Howard Haven 12 1/2 Welcome to Howard BoatsSince 1938 Howard Boats has specialized in the care and construction of wooden boats as well as traditional style fiberglass boats. Founded by John "Bunny" Howard in his family's boat house on Barnstable Harbor, we have made it our priority to adhere to the high standards of craftsmanship and customer service set by our founder. We build classic boats for contemporary people. Our fiberglass Barnstable Cat Boat, Fisher Cat, and Howard Skiff and wooden Howard Haven 12 1/2 combine the elegant, understated lines of traditional New England vessels with the great performance, ease of handling and low maintenance that today's boaters demand. You'll find Howard Boats plying the waters of all six New England states, New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas, Michigan, Florida, Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado among others. Internationally we have boats in Canada, Bermuda, The Turks and Caicos,the Bahamas, Italy and Australia. At Howard Boats we will maintain your traditional small boat-- wood or fiberglass -- to yacht-like standards.

We pride ourselves on our attention to detail, and our reliance on high quality parts and materials, and our knowledgeable and conscientious approach to restoration and maintenance work. We understand that your well-maintained or beautifully restored boat is reflection on us. Buying a Beetle Cat New Beetle Cats are only built by Beetle, Inc. and are only available in wood. There is no such thing as a fiberglass Beetle Cat. Visit Beetle, Inc.'s Web site or contact them for information on ordering a new boat: Beetle, Inc. 3 Thatcher Lane Wareham, MA 02571 Phone: 508-295-8585 Used Boats are generally available in geographic areas where there are active club fleets. A list of used boats for sale is also availabe on the Beetle, Inc. Web site. "Beetle Cat" and the Beetle Cat logo are registered trademarks of Beetle, Inc.The Hull number is found on an oval “builders” plate mounted on the aft (cockpit) side of the forward end of the coamings (wash rail). Often this plate is missing, particularly in older boats.

Replacement plates are available (see hardware). The hull number is also located on the forward face of the stern post (this is the wooden piece which runs halfway up the middle of the transom at the aft end of the cockpit). It is usually necessary to scrape and/or sand away some paint to “bring out” these numbers. With these numbers we can tell you at least the age and first owner of your Beetle Cat. Beetle Cats built between 1920 and 1945 were not numbered. Hull numbering began in 1946 with Hull Number 1 being the first boat built that year.Here Beetle Cat owners can learn the benefits of membership, which includes a free copy of the members handbook and a subscription to the class newsletter. A new member application form can also be found on the website. Click here to read a fabulous article on reefing. Click here to read an article on scandalizing.In order to protect our copyright and trademark of the boat, the plans are not made available to the general public. However, if you can locate an old boat, you are free to do a complete rebuild using the old hull as a guide and all parts are available from Beetle, Inc.

There is no such thing as a fiberglass “Beetle Cat”. A beetle cat is ALWAYS built out of wood. We are sometimes asked why we don’t build in fiberglass, and the answer is evident with the first whiff of cedar upon entering our shop! The build time for a new boat is normally 8 – 10 weeks. We encourage people to place orders in the fall to guarantee Spring delivery. We have 95% of the parts in stock, ready to go. Parts that need to be prebent (i.e. frames, coamings) should be ordered a week or two in advance to allow for bending time.Ragdoll Cats For Sale South Florida The frames are numbered from the stern forward. Aircon Servicing Singapore MotherhoodFull frames #1-8 lead up to the centerboard box half frames #9-15 along the centerboard box should also be identified as port or starboard and finally frames #16-20 are forward of the box. Kumho Tires Usa Jobs

We normally do not supply frames #21-23. The distance from the top of the centerboard to where the knob stops the board should be 20″. A centerboard cam cleat is normally mounted on the well top to allow for adjustments in the depth of the board when underway. We normally have at least 4 or 5 used boats in-house that we broker for the owners. They are given a general survey when they arrive and a recommended sale price. We do not sell used boats sight unseen. Occasionally, we may also have an older boat that has been completely refurbished at our shop for sale. The boats at IYRS are rebuilds done by 1st year students. The lines are taken off the old boats and then are rebuilt over the course of the year. The boat construction varies with each boat depending on the ability of the student. We are the sole builder of new Beetle Cat sailboats, using standardized parts, proven methods, and highly skilled craftsman. There are very few boat yards in this day and age that can do quality wood boat repairs.

As the Builder, we are uniquely qualified to repair and maintain the boat, in addition to having all the Beetle Cat parts readily available at a reasonable price. See the attached for a sketch and description. The sail and deck plan is also helpful to reference when rigging the boat. Sail and Deck Plan  Steps for Rigging of a Beetle Cat  Layout of spars on deck for riggingThe varnish and bottom paint should be done on both every year. The topsides are sanded and painted on a wood boat, while they are washed and waxed on a fiberglass boat. The Beetle Cat should preferably be stored inside in an unheated area. The weight of the boat should be supported along its keel during storage. We highly recommend the Shoreland’r brand trailer. We customize the trailer for the Beetle Cat by adding 8″ wide keel rollers for proper support and adjust the bunkers to fit the boat. Allow 1 to 2 weeks lead time when ordering. The Beetle 14 is a completely new in-house design by Bill Sauerbrey.