Hi, I'm looking to get into Cat sailing and i'm trying to decided on a good indeterminate starter boat. I've sailed mono haul (All 420 home fleet) for 4 years in an extremely competitive setting. Just looking to have fun, go fast, and be able to take friends out every now and then. Local conditions vary by day (River sailing) anywhere from 5-30 knots and waves 1-3ft in good weather. From the research I've done I've pretty much narrowed it down to a Ncra 5.8, Hobie 20, or Prindle 19. Any help is appreciated!

~Thanks, Zack

Crew?

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Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
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Big boats to start with, especially the 20. You're not going to want to solo any of those 3 for the majority of your time on the water. I'm about 200 w/ gear and have solo'd the 5.8, have buddies that do it quite a bit, but it's still nothing short of a handful with any breeze at all.

Unless there's info you're holding back, I'd say go a little smaller. H18, 18-2, 5.5, 5.2, 5.7, f16, etc.

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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Quote

rying to decided on a good indeterminate starter boat

i would agree that starting on a 16', 17' or 5.2' is usually a better starting point. These boats will retain their value and you can upgrade after a season or 2.

River sailing makes me think of lots of tacking. boomless and less running rigging would be beneficial in those conditions.

How much do you weigh?? How old are you?? How heavy will the "regular" crew weigh is you have one?? Do you want to single most of the time?? I have a N5.2.. Son has a N 5.8. I have sailed cats for 25+years. N5.8 is too much for me at my age..That is my 5.2 in the pix here and I like it a lot.. .. Hobie 17 might be right too.. I have one and love the wings.. Hal

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Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
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Get a cheap easy to sail Cat like a Hobie 16, learn how to sail it and then move on. if you sail solo a lot get a boat you can right solo. This is why everyone is asking how big you are.

Not everyone but most start on a Hobie 16 and learn the differences of Cat sailing and then move on to more complex boats. A hobie 20 is a great boat but not one to Start sailing cats on, it will eat you alive. JMHO, HTH, Ricardo.

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Lake Perry KS
H-18
N-5.5 UNI +spin
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The H17 is the best boat for solo sailing but can carrying crew or guests. Be sure to get the sport model and for the ultimate luxury make sure it has wings.

larryburke

The H17 is the best boat for solo sailing but can carrying crew or guests. Be sure to get the sport model and for the ultimate luxury make sure it has wings.

Uh..

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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Probably the best perfromance boat to start on is the Hobie 16. Get a cheap used Hobie 16 in decent condition. Learn on it, sail the piss out of it and then go up to an 18 or 20 ft cat when you feel ready for it. The 16 has a simple rig, is a rocket ship and has a healthy sailing community. I love my Nacras but I also feel that they are a little more complicated and more of a longer term investment. If you are planning on getting one boat in the 16-18 ft range than a Nacra is a great boat, but if you are going to go bigger later and want to race now, the 16 is the best starter boat in terms of simplicity and cost.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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zerwin

I've pretty much narrowed it down to a Ncra 5.8, Hobie 20, or Prindle 19.

My $.02

No amount of monohull racing can prepare you for the three cats you have listed.
They are all high-end, complicated sailing machines, both to set up and to sail well.
You will also need to train a crew member to sail with you consistantly, and help with setup.
They all have three story tall masts which are not light.
These are not single-handed craft.

Buying a Hobie 20 and taking that out as your first cat will not end well unless the seller will spend days with you on and off the water teaching you the stuff you should have learned the first two years of owning a more reasonable beachcat.

The basics of cat sailing are different than that of monohulls, so much so that there are books written on the subject.
Master these basics before you subject yourself to a high performance/high dollar cat.

You will have great fun on a 16-18 ft Hobie/Prindle/NACRA/Dart and can take friends without experience once you have some.

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Really appreciate all the feed back, definitely think I over estimated the amount of boat I need/can handle just yet. Think its time to begin my search for a Hobie 16 or Nacra 5.2 which ever I can find depending on price and condition. Also since I forgot to add it before I'm 5'7 about 120 pounds any crew I would sail with is roughly the same, and I would be occasionally sailing solo if I could.

~Zack



Edited by zerwin on Apr 03, 2013 - 08:23 PM.

Hobie 16 all the way until you get bigger or get bigger crew. I solo my N5.2 and N5.7 but I'm over 200 lbs and can't right them consistently without a bucket. You will probably need a righting bucket to solo right a Hobie 16. Any of the 18 ft boats and larger would chew you up and spit you out for at least the first year or two. The 16 will be more than enough boat for you and you will fly with it!

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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At 120lbs, you might need two buckets just to right a hobie 16. IMHO you should focus on a Nacra 5.0 over anything else, for lots of reasons I'm too lazy to list.

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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(or a 500 or an SL16)

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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Quote

you should focus on a Nacra 5.0 over anything else

Uh..

Get a H17



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Jack B
Hobie 17
BC, Canada
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jackb

Quote

you should focus on a Nacra 5.0 over anything else

Uh..

