Bobcats

[boatbuilder]

Who Knows any thing aout Bobcats. PLy cats by Bill o'Brian . Built in the late 60s early 70s.
Ineed some pics or drawings of a MK2 /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[ShipsWoofy]

I have an old book Catamarans In Close-up by Patrick Boyd.

There are references throughout the book, with three plates one of an 8 metre bobcat sailing with a trade-wind config and a photograph of nine bobcats in St. Helier on an owners association cruise, the last one is of two bobcats Ginger Tom II and Seamew (good name) in front of St Malo. The last image is not referenced and I think there may be some more images if you looked hard.

published in 1972. SBN (not ISBN?) 7110 0378 5

I have not checked all 8 index references, at least one of them is a single reference that a bobcat was in such and such a rally, you know the type.

The St. Malo Bobcat association rally appears to be over about 8 pages, but all the images by page 5 change to Iroquois so I am not sure. It is like a reference book but not, there are no individual headings, it is based on one guys quest to buy the perfect small cat for him and his family, but is annual sized. It reads from front to back rather than chapters, hence the hazy descriptions I give.

I can, either scan some bits for you, or if you like I will post the book down to you, from there either send it back or I may consider donating it to the maritime museum. Are you not near the museum...

No plans or drawings though, sorry. Just had another flick through, I will want it back, it is a great reference book for those 'what is that' cats that turn up in harbours. But you are welcome to borrow it to have a good read.

 

[boatbuilder]

Thanks for that I will try and research the book.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

one on ebay

 

[Talbot]

The bobcats owners are in the same association as the Catalacs. They were an early design that worked very well for its time. About 3-4 years ago a bobcat owner set of on his own around the world and was writing monthly articles for the newsletter. That stopped after he got to Australia, and to the best of my knowledge, he is still there. We rarely get any data from bobcat owners these days as a lot of them have gone the way of most old plywood boats.

Personally I have no knowledge of them.

 

[boatbuilder]

I am interested as I have been offered one at the popular price of £0. Looks like a nice little project as it is sound and has been stored dry.
As boatbuilding is my trade I dont need to worry about the job, I just want to see some originals.

 

[Talbot]

reports I have read were that the biggest problem was rot. and that they sailed really well. primarily cause they were much lighter than the later grp catalacs.

 

[snowleopard]

I was speaking to a couple of guys at Pip's yard who have also acquired a Bobcat as a project. You may get something useful from them.

p.s. last time I passed one on the water it was going nowhere fast. There's a lot of wetted surface to push along with a pretty small rig.

 

[boatbuilder]

Yes I know the guys in pips yard, indeed that is Rogers 2nd Bobcat, and he has taken first one as far as the Algarve and back.
You can see his adventeres on web page

 

[carbon]

I am rebuilding a bobcat and rot is a huge problem, if you are paying nothing for it I think you are paying too much.