In 1965, this Bill O’Brien-designed 26-footer was one of the fi rst production cruising catamarans to arrive on the market and was remarkably successful, with more than 200 built. She was built by Tom Lack, who later designed and built the Catalac range. The GRP-sheathed marine ply construction is susceptible to rot, but there are still enough Bobcats around in reasonable condition to make them a
good and cheap option in which to try multihull cruising. She has six berths – two in each hull and two on the bridgedeck, and a saloon with modest sitting headroom. At two tonnes, she is not particularly light, but she is a good load carrier, and with a big inboard diesel she can be regarded as a motor-sailer.

LOA 8.08m (26ft 6in), beam 4.27m (14ft), draught 0.63m (2ft 1in), displacement 2,034kg (4,480lb). Price guide: £6,000 to £8,000.