Greetings from the Florida panhandle! I started on a Hobie 16 in highschool, then after a hiatus of being busy I snagged a Hunter 31. Turns out the Hunter is just too big (and I'm not a fan of the slip fee), so I'm poking back around beachable cats. It looks like a H18, Nacra 5 something, or Getaway would serve me well. Just here to do some research.

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Florida Panhandle, former H16 owner, Looking for similar but a tad bigger
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Welcome! Where were you sailing back in High School? Did you race?

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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I never raced. I participated an a H16 regatta once. I came in last. I had no clue how to get from point A to point B quickly, but I did know how to go fast in a straight line. In that instance, the two didn’t line up. I also sailed in the same place, at the same time with a Nacra club a few times.
I launched from Carl Gray to n Panama cavity mostly.

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Florida Panhandle, former H16 owner, Looking for similar but a tad bigger
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The Florida panhandle is a wonderful place for beachcats. The Hobie 16 is always a good choice. The other classics that are a little bigger like the H18, Prindle 18, Nacra 5.7 (570) depend on where you have to store and launch and if you have crew to help setup.

A lot has happened over the years and current beachcats have evolved into high tech machines with spinnakers and foiling!

Check out the current Nacra line here.
https://www.eastcoastsail…tegory/multihulls/nacra/

The Hobie Getaway is a good durable boat that can carry a load, and if you are single handing most of the time the Hobie Wave is a lot of fun and super easy to setup.
Current Hobie line.
https://www.eastcoastsail…tegory/multihulls/hobie/

Some basic information would be helpful, such as:

Number and size of people you plan to sail with?
Preference of fiberglass vs. roromolded hull construction?
General sailing location (lake, bay, ocean) and expected weather conditions?
Sailing style - cruising, speed, performance?
General budget and new vs. used?
Specific features of the boat desired (double trapeze, wings, spinnaker, furling jib)?

sm

Dogboy

Some basic information would be helpful, such as:

Number and size of people you plan to sail with?
Preference of fiberglass vs. roromolded hull construction?
General sailing location (lake, bay, ocean) and expected weather conditions?
Sailing style - cruising, speed, performance?
General budget and new vs. used?
Specific features of the boat desired (double trapeze, wings, spinnaker, furling jib)?

sm

People: 2 adults at 500#, but occasionally 4 adults.
Construction: Probably fiberglass
Location: Bay and Gulf. I like going out when choppy, but may have to give that up due to other requirements.
Style: Something that FEELS fast. The H16 was awesome!
Budget: Used. probably will be

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Florida Panhandle, former H16 owner, Looking for similar but a tad bigger
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Half my post got cut off it looks like. Here it is.

...Budget: Used, probably will be a

Edit: Let me try again. (forgot about edit the first time lol). Maybe the less than symbol is disliked by the forum.

...Budget: Used, probably will be a less than $2k cat unless I find something around $8k that knocks my socks off.

I found the TomCat 6.2 and Pacific Cat 19 while perusing Craigs List. Both are interesting looking. They're light compared to a similarly sized monohull. The TomCat may not be a truly trailerable boat... looks like allot of setup. It seems that my requirements point toward a ~20' monohull, but those easily push a ton with the ballast required.



Edited by rinsky on Apr 02, 2024 - 05:44 PM.

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Florida Panhandle, former H16 owner, Looking for similar but a tad bigger
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At 500Lbs+ I would not suggest a Hobie 16 as it will be quite overloaded - they’re good up to around 350Lbs before becoming mostly submerged. Four adults on a H16 is pretty much a no-go.

A Hobie 18 could work and meet your price range, but even on an 18, you’ll be pusing the limit at 500Lbs.

A Getaway might be worth considering since they have a lot of hull volume and space with the forward tramp and optional wings, but they’re pretty low on the performance spectrum.

One of the 19 foot options could be the way to go, like a Hobie 20, Prindle 19, Nacra 6.0. They’re generally reasonably priced if you can find one and a good amount of hull volume and performance. They’re quite powerful boats, so you’ll need to be prepared for that when the wind comes up.

sm

I owned a TomCat 6.2. If you are looking for the performance of a beach cat, the TomCat is not the boat for you. It does not go up wind very well and is fast only in heavy breeze.

Beyond that, the hull to main body attachment seemed pretty suspect to me.

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dk

Blade F-16
Hobie 14
Corsair F-242
Mirage 25 (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
TomCat 6.2 (Sold)
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