Hello All,

This is my first post on this forum and I am in search of some advice! I am a 37yo father of two young girls 6 and 3. I have very little sailing experience, about 3 weeks a year at camp on a sunfish. Absolutely loved that thing, but it has been 30 years. I am selling my whaler and thinking of getting a Hobie or something similar. I weigh 240, my wife is 6' tall and not going to reveal her weight because she would shoot me if she found out. We are not small people. My daughters are 90 lbs collectively. Total crew weight would be 520-530 lbs.

We will be using this boat in the chesepeak bay, York, James, and rappahanock rivers around central VA and then dragging it down to the Carolinas and possibly Florida.


Can the professionals in the group recommend a solid starter beach cat for my family? I don't want a race boat, yet, looks like fun, but certainly am not ready! Little help would be awesome! Also if you know any for sale? Not afraid of a larger heavier boat, just do not want it to be too heavy for two capable adults to drag down the beach!

Thanks,

Mark

Hobie Getaway comes to mind

I concur.

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Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
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Don't have the experience/expertise level of others on this board, but was thinking Hobie Getaway seems about perfect before seeing two guys above voted the same.

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1998 P18.2
Sailing out of SHBCC, NJ
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I will add that to my list of possibilities! Should I rule out the 21 Sport Cruiser? Kinda digging the head room and the wings.

Wings on the Getaway is like a magic carpet ride for kids and kids at heart. Hulls can take abuse and carry increased load. Basically a sound beginner boat that it easy peasy to sail.

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Todd

Virginia
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fagan1

I will add that to my list of possibilities! Should I rule out the 21 Sport Cruiser? Kinda digging the head room and the wings.

Thats the big heavy boat to drag down the beach.

In a few years your daughters will be quite capable to sail the getaway. Not many other boats that will fit that bill. The getaway is a great boat, I had one a couple years. Its not a race boat by any means, but we really enjoyed it and my wife would like me to replace it.

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Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
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bacho

fagan1

I will add that to my list of possibilities! Should I rule out the 21 Sport Cruiser? Kinda digging the head room and the wings.

Thats the big heavy boat to drag down the beach. A 600lb cat is no joke. 400lb boats are bad enough.

In a few years your daughters will be quite capable to sail the getaway. Not many other boats that will fit that bill. The getaway is a great boat, I had one a couple years. Its not a race boat by any means, but we really enjoyed it and my wife would like me to replace it.

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Greenville SC

Offering sails and other go fast parts for A-class catamarans
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getaway fits the bill for many reasons
no boards
no boom
wings
front tramp
great starter boat and as bacho said "fun for experienced sailors too - who aren't racing. and if you want to race ... there is a getaway fleet so you can sail the exact same boat

the hobie21 has a boom, boards, huge mast and lots of sail area...
this is a lot for any sailor - esp a newb

PS get beach wheels . - no boat likes being sanded on the way to the water and back

MN3

PS get beach wheels . - no boat likes being sanded on the way to the water and back

True dat...

...and, some see the light and stop doing it after being confronted with their first unpleasant "bottom job."

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Hobie 16 (3 formerly)
MacGregor 25 (formerly)
Chrysler Dagger 14 (formerly)
NACRA 5.0 (currently)
High Point, NC
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Being a "sort of beginner", having a Hobie 21 and smiled the Getaway with my wife and 2 kids in the Keys...get the Getaway. We had an absolute stinking blast and what prompted me to buy the 21. I'd say they float about the same weight (the Getaway has high hull volume), but the 21 is more work, heavier, more to worry about and harder or impossible to get parts for, so you improvise or build. Getaway is fully supported.

If you buy used, watch for cracks in the plastic where the cross at joins the hulls. Anyway, if you really fall in love, you can get a second one to race solo or with one crew.

Ps, no regrets as it's like one of my old car restoration projects I used to have, but I should be sailing right now and not fixing wing socket leaks, replacing traveler car bearings, replacing standing rigging, replacing running rigging, and, and.....

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Chuck C
NACRA 500 Mk2
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