I have settled on a list of boats that appear to meet my needs: Fun fast solo sailing, Not planning for racing, single or double hand for about 400 lbs, (I will have family crew but with little experience), relatively light weight to be launched solo, safe sail plan that can either be reduced or has no boom, (exception Taipan 4.9) & generally found for under $4000.
The list:
Taipan 4.9
Dart 18
Mystere 5.0XL
They are not apparently easy to find here in the North East. Since I have only been looking for 2 months it could be the season but my sense is they will still be hard to find.

1. Any suggestion on where to find them?
2. Any other cats I should be considering?
3. Any other criteria that I should be considering?

Thanks!

Those boats are hard to find anywhere,

Did you consider Hobie 18 or Prindle 18, 18-2, 19

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Kenneth Purdy
Hobie 16
Nacra 5.2 (2)
Banshee
First Coast, Florida
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Not of big help but there was a Mystere 5.0XL for sale not long ago (few weeks) in Québec city. The ad was posted in Lespac but is not there anymore. Maybe out only for the season. He was asking $3895.00.

Maybe next spring it will be reposted.



Edited by coolhead on Nov 21, 2013 - 09:10 AM.

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AB
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What Ken said. I found a Prindle 18 in New Hampshire a few months ago. There was a P16 available in Truro. Not sure if it sold or not. Where in New England are you located? Pete

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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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I'm located in RI.

The Prindle 18 @ 335lbs and Hobie 16 @ 320lbs could be options but they are heavier boats. Dart 18 & Taipan 4.9 are 80 - 100 lbs lighter, much easier to deal with launching and trailering in solo situations. Mystere5.0 weighs in at 315, maybe I should remove Mystere from the list or suck it up and lift a little more weight and increase my cat options! I expect to sail the boat solo about 75% of the time but it's a no go with the wife if she cannot enjoy it also.

I am in a similar situation. WIfe has to enjoy or I'm dead. We sailed hobie 16s years ago, but she was petrified of pitchpoling. The P18 is complete game changer. It is such a stable and manageable boat. And it moves.

Look up Fleet 448, great bunch of catamaran sailors. They secured a spot in Greenwich Bay to sail anytime. We were members about ten years ago and we will be joining again next spring. That way you will always have a group to sail with. I bet your wife will be more comfortable knowing there are people around to help.

I was willing to travel several hundred miles if I had to in order to find a boat. The market around here is sparse. Plenty of Hobies, but others are tough to find. The Hobie 16 is a fun boat, easy to find and relatively inexpensive. I am a huge fan of Prindle, if you can find one. I am surprised at how light my boat is, given its overall size. My second choice was going to be a Hobie 18. Heavier, but a lot of fun. Oh, and my P18 has no daggerboards or centerboards to worry about.

I wanted something that could fit my kids and dog as well. The Hobie 16 does not like anything more than two people. My Prindle on the otherhand can easily handle four people. I had my dad, one my girls and me on it one day and we were flying a hull. It never missed a beat; the boat was flying.

Nacra is awesome as well. Unfortunately I could not find one. I like the ones that are skeg design. There was a 500 available through Rick Bliss but I think he wanted ten grand. Ouch. I will try to find the link for you. He may be able to help you with your quest. Pete

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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Found him........... Wow the 500 sold

http://www.new-england-catamarans.com/hot.html



Edited by peterk123 on Nov 21, 2013 - 09:33 AM.

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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
--

Quote

The Prindle 18 @ 335lbs and Hobie 16 @ 320lbs could be options but they are heavier boats. Dart 18 & Taipan 4.9 are 80 - 100 lbs lighter, much easier to deal with launching and trailering in solo situations

I have a Hobie 16 and i can launch off the beach or boat ramp, trailer, step the mast and sail in wind conditions up to about 15 knots solo with no issues. Beach wheels a must. I have a mast stepper but I usually look around for someone to clip the forestay to the bridles

With that said, I would love to have one of those boats that you mentioned and can only imagine what 80-100 lbs less weight would be like. I always thought when the Hobie 16 finally gives in, I will upgrade, that was about 20 years ago.

