I am seriously considering a new Wave. I would be trailering this boat whenever I want to use it. Can someone (hopefully anyone with similar trailering experience as well as any Hobie employees - Matt?) give me the
real world
scenario in terms of what it takes to rig the Wave to be ready to sail when trailering? Is it a hair-splitting, tedious hour long episode to set up and take down? Are there a lot of tedious little adjustments to the mast that need to be made each time one wants to sail? What is the real world bottom line on tjis for someone of average capability and skill, not an expert, but not a beginner, for example. I am particularly interested in this topic with respect to adjusting the shrouds and forestay as well as whether or not rigging this boat and stepping the mast by oneself if easy or if two people are required.
Can anyone give me some insight. I know a lot of people end up selling boats due to lack of use. And, often times, that lack of use comes from the frustration of having to rig the boat each time one wants to sail. I don't want to make that mistake. Please advise....
THANKS.
Hello gcmarshall,
I live a mile from the lake and trailer the boat each time i sail. Almost always I sail alone. Each time i step the mast i think "that wasnt so bad . It is much easier than a 14 or 16. This boat is so easy to set up and get on the water you sail it more often. Who ever designed this boat was a genius! It is a simple boat but it is rugged and espeically fun in heavy air. Get one. rbrazz
Are you sure you're not considering a H20?
Piece of cake. Rick says he can have the boat from trailer to beach, completely rigged, in five minutes. Of course, he's had a lot of practice, but I would think even a first-timer could easily do it in 15 minutes.
We leave our shrouds attached and we leave our rudders on for trailering. So all you really have to do is raise the mast, attach the forestay, pull the boat off the trailer and hoist the sail.
If I hurried, I could have it rigged on the beach with the sail up in less than 5 minutes. Piece of cake.., never had a an easier boat -- even more simple than a Laser or Sunfish.
Couple of tips:
1) You don't need to take the mast apart -- the mast is not that long anyway, so I leave it in one piece and tie it to the boat.
2) I leave the shrouds connected to the mast
3) Upon arrival, I put the base of the mast on the ball, use the tail end of the halyard and tie it to the bridle wire in the middle
4) Raise the mast. If you keep forward pressure on the mast, you don't even need the retainer pin.., haven't used one in a couple of years now.
5) Retrieve the bridle wire attached to the halyard and connect the forestay.
6) I always leave the rudders on as well.
7) Take boat off trailer and on to beach wheels
8) Hoist sail, hook up clew and go sailing. <img src=
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Not to mention, there are a good many organized Wave regattas around the country. So, Join Us!
Rick
thanks for all the info guys. really appreciated.
...even more simple than a Laser or Sunfish.
with all due respect, i am not sure i could agree with that. i've owned a Minifish for 25 years and it's just like a sunfish, only shorter. no shrouds, mast slips into a hole, sail remains rigged on the mast and boom, etc. probably the easiest boats in the world to car-top or trailer. anything with shrouds and a ball-mounted mast, such as the Wave, must be at least a little more time consuming, though still
easy
in the grand scheme of things.
thanks again.
follow up question--
1) should i get a trailer with or without the mast support?
2) when using a mast support can i leave the shrouds attached during transport on the trailer? what about the mainstay?
You don't really need the trailer mast support for a Wave. We just secure ours down flat on the boat, with padding, of course, at the support points. How far you can put it forward depends upon how long your trailer tongue is, but since it will probably be down the centerline of the boat, you can bring it pretty close to the back of your vehicle, so you don't have too much hanging out behind.
The bob is what will be in back, so in addition to hanging a flag back there, you can put a piece of reflective tape on the top of the bob if you are driving at night.
Also, because the Wave mast has the two separate parts, not glued together, you should secure both ends of the halyard at the base of the mast so the comptip cannot wiggle off during transport.
We do not detach the shrouds from the mast if we are trailering one Wave (or any catamaran, for that matter). I don't know you mean by
mainstay,
but I assume you are referring to the forestay. Rick covered that in his post above. That has to be detached in order to drop the mast. So you secure it to the mast by tape, shock cord, line, whatever, so it can't fall off during trailering. The shrouds (still attached to the boat and mast) are coiled up and also secured to the trampoline in the method of your choice.
And, as I said, we do not take off the rudders for trailering, but they should be secured in the
up
position.
As far as the Wave being easier to rig than a Sunfish or Laser, I have sailed all, and I have to agree that the Wave is definitely easier and faster to rig than either of those boats. At least it is for me. And,at the very least, it would be same time. And for sure it is easier to go sailing, because with the Laser and Sunfish, you have to get the boat into deep enough water to put in the daggerboard and then try to jump aboard -- I'm too old for that stuff. <img src=
alt=
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Years ago we did demos at the Atlantic City show... from a pile of parts (hulls seperate from crossbars too) we used to rig to sailing ready in 7 minutes.
The whole design was intended for simplicity... right down to the hook in the main halyard rather than a shackle with screw pin. All meant to save rigging time and increase fun time!
To expound further on this discussion, I sailed the Wave last night solo. I was on the water in 20 minutes without rushing. I put it back on the trailer solo (and I am over 50 years-of-age and only 150 pounds). Heck, it is so easy to takedown that I usually do it with a beer nearby.
I have owned a Hobie 16 and an Inter 18---this Wave is so simple to rig. The mast is light, the boat is light, it only has a main, and there is no traveler or mast rotator.
Buy the boat and go sailing with your family (or sail alone, both ways it is simple to rig and a fun boat).
Bob