Bolger Bobcat
Description
The Bolger Bobcat is a compact, 12-foot catboat designed by prolific American naval architect Phil Bolger in 1985, adapted as a stitch-and-glue plywood version of the classic 12'3" Beetle Catboat (a wooden one-design staple since the 1920s). Collaborating with boatbuilder Harold "Dynamite" Payson, Bolger created this "Instant Boat" for amateur builders seeking an affordable, agile daysailer that's quick to construct and a joy to sail. Emphasizing simplicity and stability, it's ideal for protected waters like bays, lakes, or coastal inlets—perfect for solo or two-person outings, youth training, or casual racing. With its wide beam and low freeboard, it offers surprising roominess and speed (up to 7 knots on reaches), earning Payson's description as "quick, agile, and sailing like a witch."
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
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| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
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| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | GAFF MAIN |
|---|---|
| Luff | 7.67 ft - (2338 mm) |
| Foot | 13.167 ft - (4013 mm) |
| Leech | 16.25 ft - (4953 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 79.68 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Head | 8.67 ft - (2643 mm) |
| Area | * 110.34 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.