Happy Cat Inflatable Catamaran PDF Print E-mail

Austria is apparently more jovial than Germany so they named their catamaran Happy Cat which comes in two models, Vision and Light.  Both boats are similar but differ in rigging with the Vision being more performance oriented and carrying about 20% more sail area.



The Happy Cat is 15 feet long and 11 feet wide with 18” inflatable rubber tubes.  It carries a 20’ aluminum mast and a 6’ boom and weighs in at 150 pounds when rigged as a sailboat.  The Happy Cat Vision has a sail area of about 125 square feet and has an optional gennaker available.  It has a furling jib and can sail up to 15 knots but the boat can also be used without the rigging as a sunbathing platform or second dinghy with an engine.  Assembly time is about 45 minutes and the boat will carry four passengers and up to a 6 HP traditional outboard.

The Happy Cat has a kick-up centerboard and rudder and can be used with a tiller extension for easy single-handing. It also comes with a net pouch to keep lines neatly contained and toe straps for hiking out.  Rig tensioning is done with one cleat on the bowsprit. The boat comes with sail tell-tales and a masthead fly as a wind direction indicator. 

The Happy Cat packs down to three bags - two about seven feet by 1 foot in diameter and the third approximately two feet by two feet by one foot.  Accessories include a boat trolley, a sun awning, engine and battery brackets, and an electric pump.  The Happy Cat retails for around $7,000.