"Ummmmm" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi. My old Sunfish died last winter -- the transom has been patched
one time too many, finally fell off completely, so I am looking for a
new boat to replace it. I can get another Sunfish easily enough, but
I'd like to consider other options. The ones I have found are the
Vanguard Pico Plus, and the Esacpe Rumba / Escape 12. Anybody out
there have any experience with these, any other small sailboat (besides
the Sunfish) that I should look at?

I am a 230 lb, middle aged, not-so-athletic-anymore guy, with wife and
7 year old kid. It'd be nice to get us all on the boat, maybe,
sometimes. Usually it's just me and the kid. We live on Cape Cod
(windy), usually sail in ponds or harbors.

Any advice at all would be appreciated. Thanks.


I'd vote for this:

http://www.hobiecat.com/sailing/gall..._num=16&res=lr

A friend had one many years ago. He was an expert, but he invited me out a
few times and I had no trouble making the thing go, stop, but not roll over.
Great little boats. Well....OK...I did roll it over once, but he wanted me
to learn how far the thing could be pushed before that would happen.

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

A friend had one many years ago. He was an expert, but he invited me out a
few times and I had no trouble making the thing go, stop, but not roll
over.
Great little boats. Well....OK...I did roll it over once, but he wanted me
to learn how far the thing could be pushed before that would happen.

Did you ever 'pitchpole' one? That might scare the little ones.

Pitchpoled while in the "Low Rent Regatta" in Virginia Beach. Racing with a
friend on his new Hobie 16. What a rush, flying thru the air on the end of a
string! Neither of us hit the mast. At that point we were in third place of
probably 120 boats and ended up finishing about 40th.
I later bought a Boston Whaler "Supercat 17". Great boat. Hulls were more
like a Nacra, rounded on top and spilled water if dug in instead of
submarining like the flat top Hobie 16 hulls. Had a lot more buoyancy too, a
full battened main, no boom, and roller furling.
MMC
"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...

A friend had one many years ago. He was an expert, but he invited me out
a
few times and I had no trouble making the thing go, stop, but not roll
over.
Great little boats. Well....OK...I did roll it over once, but he wanted
me
to learn how far the thing could be pushed before that would happen.

Did you ever 'pitchpole' one? That might scare the little ones.

I used to sail a Hobie, years back. Yes, I have pitchpoled it. Ouch.
I gave them up in favor of sailboards at the time, because I was
interested in going real fast, and I got fewer, smaller bruises hitting
the spars on a sailboard.
I think Hobies are great in light to medium wind. Maybe its just my
memories of insane speed sailing on them, but I guess I'd rather have a
singlehull.