by Charles Bell
Weight 700 lbs.; beam 8’; sail area 157 square feet.
Full-length sail battens, rotating, streamlined lightweight mast and a luff spar on the jib which permits reefing or furling the sail from the cockpit. Also features dagger centerboards and spring-loaded kick-up rudders. Seafoam is a sporty boat for those who like the kind of sailing that a sensitive cat of this size affords. It should be remembered, of course, that the so-called superior stability of sailing catamarans has been proven to be a myth. They can be upset and turned upside down in the water more easily than most supporters of catamarans will admit. And once upset, they are next to impossible to right in the water. With this element of danger in mind, Seafoam has safety flotation built into the center section and the hulls are left hollow. Essential safety requirements dictate that large deck plates be provided in each hull, so that in the event of an upset, one hull can be kept tight and the opposite hull can be flooded. When the flooded hull has sunk, the cat can be righted after disconnecting one stay. The flooded hull is pumped out, the mast reset, and the wetter and wiser crew then carries on. If you are a cat fan you know all of this and you will find that Seafoam is fast, maneuverable and quite dry—as cats go.
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