What are cat's paws?

[nigelmercier]

I keep reading the term "cat's paws" which I think relates to ripples on the water. Why are they called this, and has anyone got a picture?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

They look like cats paw prints , splaying out from a central point, forwards, downwind.

 

[VicS]

I keep reading the term "cat's paws"

Well that's the first time I've read it... other than in a book about pets.

 

[RichardS]

Well that's the first time I've read it... other than in a book about pets.

We used the term in dinghy sailing - aim for the cat's paws to get a bit more wind!

Richard

 

[photodog]

In thailand they are a tasty starter when dipped in tempura, deep fried, and served with a green chilli dip.

 

[nigelmercier]

We used the term in dinghy sailing - aim for the cat's paws to get a bit more wind!

That's pretty much what my RYA instructor said, but I didn't question it at the time, as I was busy heading towards the ripples to get more wind! I've been sailing since I was 15 and I've never seen anything that remotely looks like a cat's paw, or indeed any other part of a cat.

 

[Lakesailor]

On Windermere, when the wind is in the East, you gets massive cats paws which drop on you unexpectedly. They don't track across the water like other gusts, they just arrive. Dinghy fleets get flattened, sometimes people flying spinnakers gets their gear broken. They usually only last about 10 or 20 seconds.
They can be very disruptive.

This is one

​

 

[alan_d]

Often spelled "catspaw", which helps distinguish it from a cat's paw.

 

[rib]

lakey you amaze me with all your photos of every topic.you glued to that thing

 

[Searush]

lakey you amaze me with all your photos of every topic.you glued to that thing

Nah, he's just good with it & lives on the lake.

 

[nigelmercier]

This is one...

So how can you see that from a distance?

 

[rib]

take ur pint away then you can

 

[Lakesailor]

So how can you see that from a distance?

As far as I know you can't. You're sailing along and then suddenly all hell breaks loose.

If you've watched you cat pin a spider to the floor with it's paw. Well that's how it seems to happen.

 

[William_H]

Wind on the water

Here on the Swan River we call them "darkies" . No nothing to do with our indigenous population. Just a darker colour o the water surface.
The catspaws would be quite distinctive in very still conditions while our darkies are more obvious when there is a little wind to stir the water but the darky indicates a stronger gust. You can often see a darky front moving across the water. The direction of movement of the darky is not indicative of wind direction in the gust. As Phil says gust can arrive or descend onto the water and the point of descending onto the water can move sideways. Sight of a sarky off the bow means wind and either you steer towards it although often gone by the time you get there or at least prepare yourself for a gust. (wake up the crew).. olewill

 

[lenseman]

Nah, he's just good with it & lives on the lake.

I've heard of The Lady of the Lake?

 

[charles_reed]

Well that's the first time I've read it... other than in a book about pets.

Imagery isn't the strong point of a scientific education - I can assure you it's commonplace, mainly in fictional accounts.

 

[Lakesailor]

I've heard of The Lady of the Lake?

Thank goodness you haven't heard of the Queen of the Lake