One of Four

Julia L. (Kat Boat) and a Michalak Philsboat Rend Lake 2009 (J.Michalak photo)

 The more I sail my boat, the more I work on it, and the more I learn of it's history I'm always wondered why we only know of three hulls that have been built. Of those three my boat, considered the prototype by the designer, is the only one still actively sailing. As I mentioned previously there was a Fatcat1 that was designed first. In Jim's words, "There was a Fatcat1 but I don't think I ever tried to sell it. Would have been similar to Fat2 but with a chopped off pram bow, sort of like Blobster." I'm guessing the overall design simply lent it self to the pointy bow the second iteration ended up with. And a fine boat it is to. If there was a boat I'd do a Texas 200 in, the FatCat2 is high on my list. I'm surprised no one has. So I thought I would go through the history of the known hulls.

 There was a first completed boat. Built by an octogenarian named Walter with a few modifications it was destroyed in a trailer accident and there is no record of it being ever sailed. 

Walters Fatcat2. Notice the winch forward to help with mast raising (Courtesy J. Michalak)

Here you can see the boom crutch. (Courtesy J. Michalak)

 Sometime in 2006 Kenneth Purdy had a hull completed. So far all I've found are some small pictures in the Duckworks archive. 

Kenneth Purdy's Fatcat2 hull. (Kenneth Purdy photo)

(Kenneth Purdy Photo)

My boat was second but also the first. Mike Sandell showed up at the 2009 Rend Lake Messabout with the first Fatcat2 to float. She was stock at that time save for airboxed seats and a modified cabin top.

Julia L. under construction. (Mike Sandell Photo)

 Eventually the fine attributes that make her the boat she is today were added through subsequent years. It's interesting to note that Mike built one of the other cat rigged boats Jim has designed, the Vector. The mast tabernacle is I think really makes the vessel a more usable vessel overall. The Julia L. was sailed all over the mid-west and at least once in it's new Vegas home at Lake Mead. Now she's the perfect cruiser on the largest naturally occurring body of water west of the Mississippi. And she's seen salt water too. 

 The third boat we are aware of is the only other Fatcat2 with video evidence of it's life.

I've corresponded briefly with the former owner, Patrick Johnson, over YouTube. As I understand it the boat was built in North Carolina, eventually sold to the west coast Florida. The sails seen here are by Polysails and was by all accounts a fine boat. At some point a dodger was added and she cut a find silhouette. 

Fatcat2 #3 (Patrick Johnson Photo)

 And that as near as we can tell are all the Fatcat2 ever built. I wonder how many plans have been sold to boats built. A shame really because the boat has a lot to offer in a small package. Maybe we'll see more in the coming years. 

*This post will be edited as new information arrives