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Kenneth Purdy
Hobie 16
Nacra 5.2 (2)
Banshee
First Coast, Florida
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I will check out the Prindle 18, might work, not much more weight than Hobie 16. Hobie's do not have the hull volume I would like to have.

Not sure if your interested but I have a 1982 supercat 15 with 2 sets of sails both with there own sets of battens. One is red white and blue and is still in okay shape. The other one is brand new and never been used. It also has a trailer. I haven't had a chance to list looking for $4,000. Shoot me a pm if your interested and ill send you some pictures. It also has shroud extenders which allow you to right it with only about 150 pounds of weight.

Quote

2. Any other cats I should be considering?

A Nacra 5.0 or the newer 500 would suit your situation well. If you are considering the Dart 18, then the Nacra 5.7 is doable, faster too. There are a few in the NE.
The Mystere 5.0 is nearly a clone of the Nacra 5.0.

Quote

there was a Mystere 5.0XL for sale not long ago (few weeks) in Québec city.

The ad is still up. I looked seriously at this boat, it's in very good shape & quite new. He offered it to me for $2700 (Cdn$), & I think $2500 cash waived in front of him would buy it. I decided it was to much like our Nacra 5.0, & so decided to go whole hog & buy a Mystere 6.0XL
There is also a Mystere 5.5 Fun,(like the 5.5 only with skeg hulls). He wants 4K for it. Here are the ads. I can PM you both their emails if you want.
The ads are en Francais, just copy the text, & paste it into Google Translate, it won't be a perfect translation but you will get what you need. Both these vendors have a good grasp of English, & can answer any inquiries. He sent me some other photos of the 5.5 I can forward to you.
http://qc.kijiji.ca/c-aut…ERE-5-W0QQAdIdZ507725992

http://qc.kijiji.ca/c-aut…ERE-5-W0QQAdIdZ507725992



Edited by Edchris177 on Nov 21, 2013 - 08:37 PM.

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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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The best deal out there for the family is the Mystere 6.0XL w/ wings. Priced well, I've seen this boat. Chicks and kids dig wings, period. The boat scoots! Not any more a handful solo, than a P19 or Hobie 20, which I've sailed often. Any of them are handful over 15 knots solo. Step up. If I didn't have two boats already it would be my play boat. Trapped out on a wing, flying a hull
on that thing is alot of fun. Think of it as a Getaway on steroids.

You need to be willing to ship boats when you have a list that is so small. There is a taipan 4.9 in Clearwater Florida that you could probably purchase and ship for your budget price.

Dart 18 in upstate NY

http://albany.craigslist.org/boa/4117804459.html



Edited by pknapp66 on Nov 22, 2013 - 07:50 AM.

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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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candcmk135

I will check out the Prindle 18, might work, not much more weight than Hobie 16. Hobie's do not have the hull volume I would like to have.

I wouldn't bother so much about weight. 16 ft beach cats are already too heavy to slide on the sand by yourself. You can but it's a pain.

Beach wheels are the answer.

About taking the boat on or off the trailer, I don't see weight as the main factor either. If you don't like to put the trailer on the water, the winch deals with the weight. Beach wheels can help to get started too.



Edited by Andinista on Nov 22, 2013 - 10:37 AM.

Quote

The ad is still up. I looked seriously at this boat, it's in very good shape & quite new. He offered it to me for $2700 (Cdn$), & I think $2500 cash waived in front of him would buy it. I decided it was to much like our Nacra 5.0, & so decided to go whole hog & buy a Mystere 6.0XL
There is also a Mystere 5.5 Fun,(like the 5.5 only with skeg hulls). He wants 4K for it. Here are the ads. I can PM you both their emails if you want.

thanks, I'm looking into it.

I sent the info requested via PM, it still shows as "unread".

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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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