There are few boats more practical for shallow waters than a catboat. Daysailing with friends or overnighting with family is made more pleasant by a cat's comfortable cockpit and simple rig. Peter Legnos has added the fifth cat to the Mystic line with the 20-foot Alicat pocket cruiser. Its handsome wineglass transom makes it unmistakable as a part of the classic Mystic family of cats.
The versatile little Alicat has a high-tech Vinylester cored hull and
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| Mystic Alicat LBI, Inc. 973 North Rd. Groton, Ct. 06340 860.446.8058 860.446.8132 |
deck that weighs in at a meager 2,200 lbs. Only 2 feet of draft with the board up and 300 pounds of lead ballast should make the Alicat extremely trailerable. Legnos wisely added a standard tabernacle to make raising and lowering the mast a simple matter.
Even with these domesticated features, the Alicat should prove to be a good performer under sail. A very wide seven-foot seven-inch beam will give good form stability and the 185 pound steel centerboard extends the draft to six feet, three inches for upwind performance. Sail area is a generous 253 square feet, which should push the Alicat well even in light breezes. The rig is available in either a swept back spreader Marconi version or the more traditional gaff rig.
Exterior maintenance has been thoughtfully kept to a minimum with only teak trimmed highlights. Hardware is traditional bronze with a substantial oak tiller set in a bronze tillerhead.
The spars are modern anodized aluminum with stainless steel standing rigging and lines of Dacron yacht braid.
Down below, the Alicat offers a functional layout of four berths in an easy care fiberglass lined interior with a teak and holly sole. Space for an optional portable head is neatly tucked under the V-berth. Three-inch thick berth cushions are standard.
While the standard Alicat is engineless, space has been left under the cockpit for an optional Yanmar 8hp diesel or a more innovative 12 volt DC electric motor. Either option should be enough to drive the Alicat at hull speed in normal conditions. A bracket for an outboard rounds out the engine options.
Base price on the Alicat is a modest $21,900 for the Marconi rig and $22,500 for the gaff version, although the addition of the diesel or electric power plant increases the price another $7,950 and $4,900 respectively. Other desirable options include a Bomar deck hatch, sailcover, bilge pump, a portable head, electrical panel with lights, a teak bowspirit with anchor roller, and a trailer.
For daysailing and modest coastal cruising where the water is spread thin, the Alicat may well deserve a second look.
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