The present book focuses on a twenty-eight foot wooden
Catboot called Ghost. She belongs to a class of boats
unique to Bornegat Boy in New Jersey. The class
originated in 1922 and by 1924 was recognized as
a racing class under the name A Cat. The class was
seriously affected by the Great Depression, but it survived
and began a renaissance in 1980, when David Beoton
and Sons built Wasp, a new A Cat, following plans
dating to i923. Ghost was Beaton’s second A Cat and
was an immediate success. Not only did she win seven
consecutive Bay championships, 1994-2000 but also
exhibited extraordinary craftsmanship. We might say
that Ghost was and remains a paradigm of excellence
in the construction oi wooden boats. Happily the
building process was photographed in detail and is now
recorded in book form. Photos paired with explanation
take the reader from making patterns and preparing the
woodshop to a celebratory launch at Beaton’s rigging
dock. That is followed by an account of Ghost’s initial
disaster on the race course, a remarkable recovery and
then twenty-two years of continuous competition. What
made Ghost fast on the race course and what did not
work are recorded for the reader’s consideration. The
conclusion focuses on Ghost’s new home at the New
Jersey Maritime Museum.
Über den Autor
The idea for writing a book about Ghost, a wooden
Catboot, came from William (Bill) Fortenbaugh, Professor
Emeritus of Classics at Rutgers University, whose
professional career focused on Aristotle and his School.
Also an avid sailor beginning at the age of eight, Bill
raced many types of boats including the Barnegat Bay A
Cat. In retirement he came to recognize the unique value
of the A Cat and of David Bealon and Sons, where Ghost
was built. The resulting book is a collaborative effort,
to which the builders at Beaton’s, the crew of Ghost,
photographers and lriends all contributed.
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