MARICAT 4.3

About the MARICAT 4.3

One of the earliest and most successful beach catamarans from Australia. Many of the earlier boats were sold to resort hotels, sailing schools, etc. The original builder was J & S Fiberglass until 1982. The manufacturing rights where then taken over some time later by Mariglass (Seawind Catamarans??) until the mid nineties. Later boats were built by Ross Guinea of Brisbane (Brisbane Catamaran Centre). A few modifications to the original design have been made over the years to keep the cost down. The rear beam and the traveller track were integrated into one extrusion and a one-piece trampoline replaced the original two piece version. The small cruising jib however, was replaced with a larger racing jib. Still in production as of 2008. Most often raced in the following configurations: Class A Cat or UNA rigged single handed. Class B Sloop rigged double handed. Class C Supersloop with trapeze, sloop rigged single handed.

The Maricat 4.3 is a compact fractional sloop designed by Alan Mayer and Claude McCullock, built by J & S Fibreglass in Australia. With 3500 hulls built in 1976, this model represents a significant production run for its era, offering a lightweight and nimble sailing experience.

Best for:

This boat is best suited for coastal cruising and daysailing due to its small LOA of 13.78 ft and light displacement of 198.0 lb, making it easy to trailer and handle for single-handers or couples.

Bluewater capability:

With a capsize ratio of 5.19 and a comfort ratio of 1.65, the Maricat 4.3 is not designed for offshore bluewater passage making and is strictly intended for protected coastal waters.

Comparables:

Comparable boats include other small trailerable cruisers from the mid-1970s such as the O'Day 23 or Catalina 22, which share similar fractional sloop rigs and target the entry-level coastal market.