Get a H17

No thanks?

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Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
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at 120 lbs a Hobie 14 is plenty of boat, easily righted by most anyone, easy to rig, easy to sail, easy to move around the beach or launch site. a great platform for any beginner.

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'life is too short to drink cheap beer'
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I agree with havlii, at only 120 lbs, an H14 will make life easy.
For what it's worth, the Nacra 5.0 is almost as hard to right as the bigger 5.7. I have both, at 170lb I can pull them up solo, IF there is a good wind blowing (15-20mph) AND I get them in the right orientation vs the wind when I hike.
If not, I need a bag, or another crew, even a small one.
I keep them fully rigged, except for the main sail. I will not step the 30' mast solo, if you have to setup the boat each day, get one that you can handle, or the fun ends quickly.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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At 120 You should start with a Hobie 14

well ... you asked for opinions... :)

I sail with a friend who is 130 and does very well on his h16. Even in heavy air. Granted he did have a lot of "support" when he started.

I would add prindle 16, to your short list (if you are looking at H16's). They are a great boat, with LOTS of spare parts around.

Obviously, the Hobie Getway I bought and is still sitting in the dealer showroom doesn't make the cut. lol. It's warming up down here a little and I'm getting excited.....farming season soon will be underway...they are planting corn in SE Missouri today while I was down there. SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!

Carry on!

O K Ok>> got a lot of H 16 props from folks here .. Well Yep the 16 is a great way to start if you are only going to do a "little" sailing this year".. Even if you have experience in mono"s.. For ME !! Looks like you have "IT" in the blood and are going to kick A** in your first Year.. It is only April !! Yep a H16 is easy to learn on. Cheap and easy to find.. BUT>> With basic sailing skills you will out grow it soon cuz other boats are passing you ( If racing is a biggie).. Why buy somthing you will out grow of in 2 - 3 months?? IF THAT IS ALL THE IS AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA!! Grab one. But if you you see a N5.2 or H 17 or the (H 16.. Ho Hum) grab one for similar price.

N 5.8 H 18 or larger.. No Way ..too big.. too Soon.. The lessons you will learn on the N5.2 or the H 17 will move you ahead of the curl!! Sorry Prindle boys and girls.. Never sailed one but they look heavy and I have showed them the horizon when we have sailed toghther here in N Ca. (Sorry Bill.. They had too kegorators in tramps and too many hotties on board)

SOOOO If you are olde, 72 like me... time is short. Grab the first boat you see that is close and cheap.. Sail the crapoola out of it this year.. (If I am going to find an A Cat it has to be steal... it has to be this year or next..) Sounds like you have a bit of time at 120 lbs and young. (No old farts are 120).. go for a sail early in the season with a local friend that you make with a a local fleet on his/her boat . YES!!!! Find a local fleet !! Spend a day sailing and bs-ing. Cat sailers all know where the DEALS are. They wish they could buy them but there wives wont let them. Grab one.. H 17 or N 5.2 and show them the horizon in September. Or grab a H 6 and putt around.. Sell it next year and grab a newer H16 rocket or a Nacra Rocket.. Patience Grasshopper.. Patience Grasshopper.. And enjoy.. H



I spent a long time trying to find my center untill I looked closley one night and found that it had wheels and.. & moved easily in the slightes breeze.. So now I spend less time sitting and more time sailing..

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Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
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If you are in Calif, I have a 5.2 that just needs hulls (new gelcote) sanded and waxed and needs assembly.. new tramp and good sails.. Also have several nice trailers. Email for me is my first name . last name @gmail.com

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Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
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Nothing wrong with a Getaway. It's an awesome family boat that will give you great service and lots of fun.

I think we all made some assumptions about Zack's budget, age and adrenaline tolerance, and they seem to be largely correct. When a beginner says they want something large, cheap and fast I immediately thing Hobie 16, after you learn you can dump it and buy something bigger. You can get a decent one for less than $1000 and parts are readily available. If you are a beginner and want a boat that you can grow into and have little interest in upgrading then the Nacra 5.0 is my go to boat with the 5.2 being a close second just because of the boards and boom(Prindles are also great but I don't have a lot of experience with them and there simply aren't very many in Western Canada) . If you are an experienced sailor want a rec boat that can go fast and is easy to sail my number one recommendation is the Nacra 5.7, it is by far my favorite cat. But those are my own preferences and there are certainly others who do recommend other boats very rightly.

I think by and large as a community on here we do a pretty decent job of identifying new peoples needs and wants. In this case we even did this through some assumptions gleaned by the tone of the persons post. Truth is there are a lot of great boats to choose from and each has some slight differences and advantages and disadvantages. Some of the best advice I've heard was 'get the used boat in the best condition that is the right size for your sailing wants and sail the crap out of it'. I'm not sure you can go wrong with any of the 16 ft boats out there if you follow that rule.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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