BoatsPalmer Scott Wood-Pussy

Palmer Scott Wood-Pussy

Cat (Marconi) · Centerboard Dinghy · First built 1943

A 1943 cat-rigged dinghy commissioned as a junior trainer and adult day-sailer, later transitioned to fiberglass

Designed by Philip L. Rhodes.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 1.83 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 181 kg of hull, so roughly 800 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 181 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.18 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater

At 3.26 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 3.26
EasygoingPowered-up

32.5 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 32.5

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Heavier than ~85% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~79% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 367 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cat (Marconi)
Ratios
SA / displacement
32.5
Capsize screening
3.26
Hull
Hull type
Centerboard Dinghy
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
First built 1943
Units built
1000
Designer
Philip L. Rhodes
Builder
Palmer Scott, Marscot Plastics, O'Day Corp

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Finn (Monotype)4.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Richard Sarby-designed Olympic single-handed dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig and a long history of competition
SEILmagasinet TV Episode 3 - 202551:39from SEILmagasinet
Lido 144.27 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA fractional sloop dinghy designed by Barney Lehman, updated in 1995 with a modern mold for improved longevity and safety
Restoring covid-quarantine project boats - a Lido 14 sailboat and Seaflite 179SS ski boat0:03from Ravenswing
Fairey Marine Firefly3.66 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterThe 1948 Olympic single-handed class, this Uffa Fox design was the first sailboat ever produced by Fairey Marine
John Lee Cotton: 91 years old and 75 years at sea0:54from SEILmagasinet
Beneteau First 144.30 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Samuel Manuard-designed performance dinghy with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited, responsive sailing
Med Mooring with Mooring Lines in Alimos Marinafrom Epic Navigator
O'day 123.76 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA lightweight cat-rigged dinghy featuring a simple unstayed mast and daggerboard, sharing her hull with the Widgeon
The Pilot Who Crashed His Plane and Was Reborn on a Sailboat | #SAL #34314:23from Hashtag Sal
CL Sailboats 144.32 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 109-kilogram fractional sloop built since 1980, offering a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for lively handling
SAILBOATS for $500 - LASER & CL-14! Lady K Sailing Ep 24415:13from Lady K Sailing

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Palmer Scott WeaselA lightweight 1930 centerboard dinghy that served as a popular East Coast one-design racer for two decadesCustomflex PenguinA 1939 Philip Rhodes design originally intended for amateur construction, now a classic fiberglass centerboard dinghyRobin (Rhodes)A 1960 centerboard dinghy that offers the flexibility of a cat rig and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratioW. D. Schock Co. SnowbirdA 1932 Olympic mono-type class dinghy, later refined by Edson Schock into a popular fiberglass trainer for junior sailorsAMF Alcort PufferA lightweight fractional dinghy designed by Fred Scott for responsive, high-performance daysailing

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Palmer Scott Wood-Pussy

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