Gaff head Cat · Cbrd w/outboard Rudder · First built 1969
A Gerhard Gilgenast design featuring a gaff-rigged cat configuration and a versatile hull offered in wood or glass
Designed by Gerhard Gilgenast, built by Fricke.
LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Cbrd w/outboard Rudder
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
TrailerableBeam 2.50 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,000 kg of hull, so roughly 1,600 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 1,000 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 0.45 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
CoastalBluewater
At 2.52 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.
Capsize screening 2.52
EasygoingPowered-up
17.3 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.
Sail area / displacement 17.3
A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.
Heavier than ~84% of boats her size on file
Beamier than ~90% of boats her size on file
Compared with 372 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
Gaff head Cat
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.3
Capsize screening
2.52
Hull
Hull type
Cbrd w/outboard rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1969
Designer
Gerhard Gilgenast
Builder
Fricke, Dannhus GmbH, Co. KG
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.
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
O'day 226.61 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA prolific production success with over 3,000 hulls built, offering a nimble fractional rig for coastal daysailing
Spirit 21 (6.5)6.48 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA Henry Hinckley-designed masthead sloop featuring a pop-top cabin for versatile headroom in a compact, trailerable hull
O'day 205.97 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, offering a stable 5.57-knot hull speed for coastal cruising
Phobos 196.30 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited daysailing
Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air
