Sea Mew

Description

The Sea Mew (often spelled Seamew or Sea-Mew) most commonly refers to a small, classic 14-foot (LOA) wooden sailing dinghy/catboat/sloop originating from Santa Barbara, California, in the early-to-mid 20th century, with a long local history as a safe, versatile beginner/family boat on the West Coast harbors (particularly Santa Barbara Harbor, where it became an icon for generations of sailors). Designed by an unknown naval architect (early plans trace to around the 1920s–1930s, with influences from traditional catboat lines for simplicity and safety), it was built by various small local yards and individual builders—including Lindwall Boatyard, Harry Davis, and others in the Los Angeles/Santa Barbara area—often as custom or semi-production hulls from the 1930s onward (some still sailing today after restorations); production was never large-scale or factory-based (hand-built in wood, later some fiberglass copies), with quantity manufactured estimated in the dozens to low hundreds across decades (based on surviving examples, museum records, and owner anecdotes—no precise total exists due to its artisanal, regional nature). Note: This is distinct from the UK Bell Woodworking Seamew (22 ft plywood trailer yacht by Ian Proctor, kit-built from the 1950s–1960s, larger sister to the Seagull)