The MerryMac catboat tends to make the blood hum with a sense of adventure and challenge. Its owners claim that it has always been so since the first of about 200 MerryMacs sprouted wings on the banks of New Hampshire’s Great Bay back in the early 1950s. And MerryMac lovers will tell you that the sense of adventure and challenge are rooted in both the boat itself and her designer/builder Ned “Mac” McIntosh.I first met the boat and the man 16 years ago while sailing a little cutter in the lee of Great Guana Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. I was half-lost in a sailor’s daydream, running before a warm, 12-knot southerly when a blue, hard-chined catboat came surfing up behind me and surged past on a plane.“You wanna race, Cap?” called her skipper, a senior citizen in a long-billed cap, denim shirt and double-patched, paint-stained khakis.
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At the age of 72 I really enjoyed reading about a 98-year-old sailor still enjoying himself on the water. I started building sailboats soon after I retired. I’m currently building a variation of the Swedish Snipa. If you are curious take a look at my blog: nordicboats1.blogspot.com
(Click on “David Johnson” above to link to the blog.)
Are the plans available for the “Merry Mac”? I live in The Yukon, Canada and would like to build one of these for my own use.
Here’s the word from Nate Piper on lines for the MerryMac:
“We do not have any drawings of the boat. It’s all molds, patterns, and measurements.”
Christopher Cunningham, Editor
Well, that’s disappointing… I had the same thought as Mr. Harder.
I agree with the other two gentlemen, this would be a great boat for a DIYer to build!
Mr. Piper, would you consider creating plans and selling them for single build licenses?
Me too!
I agree with the above gentlemen. It looks like a perfect DIY opportunity for amateur builders like myself. I’d purchase a set of plans readily and most likely build the boat. As I live in a remote town in the Pilbara region of Australia, freighting a boat from the States is not real practical. I do, however, have tools and access to quality materials.
I’ll chime in too. I wish plans were available. I have always liked the looks of the Windmill, and I can easily see that MerryMac is a kissin’ cousin and seems to be better suited to recreational sailing with family.
Me too!!!! Im in Australia!
I also would purchase plans for a MeryMac to sail in Lake Ontario.
We’ve let Nate Piper of Piper Boatworks know about the demand for plans for the MerryMac. He has been pleased by the response and reports that he has taken the suggestion under consideration. We’ll let readers know if and when plans become available. Stay tuned.
Christopher Cunningham, Editor, Small Boats Monthly
Is this 98-year-old designer the one who created the Mac 10 dinghy?
Mine is from the mid 60s, I think. It’s terrific.
I posed the question to Nate Piper. He didn’t know of any connection to the Mac 10 dinghy.
Christopher Cunningham, Editor, Small Boats Monthly
I live in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and I would very much like to build on of these fine little catboats for my own use. Please advise if and when the plans become available.
May I add my name to the list of people interested in plans? I also live in Australia!
I had the good fortune to meet Ned while he was in Clearwater, Florida, visiting Clark Mills. It is interesting to see how similar Ned’s MerryMac and Clark’s Windmill are visually and in construction. Both boats were designed in 1953, just a few years after their time together in Panama. The Windmill was designed to meet a teenager’s need for speed, but the MerryMac would be a great and comfortable boat for every age and skill level.
Looks like a great family project for kids to build and sail. It’s a definite step up from the Puddle Duck Racer. Put me down for plans too.
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I would buy the plans also. Looks like a great boat for me as well as my grand kids!
One more for plans. This one in Quebec.
I own a Windmill built in 1978; I bought it when I was a teenager. I too was immediately struck by the resemblances between the two boats, notably the hull shape and structure and the total lack of creature comforts. For comparison’s sake: LOA 15’6″, beam 4’8″, sail area 119 ft jib plus main. The Mill is fast and fun and a handful in a blow, demanding two agile sailors. Because my dinghy racing days are over and I still love the boat, I am considering how to make it more of a daysailer: convert dagger to centerboard (the dagger draws nearly 4′), add decks and flotation, add seating, some reef points and maybe some internal ballast.
I vote for a plan set too. Love the simplicity.
I’m land-bound in Los Angeles but I’ll buy a set when they become available.
I have built several “Good Little Skiffs” from Pete Culler’s design, which is available in his book Skiffs and Schooners. It’s 14′ long, flat bottomed, and has a nice flare. It rows and sails very well, and I have visited a number of islands here in the Salish Sea in on of mine. I’ve built them in marine ply, despite Culler’s objections, at a cost of about 600 dollars in materials and they all performed flawlessly. I use the sprit rig shown in the book and it is indeed a very fine small-boat rig. I now row and sail a 17′ faering with end compartments, a shallow keel with a steel shoe. It’s an excellent beach cruiser, but a bit heavy for hauling up a beach at low tide. The skiff was handier for that.
I would buy plans also.
I may be interested in plans but I would prefer to save time and suggest the builder consider producing kits.