CATARAFTING

The SOTAR Legend

Designed for big water, The Legend handles unbelievably well in Technical Class IV and V water.  The Legend tubes were designed for the big drops. 

The revolutionary Sotar Legend Cat tubes are anything but ordinary. The most popular 12'6"x22.5" might be a little cat by some people's standards, but it has a whole lot of attitude. You continue to see more SOTAR Legends out on the water every year because of their fantastic agility and performance. The original 3 panel fairy shoe design has been tweaked and perfected over the last 10+ years by Ted Day with Payette River Equipment (our Idaho Rep for over 20 years) who pushed SOTAR to build the ultimate big water cat boat that can handle the insane things that ordinary boaters would just shake their heads at.

Having the right gear for the right river is one of the most important things you can do. The Legend handles unbelievably well in Technical Class IV and V water where the performance and the characteristics of the Legend really stand out. The SOTAR Legend takes cat boating to a whole new level of performance, allowing you to stay in control and on top of the water. The Legend tubes were designed for the big drops and will step up to the challenge and outperform any other cat boat in big technical water. We offer an 11', 12'8", 14' and 15'6" model and all have the easily recognized oversize tube diameter, 3 panel Sotar continuous curve design, and super high upswept ends that help the Legend cats do what they do best.

The Classic ST Cataraft 

First designed in 1990, SOTAR’s continuous curve Cat design has become an industry standard. By eliminating all cross-miter seams, we decreased drag and increased performance. The continuous curve design allows SOTAR, to change the shape of the tube gradually throughout the tube length.

With this shape and our experience, we have fine-tuned this shape to optimize speed, quickness, and load-carrying capacity. 

The Liquid SL Cataraft

In the design of the SL Cat the profile of the tubes are changed and it has a reduced  stern tube diameter to lessen the leverage the current could apply to the tubes. With an increased tube diameter at the central pivot point it create a small footprint. 

Cats, by their nature, are quick and agile, although they do have some performance quirks. Both tubes can catch the opposing current when trying to change ferry angles. This makes it difficult to pivot and hold your ferry angle. Another characteristic of cats is the tendency to be launched airborne after entering a steep pushy hole. As the cat punches the hole, the downstream current catches the stern of the tubes and pushes them downward. The cat stands on its tail, sinks slightly, and then launches skyward.

In designing the SL Cat, we set out to solve these problems and substantially improve speed and maneuverability. First, we changed the profile of the tubes and reduced the stern tube diameter to lessen the leverage the current could apply to them. Next, we lengthened the waterline and reduced the attack angle, increasing hull speed and stability. We increased the tube diameter at the central pivot point to create a small footprint for incredibly fast turns. Finally, we added an incredibly smooth bottom for resistance-free rowing.

The result was a top-of-the-line performance-driven cataraft we call our SL series.

Fishing Cataraft 

The Coho Cat is the ultimate fishing machine. This is the newest member of our cataraft fleet. Ideal for fisherman, the Coho comes in two sizes: 11' and 13'. For the do-it-yourselfer, the 11' boat is meant for one-person. Row and fish all day long in this boat and you'll never use anything else. The 13' version is a two-person boat - one on the oars and one fishing off the front.