Shellback dinghy seats

[Jeffrey Ward]

I am a novice boatbuilder, who has recently completed his first boat (a CLC kayak from a kit), and is now considering another. I think that I'd like to build a small sailboat, and two designs that appeal to me are the Shellback dinghy and Phil Bolger's Bobcat. They obviously are two very different designs, and I'd welcome any comments on them, but I also have a more focused question. Has anyone ever installed seats running along the side of a Shellback dinghy between the aft seat and the center seat? (I think they might be called wing seats. Is that correct?)

[PugetSound]

Heck, I've always just called them side seats. Frankly, I think they look nicer than they perform since you would only use them when sailing (any other time and the boat would heel uncomfortably). I would think that in the event you are sailing then you (and your companion) would just sit on the floor boards. To really be effective, the 'wing' seats would have to reach quite a ways forward since you would have to allow for the tiller.

As for any commentary on the designs:
Both designs are (as you've no doubt guessed) popular and very well designed. The Bobcat design is Phil Bolger's plywood version of the famous BeetleCat design (which I don't think you can get for legal reasons). The Bobcat is actually quite a bit more boat than the Shellback. Sailing qualities of the Bobcat are those of your classic cat boat. Phil Bolger's friend, Harold 'Dynamite' Payson (who has built many of Bolger's designs, including the Bobcat) has written a book on building the Bobcat (check your library). Payson also has a web site.

The Shellback dingy was, I believe, detailed in past Woodenboat magazine issues but I cannot remember which one. In any case, remember that the Shellback is primarily a dingy which can be sailed while the Bobcat is primarily a sailboat (which can be rowed).
I think your choice would really depend on whether you want to row or sail and also whether you want to do it alone, with one other person or with three or four persons (Bobcat has a large cockpit -remember that while it is only 12 feet long, it is 6 feet wide).

Personally, if I was to own only one boat I think that I would go for the Bobcat.

[Keith Wilson]

Although you probably have seen this already, here's Payson's Bobcat page:
http://www.instantboats.com/tinycat.htm
The Shellback building articles were in WB 116, 117 & 118.

I think side benches would be a good idea on either of those boats. They wouldn't get in the way when rowing the Shellback. You could run them from the aft to the middle thwart. The catboat is pretty much a pure sailboat anyway. The only disadvantage I can see is a little extra weight. I don't like sitting on the floorboards; I'm not as agile as I used to be, and I'd rather stay dry.

[Brian Lobdell]

If your are thinking of a Shellback take a look at its bigger sister the Poo Duck skiff. It's enough longer to put on a jib and its a nice boat to sail with good secondary stability.