Slider Cat
Description
The Slider Cat (often stylized as Slider or Slidercat) is a compact, minimalist 16-foot cruising catamaran designed by American naval architect Ray Aldridge in the late 2000s. Launched as a "beach cruiser" for solo or duo adventurers, it prioritizes simplicity, portability, and comfort in a trailerable package—sliding effortlessly onto beaches or launching like a personal watercraft. With no folding mechanisms or complex assembly, it's ideal for micro-cruising in sheltered waters, overnights, or day sails, blending the stability of a multihull with the ease of a sit-in dinghy. Aldridge, known for innovative small craft like the Oz Goose, drew inspiration from beach cats but added hull-integrated seating and a sprit rig for real-world practicality. A handful have been built by enthusiasts, with build logs highlighting its forgiving nature and joy in light winds.
Construction Details
| Designer | Ray Aldridge |
|---|---|
| Length | 16.000 ft |
| LOA | 50.420 ft |
| LWL | 44.250 ft |
| Beam | 14.750 ft |
| Max Draft | 5.580 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 12.33 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 5 ft |
| p | 11.58 ft |
| e | 8.67 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.33 ft | 5 ft | 11.58 ft | 8.67 ft | - | - | - | - |
Blueprints
Sails
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 12.33 ft - (3758 mm) |
| Foot | 6.333 ft - (1930 mm) |
| Leech | 11.83 ft - (3606 mm) |
| Percentage LP | 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | 5.75 ft - (1753 mm) |
| Deck Angle | 12 ° |
| Area | 30.63 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPRIT |
|---|---|
| Luff | 12.083 ft - (3683 mm) |
| Foot | 8.667 ft - (2642 mm) |
| Leech | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Tack Angle | 88 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 14 ft - (4267 mm) |
| Head | 7.333 ft - (2235 mm) |
| Area | 52.266 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.