Man you guys must be getting sick of all my question by now! Well It's been 3 weeks of sailing pretty much every day and I think it's fair to say that I'm hooked! I've been using the wave at the sailing club and I've got the urge to see new sites. Sadly I can't leave the harbor with the clubs boats so I'm thinking of getting my own. Other than the wave and the getwaway I don't know anything about cats. Here is what I like in the wave.
1. Easy to rig
2. Easy to sail..not complicated
3. Seems pretty roomy.
4. No boom to watch out for.
It seems like I should get a wave, but looking at craigs list they are as rare as hens teeth. Which other boats could I look at that have some of the same features of the wave?
Nacra 5.0.
Supercat 15 or 17 if you can find one. Nacra 5.0 (500) nacra5.7 (570), or hobie getaway if you don't mind a little less performance than the others. Depends really on what you want to do with the boat and how many will be aboard
Edited by tnell on Jul 22, 2013 - 03:56 PM.
prindle 15
prindle 16
hobie 16
Oh Just go for broke MacGreggor 36............
With your criteria and just learning still. Get a Getaway and have fun. Ricardo.
Hobie 16
I'm guessing this cat is real near you.
http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/boa/3906508908.html
Dart 18, Dart 20, Gcat 5.0, Gcat 5.7, Nacra 5.7 are also hookless boats
I was down at the hobie shop checking out cats today and he mentioned that Nacra no longer exists and it's impossible to get parts. Is that the case? I like the looks of the 500.
he lied
Prindles are no longer made
Nacra is still around and strong (edit - Nacra Europe is still strong, not sure about nacra USA) - they have recently developed the carbon20 and N17 (new Olympic cat)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Catamaran_Racing_Association
Edited by MN3 on Jul 24, 2013 - 10:08 AM.
Prindles are no longer made
and you can still buy new parts(not hulls) from murray's as well as plenty of available used parts..CHEAP! sounds like he gave you the ole hard sale!
domromer wrote:
It seems like I should get a wave, but looking at craigs list they are as rare as hens teeth. Which other boats could I look at that have some of the same features of the wave?
Probably as easy to find a Wave as any other specific beachcat, they have sold an absolute ton of them. All depends on how far your willing to go and what budget you have. I know some rental fleets sell off their Waves and buy new ones every year or two.
Here are the ones listed in the classifieds.
http://www.thebeachcats.com/classifieds/search.php?searchid=16501
THe next step is definitely a 16-17 ft boat. Hobie 16 all they way, but it has a boom, Nacra 5.0 or 500 is probably the best boomless boat but they can be expensive and harder to find. If you get a 500 you probably won`t need to upgrade in the future unless you get into racing. Nacra parts are easy to get except for the older castings and boards and the 500/5.0 is still being made.
I always recommend a Hobie 16 because there are so many available, which also makes parts easily available. Have you sailed one at your club yet? Does have a boom, I don't consider it roomy but it is on par with other cats. Not difficult or complicated to rig but there is more going on than the wave for sure. Be prepared, all these cats mentioned are much more performance based than the recreational wave. Nothing to be afraid of, but they will feel more of a handful than the wave. Especially as wind gets around 15 or so. Your in a great area, sail as many as you can before making a decision. All the suggestions have been good ones. Just a matter of how hard you want to look
Everyone has opinion of course and there are some really smart people on this site. I am not one of them. I owned H16 and a P16, the Prindle was easier to set up and sail. Having said that 25 years later I went looking for a H18 or a P16. I found a Nacra 5.2 for $500 ready to go. I haven't looked back. Get the best deal and learn to sail it.
I will agree with most here. Find an inexpensive 16 foot boat and give it a try. Most will have a boom, but that shouldn't scare you away. If you have the budget a Hobie Getaway is like a big wave, with a family oriented design. Where most 16 foot cats are more performance oriented, well they were high performance in the 70's and 80's when originally designed....