A boat or yacht that is cat-rigged has a single mast, stepped well forward, carrying a single fore and aft sail, behind the mast.
Also cat-rigged are catboats,[1] a traditional style of wide-beamed, shallow-draft boat, typically gaff-rigged with a centreboard.
The term 'cat' may come from the 'cat head', a protruding cross beam, not far behind the bow, or head, of a sailing ship, to which the anchor was attached when the vessel was preparing for sea.
The mast of a cat-rigged boat is stepped near the point where the 'cat head' would be.
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