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Junior Member
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Oct 2005
Posts: 2
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I have had a Hobie 18, and Dingo ( many monhulss) -- presently sailing a Tornado and a Laser. We used to rent Hobie 16's. For simple fun I recommend a Hobie 16 -- no boards, and they are elevated a little off of the water. The boat is very hard to damage. When you are done you can sell it easily.
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Originally Posted by Matt O'Toole
wrote:
Hello, I am just getting into sailing and would like to purchase my
first Cat. My wife & I would like something that we could use for
social week end sailing & eventually for regattas. I am a little
confused about all the different kinds of Cats available &
features.......I think I have narrowed it down to a few but would
appreciate some advice from experienced sailors before I buy. I have
been reading about the Hobie 16, Getaway, Wave...the Narca models &
the G-Cat's. What are the pro's & con's of each? which company & model
has the best rep for quality? Is most of the sailing at the beach or
is there any sailing done on local lakes around here? Is there any
place around the Tampa Bay area that We could rent any of these Cats
to try out before we buy? I live in Tampa Bay so I would be sailing
around this area mostly. Sorry about all the "newbie" questions, any
help would be greatly appreciated. thanks ArchAngel
I'm not familiar with Tampa, but take a ride around and see what other people
are sailing, and especially racing. It's best to stick to what's popular.
You'll have instant friends and mentors in the local fleet, plus a healthy
supply of good boats, gear, support, etc. Finally, you won't be stuck with a
white elephant when its time to sell your boat.
If you're seriously considering a brand new boat, I'm sure the local dealer can
arrange a demo ride. Otherwise, contact the various class associations. They
can usually put you in touch with local sailors who will give you a ride, or
have you crew in a race. Any class is always trying to recruit new members.
I've sailed and raced the Hobie 14, 16, and 18 extensively. IMO the 14 is a
waste of time and money, being suitable for just one person, and barely at that.
It doesn't tack well without a jib. The add-on jib helps it tack better and
maybe go faster, but it's still a one-person boat. The advantage of the 16 is
its popularity, and low cost. It's the most popular catamaran class by far, and
one of the most popular one-designs ever. I think the 18 is a better boat
though, and if there's a healthy 18 fleet in your area I'd get one instead. It
goes upwind a lot better, doesn't pitchpole constantly like the 16 does, and can
handle extra passengers a lot better.
The older Nacra boats like the 5.8 were arguably better than Hobies, but never
had quite the class following. Of course the newer ones, plus the newer Hobies,
development classes, etc., are great -- but perhaps too much boat for a
beginner. They're also much more expensive.
The Getaway is a great boat for beginners and casual sailing. It can actually
carry 3-4 people comfortably, or 2 plus camping gear. It isn't as fast or
lively as the 16, but is still plenty for most people. I'm told it goes upwind
about as well. A G-Cat is similar but higher performance, and unfortunately
rarer. Actually it's faster than a Hobie 16 in light air, not as fast in a
breeze, and better upwind. IMO it's the best of the board-less cats. A lot of
resorts have used G-Cats for their rental fleets.
The Hobie 21 looks like fun -- a fast boat with some real load-carrying
capability for cruising. I haven't been aboard one but I'd sure love to try it.
I'd cross to the Bahamas and camp-cruise in one of these, at least in favorable
weather. It might be more boat than you're looking for though.
HTH,
Matt O.
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