[quote=astglenn][quote=DamonLinkous][quote=astglenn]OK. I am going to keep my 82 Hobie 18. It is factory new condition. Whirlwind main and jib. [/quote]
Good deal, the Hobie 18 can handle a very wide range of crew weight. One note is that your 1982 model is in the heaviest range of model years. 1981 to 1983 were the heaviest, 1984-1986 the lightest (but most prone to failure) after 1987 you get the best rudder system, and after 1989 they are as good and light as they get. (unfortunately Hobie didn't sell many Hobie 18's after 1989 so they are hard to find)
[quote=astglenn]
Single hand well at its design performance envelope (running at 50% of capacity makes no sense to me) ...
About me: 230Lb
.....
Somewhere it became obvious that one boat can't do all things perfectly. I really hope that 2 can!
Thank you[/quote]
Since I weigh more than you I can tell you that NONE of the beachcats that are designed/advertised as single handed boats will sail at their design performance with 230 lb's on board. Doesn't mean they will all sink (like a Hobie 17 will with that weight) but it will be a dog.
I single hand my Hobie 18 a lot, even in regattas and distance races. The only problem is moving it around, getting it on and off the trailer, and raising the mast. Problems indeed. Lots of times I would like to trailer the boat down to the local lake but don't want to face it all alone.
I've looked at some of the lightweight boats that are designed for two-up as single-hand alternatives for big boys.
The Bimare Javelin 18 HT would be an interesting choice since it is meant to be two-handed, but is very light (less than 300 lbs) and only has main and spin. I could sail one of those like it was a giant A-Class cat and just leave the spin for when you have two aboard.[/quote]
You make a number of great points Damon. I am new to cats but not remotely new to getting a buoyant structure to travel through water. Let me put on my douche hat for a min. I had to get all these variables down to Newtonian physics so I could look at the characteristics inherent to the several particular platforms. Please excuse the departure into psychobabble. I get paid to do this, so I did a little "Gubment" work for myself. I work in DOD issues best left indefinite.
Your points tell the exact story that the data in my hydraulics and dynamics tables would suggest. A light bulb has gone on in my dimly lit head.
Wetted surface, Buoyancy, force, reaction and moment all form this fairly linear line to a Delta of operating range. I guess you could say that I am examining the "Formula" that some of the different boats follow. Each design and plan-form will operate outside of its formula range without a doubt. The tolerance of operation outside of the sweet spot is a derivative of the tolerance of the Formula itself. The hot boats do not like weight (additional wetted surface and longitudinal resistance) in a much more pronounced protest than a big truck like our Hobie 18's. Hull volume is a big part of the equation but it goes much deeper than just the buoyancy comps. It changes the force reactions (how the hulls change their plane) and a laundry list of downstream reactions. As tramp and line monkeys, we can adjust, but adjusting to compensate certain reactions only leads to an increase of another reaction that is likely worse. Your point holds water. No pun intended!
I can now clearly see why the Hobie 17, a boat that I assumed would be THE boat for me at 230, would essentially handle like a soviet wheelbarrow full of anvils at that weight. It would also likely fight back when attempting a tack and to a lesser degree a gybe. Too much wetted surface, driving a need for more push without sufficient lift, which reacts as more hull compression, which creates more resistance. The slower the hulls are moving, the more pronounced it would get. It's a lot like being married. The worse you want it, the worse you get it. When you need it really bad, you get it really bad.
From what my eagerly learning self has seen and calculated, at 230 I am soundly into a Hobie 18 or maybe Nacra 5.8 for learning and a detuned F-18 type of rig for flying. I am sure there are 17's with numbers that would support success. These two just stick out as easy examples. The A-cat platform has enough power to mask some issues I bet. A talented sailor can overcome much. I am not that as of yet by any means. I will be at some point.
So Damon. If I hear you right, sailing the H-18 solo is what I should go for. From what my calculations show, uhh, you are pretty much right![/quote]
