Nothing wrong with the Getaway, get the front tramp and wings and you can carry a baseball team.
Not much difference in rigging a Hobie 18 and Getaway, or any other sloop-rigged beachcat. They get a lot more complicated with spinnaker, and a lot simpler if they don't have a jib. Other than that it's all up to how well you know the boat and if you have any help that knows the boat.
When people quote "time to rig" it's almost a random number because of so many variables and peoples different definitions of "rigging" a boat.
What makes much more difference than the boat type is when you have skipper and crew who regularly rig the boat together, both know their jobs and what the other is doing, don't have to talk about it, don't have to figure out how something is supposed to be rigged, don't have to hunt down the parts needed, and don't make mistakes that have to be undone and redone.
That skipper and crew will have a short rigging time regardless of boat.
Unfortunately ALL NEWBIES MUST STRUGGLE to get to that point, it's just the way it works with anything new you are learning.
When people quote "time to rig" it's almost a random number because of so many variables and peoples different definitions of "rigging" a boat.
What makes much more difference than the boat type is when you have skipper and crew who regularly rig the boat together, both know their jobs and what the other is doing, don't have to talk about it, don't have to figure out how something is supposed to be rigged, don't have to hunt down the parts needed, and don't make mistakes that have to be undone and redone.
That skipper and crew will have a short rigging time regardless of boat.
Unfortunately ALL NEWBIES MUST STRUGGLE to get to that point, it's just the way it works with anything new you are learning.
unless my daughters are replaced by aliens, i have little hope of assistance from either of them. mechanical intuition isn't a character trait that i was able to pass on to them. i'm just glad that they and their mother enjoy being on the water. i am going to be doing the rigging. unfortunately i'm wondering if the getaway might not be the best choice after all simply b/c of the front tramp. i had forgotten about that feature. guess where everyone spent their time when we were sailing. oh well. we'll see if i can convince everyone of the benenfits of going faster!!!
Hi there, I'm kinda in the same boat as you.... I have two daughters 9 and 11, the four of us go sailing on our SuperCat 17 with no troubles. Some things that I like about the SC 17 now that I've had it for a while are that it's boardless and boomless, it doesn't have any poles or ropes holding the tramp up, just one big unobstructed tramp. The tops of the hulls are rounded which makes it nice on the kids when they are out on the wire. I've enjoyed the support from Aquarius Sail, the manufacturer. Seems to point well but this is the only Cat I've had. Some cautions about the SC17 would be, when you are going fast enough to be flying a hull you really have to be on top of your fore/aft weight distribution.
Having said all that if I knew then what I know now I would have also looked at a Nacra 5.7 or 570 but I am very happy with my SC17 for all that I've asked of it.
front tramps are great for storage (i added one to my cat) but for most sailing situations.. the front tramp is the wrong place to have a person.
that being said the ability to get the cooler, bar, tv, pool table and jacuzzi off the main tramp will free up area for the crew to have more room
when sailing slow with the family they loved sitting up there on the front tramp and getting wet. i just sat back at the helm and steered. it was slow going, but they had a ball. wondering now if it's possible to add a tramp to say a prindle 16 or hobie 18 that would be sturdy enough for people to lay on? i really don't want to buy a getaway if possible. for one it's beyond my proposed budget, and two it's just downright dull to sail. yeah sure it's simple and family friendly, but i'd really like to have at least a little performance out of my investment. if i wanted to go slow i'd buy a 25' monohull.
Hi there, I'm kinda in the same boat as you.... I have two daughters 9 and 11, the four of us go sailing on our SuperCat 17 with no troubles. Some things that I like about the SC 17 now that I've had it for a while are that it's boardless and boomless, it doesn't have any poles or ropes holding the tramp up, just one big unobstructed tramp. The tops of the hulls are rounded which makes it nice on the kids when they are out on the wire. I've enjoyed the support from Aquarius Sail, the manufacturer. Seems to point well but this is the only Cat I've had. Some cautions about the SC17 would be, when you are going fast enough to be flying a hull you really have to be on top of your fore/aft weight distribution.
Having said all that if I knew then what I know now I would have also looked at a Nacra 5.7 or 570 but I am very happy with my SC17 for all that I've asked of it.
i will look into a supercat 19. i loved that boat years ago, but didn't realize that they were still available. i'll call aquarius. thanks for the heads-up.
I agree with Damon on the keys to rigging time. It really comes down to practice and organization. I have setup my H18 by myself faster then the two people rigging a H16 at the same time. I got a hand to raise the mast, but can do everything else myself. There is incrementally more work the more complex a boat you have, but it also depends on what you take off for trailering and how you store things. Everyone does it differently and you need to learn what works best for you.
Look at the adds for another boat Dart Stampede-20: Boomless, clean deck, 4 trapeses, furling jib. Mast does not have diamond wires. Boat is trailored backwards making it easier to raise the mast. The mast is light. I can sail the boat singlehanded up to 20mph wind, I weigh 190, after that I need crew. Wife's weight is classified. I have sailed in over 40mph with 2 other adults on board, that is a little harry, Andrew can attest to that. A couple of weeks ago I took my brother, his daughter & her 3 friends out for a a cruise (ages 5-12). All had a blast. G-cat, Supercat 17 or 19, H-18, P-18, Nacra 570 would all be good choices.
d. I have sailed in over 40mph with 2 other adults on board, that is a little harry, Andrew can attest to that
I am not sure who little Harry is, the 3rd adult was an attractive girl. but yes, we did over 40.. we were all smiling from ear to ear.. the boat handled amazingly well.. even in the gusts (over 40) it held its own. i was VERY impressed with that boat.
thanks again for the continued replies. i'm probably not going to sail with "little harry", but good to know that the boat can handle it when things get a little hairy. not sure i know anything about darts. parts availability, etc are all concerns for me. certainly sounds like a nice boat. feel free to email me more info and pics. i'll need to know a lot more about it.
brad 2out2sea(at)msn.com
but i am sure you recall the mast is about 5999999 lbs
wondering now if it's possible to add a tramp to say a prindle 16 or hobie 18 that would be sturdy enough for people to lay on?
can it be done? yes. will the boat sail well... no (maybe downwind, but i wouldn't put weight that far forward ... up, down or sidewind)
only time they were up on the front tramp was when we were just piddling. the sheets were eased and we were in slow motion mode. they loved getting drenched as the hulls dipped under the swells. certainly trying to actually sail like that would have been a disaster. remind me to tell of riding the tramp on a custom 67' cat in 10' caribbean swells off of antigua. wild...
certainly sounds like a nice boat. feel free to email me more info and pics. i'll need to know a lot more about it.brad 2out2sea(at)msn.com
I have never owned a dart, but we have several in on our beach. about 4 years ago, i parked my h18 and went out on a dart18 as the storms were getting crazy. we were doing about 30 with a 10' rooster tail and it was pure bliss.
very hard to find any info on the g cat. did a couple of different searches and can't find a dealer. only one pic. the little i could read about the f16 sounds good. no boards, forward tramp, but fun and fast.
front tramps are great for storage (i added one to my cat) but for most sailing situations.. the front tramp is the wrong place to have a person.
that being said the ability to get the cooler, bar, tv, pool table and jacuzzi off the main tramp will free up area for the crew to have more room
It is true though that the Getaway has a little more flotation out front than most beachcats, and the factory front tramp is built to handle passengers, at least small ones.
but for just about any stock glass/gelcoat beach cat.. front tramps are for gear as weight that far forward will dramatically effect things like, balance, helm, weather helm, rudders, ability to tack, etc
very hard to find any info on the g cat. did a couple of different searches and can't find a dealer. only one pic. the little i could read about the f16 sounds good. no boards, forward tramp, but fun and fast.
G-cats are not in production currently, and haven't really been for many years. Last year the owner/developer Hans did make 1 new 5.0 but he didnt go into production. He does have a 34' power g-cat for sale. i was on it 2 weeks ago, and if i had the $300,000 i might buy it :)
They were designed as a fun and family boat but ended up being pretty darn fast too. there are pros and cons to not having boards (they have hulls like a h16, round and very sharp edge that turns the entire hull into a board.)
as many cats, the rudders and castings are the Achilles heel of this model and replacement ones getting harder to find.
Recently I bought a Prindle 18-2, and sail it solo only, I am 6ft4 and close to 290 lbs, at windspeeds from 11 knts up its
really fun to sail. Don't think a prindle 18-2 or 19 is a family-cat and suitable for your demands.Tramp is to small and has lot of lines running. My neighbour at the catclub has a Dart 20(aka Stampede) and I agree with Steve, large tramp, no daggerboards,easy rigging and he sails it solo numerous times even at 22 knts. He is about your size. Don't know if there are much Darts 20 available in the USA, but this could be the one.