Sailing Magazine : The Beauty of Sail

There is a certain charm inherent to catboats that makes you just want to sail away on one. What’s nice about the Apby 20, designed by Tony Davis and built by Arey’s Pond Boat Yard in Massachusetts, is that it packs the charm and sailability of a catboat along with a useable cruising interior in a package that can easily be trailered to any great sailing destination your heart and your vehicle allow.

The hull is cold-molded using strip planks over a plywood mold. The mast and gaff are sitka spruce, and the classic finishes include teak coaming and rails, bronze portholes, a laminated tiller and traditional oak mast hoops. One of the benefits of a catboat is the area available for a cockpit, and in this regard the APBY does not disappoint. A spacious 7-by-6 foot cockpit allows plenty of room for lounging or bringing guests.
At the end of the day a functional cuddy cabin offers a spot to camp for the night. Those looking for more comfort can customize the interior with an enclosed head with hot water and a shower, a galley stove and heater, icebox and shore power. For the ultimate in cruising luxuries,  an autopilot, dodger, bimini and lazy jacks are available. Several outboard motor options are available as is a 9-horsepower Yanmar inboard diesel engine.

A centerboard offers a draft that varies from 2 feet in the up position to 5 feet in the down position and a centerboard trunk table is available.

A trailerable pocket cruiser is a great way to explore and when it comes in a package as classically stylish as the APBY 20, it’s enough to make anyone want to go off exploring.