BoatsAlcort Inc. Catfish

Alcort Inc. Catfish

Catamaran, twin centreboards · Cat (Marconi) · First built 1964

A 1964 George Patterson design, this ultra-light twin-board catamaran offers high-performance sailing in a 4-metre package

Designed by George W. Patterson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Cbrd.

See her sail

The Alcort Inc. Catfish, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from kentblairl

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 77 kg of hull, so roughly 700 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 77 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.15 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LightHeavy

36 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 36
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 54.8
  • Lighter than ~76% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~91% of boats her size on file

Compared with 71 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Alcort Inc. Catfish, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Alcort Inc. Catfish is a 4.0-meter catamaran sailboat designed by George W. Patterson, built by Alcort Inc. since 1964. It features a Cat (Marconi) rig and twin centerboards. The boat has a beam of 1.8 meters, a draft of 0.5 meters, and displaces 77 kg. Aboard kentblairl, replacement centerboards for the Alcort Inc. Catfish are detailed, measuring 24.5 inches along the leading edge and 18 inches in total height.1:11 The pivot point for the centerboard uses a 0.75-inch dowel, positioned 2 inches from the right edge and 1.5 inches from the leading edge.2:21 The board's thickness is 9/16 of an inch at the center, tapering to 1/8 of an inch at the edges, with a bevel starting 1.5 inches from the edge.3:41 A 3/16-inch hole at the top accommodates a 5/32-inch control line for board operation.3:11

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 4 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Alcort Inc. Catfish on video

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
54.8
Displacement / length
36.2
Hull
Hull type
Catamaran Twin Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1964
Units built
1500
Designer
George W. Patterson
Builder
Alcort Inc

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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.

Hobie 3.53.51 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA scaled-down version of the Hobie 14 with a rotating cat rig, designed specifically for younger sailors under 140 lbs
Go on an adventure today | #SAIL #2532:03from Hashtag Sal
Supercat 154.65 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA high-performance beach catamaran with a rotating spar and an exceptional sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Why St. John Feels Nothing Like St. Thomas E38116:38from Wildly Intrepid Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Alcort SailfishThe original 1945 plywood kit boat that launched Alcort and sparked a recreational sailing boomCatalina CatamaranFractional Sloop · 5.19 mMinifish IIA lightweight 3.58-meter dinghy featuring an unstayed cat rig on the classic Minifish hull

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Alcort Inc. Catfish, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Alcort Inc. Catfish

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue