Hey Martinez (Dartman)-
Does your Dart 18 really weigh 90 pounds less than your P 18-2?
I looked up the specs online and couldn't believe it.
And you prefer the Dart to the Prindle in heavy air offshore?

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Sheet In!
Bob
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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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I was quite surprised to find out that the Prindle 18-2 was just a little heavier than the Dart 18! The Dart feels and actually looks much smaller, side-by-side, but my choice for heavy weather sailing is the Dart. I learned to sail off the Ventura coast in small craft weather in the Channel Island shipping lane and the Dart just felt more in control. With the downhaul tightened down hard and the mast raked back, it's ready to rock and roll. I've sailed in heavy weather with the Prindle 18-2 but near as much as the Dart. I felt somewhat tentative, but I did fine with a heavier crew. (Shawn Walls) You might recall the long reach back to Ventura Harbor during the Tri-Points Ocean Race. It took the faster Prindle 18-2's about 14-15 miles to catch me and they had a much larger sail area!!! None-the-less, I took my Dart about as fast as it would go with my crew trapping out and I really didn't want to crash and burn, since I had the handicap advantage. If you want to sail to Catalina Island in the near future, you have your choice of 4 Darts or my Prindle 18-2. I'll sail whatever is left!!!

Darts were developed for the North Sea and have small sailplans to handle the big winds

I have been on darts in 20-45 mph and they handle well in big air

I'm a Hobie 18 guy... but I sailed a rented Dart 18 this summer up in the windy north end of Lake Garda, Italy... the boat is very popular, and sailed GREAT!

I didn't want to flip as I didn't have a wetsuit, the water was cold, I dind't know if the mast was sealed...and I had my buddy's wife and kids with me.

The boat didn't have trap lines hooked up or we'd have really been screaming.

Overall impression is the boat is very light, very sturdy and I loved the sharp, pointy bows.

The wind was WAY up and there was a chop as the south breeze built and funneled into the north part of the lake. There were kite surfers all over the place like swarms of insects... and LOTS of Euro version Hobie Cats rented out, full with mast floats AND traplines..

I rented from a dude on the west side of the lake... next time I'd go to the East side (Malcesine) where the main Hobie rental place was...

Again, GREAT BOAT! I abused it, and the boat didn't care... I'd guess the boat I sailed was made in the 1980s and was holding up well. sails were bagged out, but didn't care, it was blowing!



Edited by robpatt on Dec 02, 2013 - 02:57 PM.

now have 2 dart 18 s, both green with pink sails! great cat, very fast in high winds on great south bay, south shore long island n.y. winds usually s.w. every afternoon 15 to 23 knots, can keep up with 5.7 Nacra (have one of those too),jib is petite doilee sized but single handed it does not matter. use to race small English sports cars(triumph,m.g.,Austin Healey) that always broke down, for some unfathomable reason these English built darts hold up and r well designed. skegs make it a drag to pull boat along sand to water so we have a winch set up to pull them back up the beach at end of day. would love to find a Florida beach to trailer down to this winter, since friends up here in north east getting ready for ice boating.100 pounds lighter than my old 5,2 I lost to Sandy. much lighter than Nacra 5.7 which has become too hard for me to singlehand anymore. Would love to try them out in the Atlantic , but 70 now and discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to sailing well off shore

FORGOT TO NOTE : ONE DAY AFTER HURRICANE 2 SUMMERS BACK SAILED 5.7 1984 VINTAGE CROSS BAY APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES (BIG MISCALCULATION)WITH MY CREW AARON, AND WE COULD NOT COME ABOUT/JIBE ,WINDS SO INTENSE PROBABLY GUSTING OVER 40 AT TIMES ,BLEW OUT JIB, BUT WE NEVER FOUNDERED, SO 5.7 GREAT IN HIGH WINDS TOO;SO WAS 5.2 WITH MASSIVE DAGGERS