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

What do you mean by "social weekend sailing" If you want to entertain
friends you might find that a Catalina 22 or something like it would better
suit your needs for that. Catamarans are really fun but they are mostly
designed to go fast for short periods of time with very small crews. A 22 or
25 foot monohull is a comfortable sized boat for entertaining without
getting in too deep too fast. If you are certain that you want a catamaran,
find a local club that races them and go talk to them on race day, you can
see first hand any question you could think of answered on the spot. I have
a Hobie 16 that has given me many years of service, but Nacra makes a fine
boat as well, there is a lot of information out there. Good luck! and
welcome to the lifestyle!