Q: Small Cat: Time Trailer to Sailing?

Mary,
I am a long time cat sailor with kids that are now grown and I find myself looking for the right boat for me. I have a Hobie 14 with trap and no jib, and a Nacra 5.8. I single hand both, the Nacra when 0-11 knots of wind and 11-20 I sail the Hobie because I can get it back up when single handing. My wife no longer crews for me so I am usually single handing it. I can't afford an A-cat and I think mostly I will be pleasure sailing but might like to do a few distance races or bouy races. I have only seen one Wave in person but I thought the boat seemed fragile. The stays seemed super lightweight ( I guess compared to my Nacra ) so I never considered it. Your description makes me re-think my options. My question is how does the Wave handle compared to the Hobie 14? Faster? Pitch bowls? Does the Wave offer a trap option? I never realized the tramp was that large. As a CatSailor reader for years, I know you and Rick have promoted the boat, but your recent post has got me thinking maybe a Wave.

Rusty

Wouter,

To tell you the truth, I was indeed given an indication, but It was completely out of my range and I forgot! I guess my brain only filed the

out of range

message... The guy quoted me a used

Hobie Teddy

for which he was asking 3250 EUR (I wrote that down). I'm sure he would be glad to tell you if you called though!
Dennis

In a long ago post Matt Miller said the Hobie Bob has less drag than a crew's head. <img src=

alt=

/>

but that extra weight at the top of the mast reduces righting moment.

This is yet another inconvenient truth.<img src=

alt=

/>

However the bob will help keep her from going turtle so you’ll be easier to sight during rescue operations.

Re Hydra, ask specifically if the boat leaks and if so where from. These were fabricated out of many pieces and the topside seams tend to leak. Very well behaved and predictable. The mast is not so easy to put up single handed as the newer lighter 16 masts and cannot be upgraded to a twin trap as it tends to break. A propper sail boat though (not all cats are) which goes about on a dime and once trimmed correctly will give great fun.

Fragile

is a word I have never heard applied to a Wave. They are bulletproof. I think the stays are a little beefier on the

Club

model.

It is slower than the Hobie 14; and yes, it will pitchpole. Trapeze is an option, even though the boat doesn't need one. It is not suitable for most distance races -- too slow. You don't have a Wave racing fleet near you. And you don't sail in a high-wind area. So a Wave does not sound like the boat you are looking for.

If you rig a Wave with a roller-furling reacher (Hooter), it is substantially faster and more fun, and is still easy to singlehand -- but then you lose some of the simplicity factor as far as rigging the boat, unless you keep it set up at a beach.

This was just added to Marktplaats, seems perfect to me:
http://watersport.marktplaats.nl/catamar...ta-trailer.html

Nacra 5 is OK, Dart 18 is OK, Teddy = Tub on Train Tracks = heap. Dart 16 = perfect for family and singlehanded.