Brand: Catalac 9M

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The Catalac 9M was Tom Lack’s first venture into catamaran design. He commissioned John Winterbotham of MG Duff LTD to design the Catalac 9M in 1968, forming part of a range of cruising catamarans which eventually ranged from 8m to 12m. All were built at Lack’s yard in Christchurch.

This design was envisioned as the successor to Bill O’Briens venerable Bobcat Catamaran. They would be safe cruisers, aimed squarely at the family marketplace. Thought of as motor sailors because of the boxy design, these boats actually sail very well, don’t heel while sailing and with the 6′ 3 inches of headroom in the hulls, no one feels boxed in or forced to go ‘camping’.

The Catalac 9M was constructed with solid fiberglass, chined hulls with lots of rocker and deep “V” sections forward which flattened out at the stern. The combination of “V” hulls and rocker, eliminated the need of keels while providing what was thought to be enough grip for windward performance.

Please see our information page for more.

Specifications
Make:Catalac
Model:9M
Length:30
Builder:Tom Lack Catamarans LTD
Designer:John Winterbotham
Construction:Solid fiberglass hulls, cored cabin and deck
Build Start:1970
Build End:1984
Number Built:Production started 1970: 255 manufactured; 30 located Americas
Mfg Price:Inboard £39.000
Loa:29'3" ft (9 meters)
Lwl:25' 4"
Beam:13'9""
Headroom:6' 3" in hulls, 6' 3" on bridge deck
Draft:2'6"
Displacement:8,000 lbs dry
Mast Height:above water: 39'
Mfg Engines:Single outboard: various manufacturers or 2x12hp RCA-Dolphins gas, or 2 Yanmar 1GM diesels
Mfg Accommodations:
  • 1-double cabin forward starboard hull
  • 1-single berth mid starboard hull
  • 1-head located rear starboard hull
  • 1-single cabin forward port hull
  • 1-single cabin rear port hull
  • Galley located in port hull
  • 1-double berth using settee and table

Catalac 8M / 9M Mast Lowering Instructions

The Catalac 8M and the Catalac 9M are unique in that they have a tabernacle designed to raise and lower the mast. Chainplates are mounted at the pivot point and the procedure is both simple and convenient. Read how I dropped my mast, replaced everything at the top and rewired it, all in an afternoon. (click here) . Note the mast support wires in the drawing below. These are necessary. The mast lowering pole is steel, 2″ in diameter thick wall tubing, 8 FEET long with a 6 inch stainless steel tip. It weighs around 25 lbs. Please see a gallery of useful mast lowering/raising photos from a Calatac 8M in Greece. The strange construction on the bow of this 8M/16 is a motorbike support bracket. A previous owner was sailing with his motorbike on the bow for Greek island exploration!

Mark Blaydes’ Catalac 9M

She looks like a steady, comfortable cruising catamaran — but there’s more to the 9m Catalac than meets the eye, as David Harding reports. When the Catalac was introduced in 1971, she took a few people by surprise. Here was a rather boxy-looking catamaran derived from Bill O’Brien’s chunky, chined, glassfibre-sheathed plywood Bobcats. She looked like a practical family cruiser for those who wanted space rather than pace, yet she sailed far better than the world expected.

Catalac 9M Catamaran Brochure

This brochure includes the specifications of the Catalac 9M, the original equipment, some photos, and a layout diagram. The Catalac 30 / 9 m cruising Catamaran, classic of its day, spearheaded the famous Catalac design that has become so well-known for safety, comfort, and performance. Now 15 years later, it still holds its place in the Catalac family of catamarans.

Catalac 9M Information

Sold as Catalac 9M or Catalac 30 The Catalac 9M was Tom Lack’s first venture into catamaran design. He commissioned John Winterbotham of MG Duff LTD to design the Catalac 9M in 1968, forming part of a range of cruising catamarans which eventually ranged from 8m to 12m. All were built at Lack’s yard in Christchurch.  This design was envisioned as the successor to Bill O’Briens venerable Bobcat Catamaran. They would be safe cruisers, aimed squarely at the family marketplace. Thought of as motor sailors because of the boxy design, these boats actually sail very well, don’t heel while sailing and with the 6′ 3 inches of headroom in the hulls, no one feels boxed in or forced to go ‘camping’. The Catalac 9M was constructed with solid fiberglass, chined hulls with lots of rocker and deep “V” sections forward which flattened out at the stern. The combination of “V” […]

Atlantic Crossing in a Catalac 9M Continued

Continued from Part 1 By Christopher Langham and Esther Minter During my brief stop in Spain, my paternal Grandfather passed away and in the midst of trying to compose myself in dealing with my grief, I continued moving forward despite my lapse in funds and having to refit the Genoa. I tried to figure out a way to leave the boat and fly home, but I couldn’t. No more credit, no money to pay the marina, and only provisions to do one thing… Continue moving forward and I’m glad I did, because God always provided enough funds to keep moving forward.  (Nothing more:-) While in Muxía, two lovely people from Frankfurt were in the slip next to mine; they fed me, played my granddads favorite game Yahtzee with me, lit candles in memory of him, and were there for me in all capacities. Although my family isn’t German, my Grandfather […]

Trials and Tribulations of an Atlantic Crossing in a 40 year old Catalac 9M

By Christopher Langham and Esther Minter When I started my journey in late June 2015, I envisioned emblematic escapades. Nevertheless, what I encountered was tremendous challenges that I never could have fathomed. These surprise factors after embarking on the journey from Largs, Scotland to St. Thomas USVI were mostly unnecessary, and had I known in advance what fiascos were ahead of me, I never would have left the comfort of my Government Housing Subsidized Apartment, in the Crime ridden projects of St. Thomas.  You see, I live on the island of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; to outsiders it’s a virtual paradise, but to live here, not so much unless you have millions to spend or you’re one of the original settlers here by heritage and with privilege.  Having given you some background, I’d been looking into a Catalac 9 meter Catamaran with its original equipment, including the original Dolphin […]

Catalac 8M/9M Rigging Tune

Sailboat Rig tuning is an art rather than a science and varies from boat to boat and from low winds to high winds. Remember that the rigging on a monohull unloads as the boat heels and spills wind out of it’s sails. When you look at Catamaran rig tuning, we have to keep in mind that our rigs never unload. We have stiffer masts because of this and larger diameter wire stays. As with all sail boats, the rigging not only holds up your mast, but also has an effect on sail shape, and therefore affects performance.Racing boats have several rig tension setups depending upon wind speed the day of the race. For a cruising boat, this is impractical, and it makes more sense to aim for one rigging setup that pretty much fits all the conditions. At the same time addressing two of my particular challenges that need help. […]