Design and Construction
The Atlantic City Cat Boat is built primarily from solid-laminate fabmat—stitched fiberglass fabric—with wood trim. This straightforward construction avoids the complications of a cored layup. The hull has a plumb stem and an angled transom, while the shallow-draft, transom-hung rudder is controlled by a tiller or optional wheel.
A retractable weighted centerboard provides a draft of 5.00 feet with the board down and 2.00 feet with it retracted, allowing the boat to enter shoal anchorages that deeper keelboats can’t reach. A forward cutout in the centerboard avoids cluttering the cabin with a centerboard trunk, preserving living space amidships. The boat displaces 8,000 pounds and carries 2,200 pounds of ballast, making her a substantial little ship.
Rig and Handling
The Atlantic City Cat Boat is gaff-rigged, with aluminum spars and all 452 square feet of sail concentrated in one big piece of cloth. Mainsail hoops take the place of more conventional mast cars, reinforcing the traditional character of a boat that Richard Sherwood described in 1994 as a classic catboat.
That single expansive sail keeps the controls simple and uncluttered at one station, but its size demands respect. In a 2010 review, Steve Henkel noted that the sail area, all in one big piece of cloth, can be hard to manage.
The 12 hp BMW diesel is intended for docking and maneuvering rather than passage-making. That suits a boat whose auxiliary-power priorities are precise handling in harbor and the occasional nudge on a calm day.
Accommodations
For a 24-footer, the interior is remarkably social. There are sleeping accommodations for six: a convertible aft dinette forms a double berth, while the forward cabin has two settees with pilot berths above them. The head is in the forepeak, and the cabin offers 6.17 feet of headroom—enough for most adults to move around without ducking.
An optional L-shaped galley sits to port, just forward of the companionway ladder, and includes a two-burner stove. A navigation station and fireplace were also factory options for buyers who wanted a more fully equipped cruising setup.
The centerboard’s cutout geometry leaves the main cabin floor open instead of interrupting it with a trunk. That helps make the boat’s modest 11-foot beam more usable.
Refits and Ownership
Used examples vary in equipment because the galley, navigation station, and fireplace were all factory options. The solid-laminate fabmat hull and wood trim suggest a straightforward route for cosmetic and systems refits, although the large, single-piece gaff-catboat sail is a specialized item to replace or recut.
The 12 hp BMW diesel is a period-correct auxiliary. Low hours are plausible given its docking-and-maneuvering role, but a careful survey of the cooling system and engine mounts remains wise.
The Verdict
The Atlantic City Cat Boat is a focused expression of the catboat ideal: one large gaff sail, a shallow retractable centerboard, and a surprisingly capacious six-berth cabin. She rewards sailors who value traditional rigging and shoal-water access more than speed under auxiliary power or the sea-kindly motion of a deep keel.
Pros
- Retractable weighted centerboard provides 5.00 feet of draft down and 2.00 feet up for shoal-water access
- Six-berth layout and 6.17 feet of headroom in a 24-foot hull
- Solid-laminate fabmat construction with wood trim and no core to degrade
- Centerboard cutout preserves cabin-floor space
Cons
- The single 452-square-foot sail can be hard to manage
- The 12 hp BMW diesel is suited to docking rather than passage-making
- The galley, navigation station, and fireplace were optional, so many boats may lack them
