Hi

We currently have a Hobie Cat Wave but we are looking for a little bigger, faster cat with a jib now and we have come across a couple of Seaspray 15s. I'm wondering whether going from the wave to the seaspray will be much of a step up. We are looking for a good boat for single handed sailing in a reasonably deep lake in Alberta Canada.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Buy them both. Sea Spray 15 is an excellent (old school) boat for single-handing & very light weight. There are a few in Alberta where they were made for a while and there is a fleet in the Oconagon Valley in B.C. where the N. Americans are held every other year trading with the N. Cal. fleet. Pete

Thanks pbegle

Sounds like the Sea Spray is a pretty good boat. Is it different enough from the wave to keep me interested? A Hobie 16 sounds like it would be too much.

The Sea Spray IS a pretty good boat, it will be a good jump in speed over the Wave. There are usually a few for sale in Calgary. Get hold of the people at Lake Newell, down near Brooks, Alberta. There used to be a pretty active fleet there.
They have an unusual setup for pulling the rudders down. It uses a wire that goes into the bottom of the hull, the geometry gives you good leverage. As long as the tube the wire goes into is secure, there is no leakage.
Here is the Canadian Assc.
http://www.canadianseaspray.com/

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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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Thanks Edchris177, thats great to hear. I looked at one that is for sale yesterday. I had seen that the wire to the rudder went through the hull but not on this boat. The rudder lines both go up the rudder and over the hulls. No tube through the hulls at all. Is this a newer model or a modification?

sorry the lines don"t run up the rudder, they run up the mechanism that holds the rudder in place. (not sure what this is called)

Quote

Is this a newer model or a modification?

I think it is a mod, I thought they all went into the tube.
I have another residence in S Alberta, & thought of buying one of those boats to keep at that house. They are pretty fast for a small boat. Also light & easy to move around.
You will be sailing on mostly smooth water in Alberta,(but big wind if you're in the south). It would be a very good fit if you think an H16 is too much boat at this time.
The season is mostly over there now, waters getting cold, the boat will still be available in the spring. I would try to get in touch with the Cdn Assc, they could get you some time on the water in one.
If you get out to B.C., the other fleet is in Osoyoos. The contacts are in the website I posted.
Don't be in a rush to buy, I found some boats were way overpriced.

--
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
--

Check out T2, the latest offering from Hobie

http://www.hobiecat.com/sail/t2/



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Jack B
Hobie 17
BC, Canada
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Had the seaspray pictured above for about 2 months, it was ok but the poll across the front liked to hit the breaks if you hit any sort of water. Also there is no trapeze wires. look for a p16 or a h16 you'll be glad you did.



Edited by mryella on Sep 23, 2013 - 06:56 PM.

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Nacra 5.7
Falcon Lake Manitoba
Canada
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what would be a fair price for a boat in good shape? The boats here are in the 1500 to 2000 range. They seem to be in good shape. new tramp new rigging rudders and dagger boards. All come with a trailer

i paid 400 for the one above and that came with a really nice cat trailer. those prices you're talking about seem a little outrages considering i paid that for my nacra 5.7 with trailer and harnesses (that boats 19'). If you already know how to sail a cat pick up something bigger like a 5.7, h18, p18, etc. i went from the seaspray to the 5.7 and the learning curve wasn't that bad.



Edited by mryella on Sep 24, 2013 - 02:19 PM.

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Nacra 5.7
Falcon Lake Manitoba
Canada
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It all comes down to whats available, & how much cash the local population has.
Hihat is in Alberta. A doghouse in Cowtown requires a hefty mortgage.
I agree that $1500=$2000 seems steep for a Seaspray, BUT, there are not many Cats for sale in Alberta, & the people are awash in cash.
There are also not many available close by, (the Kootenais of BC, & Montana).
He either drivres long distance(with added cost), or bites it & buys local.
For that money I could get him a sail today Nacra 5.0, but it might not be very convenient to ship to Alberta.
Hihat, try to find out who bad they want/need to sell. perhaps they are moving?
Don't look like you are in a hurry to buy. Check Cowtown, Sylvan lk, even Edmo, you might be surprised how good a deal you scare up if you beat the bushes.

--
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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Thanks Edchris

I think you are right. When I go through any listings for anything here it seems junk is worth gold. Also What folks want may not be what they get. You never know what price they settle on.

I think we will wait and see what comes up over the winter. We aren't 100% certain the seaspray is the boat for us and we know we probably wont be doing much sailing now until next spring so there is no hurry.

On another note though, we did look at another seaspray last night and again there was no line for the rudders running through the hull. Seems this is either a particular design or 2 out of the two seasprays I have seen have the same mod.

Thanks to all for your input it has been very valuable for my son and I. I wish you all good sailing

http://alberta.kijiji.ca/…-foot-W0QQAdIdZ516731481



Edited by mryella on Sep 25, 2013 - 06:56 PM.

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Nacra 5.7
Falcon Lake Manitoba
Canada
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hihat899

We aren't 100% certain the seaspray is the boat for us

Definitely get a Hobie 16. These much more common, easier to get parts, and much nicer upgrade from a Wave. There will be more for sale in the Spring. My neighbor's got an older H16 for $1000, here in BC.

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Jack B
Hobie 17
BC, Canada
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Bit late to this topic. There is a difference in a Seaspray modified to be competitive for racing or enhanced recreational sailing as opposed to a typical recreational Seaspray that is the same as the day it was factory built. If you are lucky enough to get a race ready Seaspray with all the class rule allowable changes done to the boat it is definitely worth $3000 Canadian dollars & up, with trailer, launching dolly, new sails and weighing around 180 lbs all up. I would agree that a typical recreational boat is not worth very much if it hasn't been kept up. $400 to maybe $1500 depending on how it has been maintained seems fair. Anybody who is handy can fix up an old Seaspray for not a lot of money and have a lively, fun to sail, easy to manhandle, easy to right from capsize, boat with very simple controls. Check out the canadianseaspray website for info on modifications developed over the years by the competitors of this great little catamaran. I have owned different larger catamarans like the hobie 16, trac 16, and others, but if you don't have a crew or don't like to move heavy over built boats that can be difficult to right after a capsize then leave the bigger cats alone. A fully race modified Seaspray would include the following; sock sail or halyard sail with a light weight aluminum tube mast weighing half to two thirds the weight of an extruded aluminum mast (11 lbs-socksail, 17 lbs-halyard as opposed to 23 lbs), waterlogged foam flotation removed from hulls, split trampoline, boom-end mainsheet (no passing the tiller around the mainsheet), laminate sails, barber-haulers for the jib, okanagan steering (allows steering from forward of the main beam), through the hull rudder-blade downhaul system, thinner smaller dagger boards and rudder blades. These and other changes over the years are allowable within the class rules. The boat crossbeams, bow tube, mast, boom can all be sourced from the irrigation supply businesses, the deck can be removed from the hull and reassembled easily allowing repairs inside and out. There isn't a thing a handy person can't fix or fashion for this boat from easily sourced suppliers. You can easily double two boats on one trailer for twosome fun. Sails are available from North Sails out of Vancouver, building both sock sails and halyard sails. Hope these comments will help someone who is considering getting into sailing a Seaspray. If a boat has been partially or fully modified for racing or enhanced recreational sailing, price ranges would be in the $1500 to $3500 Canadian, depending what has been done to the boat, condition of the hulls, and if the sails are laminate, dacron, new or not so new.