After reading through a number of the threads on the site and sites recommended I would appreciate a gut check before I part with my hard earned cash. I am looking for a single handed cat, I weigh in at 220 lbs and have been on a break from sailing for quite a few years but I want to get back on the water now living at the far south end of Lake Huron.

The options seem to be in no particular order:

H18, P18, N5.2, N5.5 uni, H17 (sport), Dart 18, N F17

Does anyone have any views on advantages /disadvantages of the boats? Would you consider any that should not be on my short list? I would like a challenge, and love high wind, high speed sailing so I would much prefer to persevere with a boat a little too much than make a change in a year or so. I think my wife would prefer it that way as well but that is another post for a different forum.

I like them all but would lean more towards teh N5.5, H17 and F17 just because they are more intended for single handing. The H18 and P18 like to have a little more crew weight. That being said I single hand my N5.2 all the time and LOVE it. Also consider the N5.7 if you can find one (no boards to worry about).

Basically any of the 17-18 ft cats will work for you. You would probably find a 16 ft cat a little small and would want to change it out quite quickly but you already figured that out.


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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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18^2 (18 square)...they are real performance orientated oats..
http://www.thebeachcats.c…topic-11472-start-0.html

dont know what type of sailing you want to do.

You might also try a P16. I agree a H16 would be a little small, but I hear the P16 has more hull volume which would help you out. One word of caution, is if you like high wind and fast sailing make sure you can right your boat solo.

I love to solo my H18M on lake Michigan in the right wing conditions, but I carry a VHF and keep near other boats and our beach with a spotter and safety boat when I am out solo.

Let us know what you end up with, all the boats you listed sound like good boats.

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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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I would consider a n5.0 as well. It and the 5.2 are quite a bit of fun to solo. As wonderful as the n f17/i17 may be, it might be a bit costly for the learning experiences that come with your first cat.

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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Why do all you guys who are over 40 & probably overweight want to raise 28'-28'1/2 foot masts with diamond wires cutting into you as you raise it--in the name of performance ? If you're on the southern end of Lake Huron, you probably have to launch daily--and therefore raise a mast. If 260-300 is optimal racing weight for a Prindle 16 and you're 220 wanting to single-hand and therefore needing to right the boat from capsize (we all go over), what better boat than a Prindle 16 with high volume hulls (and 40 #'s lighter than a H-16) and easy to raise mast ? Pete

i wouldn't trade my p-16 for anything...over 40, overweight(240), bad knees(loved football), don't always have experienced crew, etc.. as trailor sailors, always have to raise mast and launch from trailor. the p-16 is a tank but lighter than you think. easily rigged in few minutes, great rudder system, and now that i am getting her closer to tuned in proper, i can hang with bigger boats except when pointing high(dagger boards give advantage) but useually when i race they don't put me in the same class anyway. my buddy who sails with me is 250ish so we are close to 500lbs when out there...no problem. pete is right, p-16 is a great "seniors" boat, no disrespect to my fellow baby boomers!

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Why do all you guys who are over 40 & probably overweight want to raise 28'-28'1/2 foot masts with diamond wires cutting into you as you raise it--in the name of performance ?

Yes, performance. If i could afford a carbon mast, i would get one (same with carbon beams)

(the same reason you have 5 tornados and sail them solo i would guess?)

I have a Nacra 5.5sl and even if you did not have a jib its allot of boat to handle on the beach it wears me out getting it turned into the wind solo is a fight the mast is heavy the dagger boards are huge & heavy and pain in the ass to raise & lower solo. I use to solo a Hobie 16 all the time and I weigh 235 and I never felt like it could not handle my weight. Never sailed a P16 the only question on that would be parts availability and if the rudder system is the pull down with rope type I personally have had issue after issue with my 5.5 pull down rudder system and do miss the simple rudder system on the Hobie 16 plus I never broke it the thing is a tank.

prindle parts are easy to find new and used, from the factory and aftermarket. the rudders have a slight learning curve...get the slop out, tune and balance according to manual, hold down latch replace if need be, fresh lines, and they work like a charm. i like the solid glass blades, they are heavy and tuff. granted if i still lived on the coast and had mast up on the beach, i might have a big cat with all the goodies. i don't race nearly as much as have fun as we seem to be natural born at fun. i was a hobie guy my whole life until last year when my p-16 fell into my lap, still love hobie, always will, but the prindle handles the "big loads" way better. would be nice to still be 165lbs and tear up the race course but that is just a distant memory(diet and exercise help but 154 calories per pbr add up).

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Many thanks for the advice. I will add the P16 to my list and knock off a few as well.