News / Blog

Feature article in Woodenboat Issued#276 Sept/Oct 2020 by Stan Grayson digs deep into the history of the Beetle Cat sailboat as the boat approaches its 100th Anniversary in 2021. Never before seen photos and history revealed, along with a section on “Beetle Techniques” from some of the best and most prolific Beetle Cat sailors.

Are you in search of a high quality, handcrafted, traditional built small sailboat to enjoy sailing about the harbor/bay with a sense of pride and pleasure? A boat that the whole family can enjoy, from the grandparents to the grandkids? Then look no further, the 12’-4″ Beetle Cat is the boat to have. It is…

In 1921 the Beetle family of New Bedford, MA introduced the Beetle Cat boat as a means for children to learn how to sail safely while having fun. After WW II all the sailing clubs, yacht clubs, summer camps and youth groups used the Beetle Cat to teach sailing. (Baby Boomers) The Beetle Cat was…

Have you ever thought about sailing as a family but found it to be expensive to own a sailboat, or if you found a sailboat you could afford, it wasn’t suitable for the kids or a family? Well we at the Beetle Cat Boat shop have the solution, a good used Beetle Cat. With over…

Using scrap cedar wood from the construction of the Beetle Cat sail boats, owner Bill Womack and his grandson Filippo Tagliavia built a half dozen bluebird houses for novelty Christmas gifts. Introduced at the Beetle Boat Shop’s annual Christmas Open House on Dec 3rd, 2016 the birdhouses were an instant success. The bluebird houses were…

People who have a love for classic wooden boats are different from other types of boat owners. They have an appreciation for the timeless craft of boatbuilding that reminds one of a different era, when skill and craftsmanship were prized over things like mass production and high-tech solutions. When restoring a wooden boat or purchasing…

Despite the evolutions and changes in the way the world thinks about yachts, boats and vessels, the wood boat survives and has withstood the test of time. Wood construction is easily customized and offers unparalleled options. The raw materials are renewable and the construction technology is proven. Wood boats are built of individual pieces that…

We are dedicated to preserving the art of traditional Plank-On-Frame wood boat construction using the highest quality of materials and craftsmanship and we take great pride in being featured in prominent boating media outlets. Here are just some of the media outlets we’ve been featured in: Sail Magazine Classic Boat Magazine Yachting Magazine – American…

By Dennis Caprio, Photography by Billy Black A civil engineer from Alabama rescues the Beetle Cat from the brink of extinction. I sailed a Beetle Cat for the first time in 1999 on the Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut. It was one of the Seaport Museum’s livery fleet and in fine condition. Sharon Brown, at…

By Chris Museler With 15-20 coloured sails on the line every weekend, the diminutive cedar-planked gaffer now has its next generation of junior crews carrying on the torch. It was started in the late 1950s by Sloat Hodgson of the Chappaquoit Yacht Club in West Falmouth. The boats were used for junior training and Hodgson…