The Long Read · Heritage
The last catboat builders
For generations, a wooden boat with a single sail was how these islands worked. A handful of people still know how to build one.
Long before the cruise ships and the condos, the Cayman catboat was the working boat of these islands. Built by hand from local timber, light enough to row and quick under sail, it carried turtlers to their grounds and fishermen home again.
Fibreglass and outboard engines took over within a generation, and the builders grew few. Today the boats are raced and restored by people determined to keep the craft alive on the island.
[Builder interview to follow the shoot.]
Presented by Your Charter Company
As seen in The Antilles Collection Issue 01, High Season 2027. Page 9–16. Read it in the issue
