate. Like saying; every project takes longer than it takes! I read the book several times and even underlined it and talked about it with other friends.There is a wealth of wood working prowess included in this book. But, it does not skimp or gloss over what it takes in time, material and work to come up with this beautiful little boat!

Dynamite was a little bit older than myself. I must sail on without him, in this world, but, thankfully we have his books of direction and wisdom to help us through the boat building tributaries of life. You will be carefully guided in all of his books. I encourage you to look over the horizon and discover Dynamite's island of knowledge just beyond the sunset.

Dynamite Payson's Instant Boat books promote a no-nonsense approach to boat building. Here again he takes a beautiful Bolger design and walks the amateur through "can-do" building steps. The Beetle Cat in this book and the Gypsy in Payson's "Build the New Instant Boats" have such beautiful lines that you might just want to build a model, as Dynamite recommends.

A plywood version of the nearly-century-old BeetleCat, designed by Bolger and refined by Payson-- a terrific boat, suitable for fresh or salt water, big sail, half as wide as it is long. Have two copies of the book, a set of Payson's plans, and hopes to build one some day...

Payson writes well and this is a good manual for the construction of the well-liked Bobcat/Tiny Cat catboat. Essential if this is your first boat building project. The book is also useful for amateur boat builders who want to use stitch-and-glue or tack-and-tape techniques.

Just What my Husband wanted

Pretty good overall view of the building of the craft. No way the drawings are sufficient to pass as a plan, but provide a good scope of what the project is, and the depth of it. No doubt one of Bolger's better sailboats in this size range.