thinking about getting a cat :: Catamaran Sailboats at TheBeachcats.com

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thinking about getting a cat

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jmecky

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Dec 07, 2009

Last visit: May 29, 2012

Posts: 24
Posted: May 14, 2012 - 10:30 PM

snosheriff
Do I have to trailer the cats or can I assemble them on shore? .

I think the getaway can be assembled and dissembled rather easily compared to a hobie 16,17,18 etc.
Maybe an hour to setup or quicker once you know how to do it well.

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277
San Diego, Ca
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jackb

Rank: Mate

Registered: Dec 01, 2011

Last visit: Nov 02, 2016

Posts: 165
Posted: May 15, 2012 - 10:16 PM

QuoteMaybe an hour to setup

1 hour to assemble?

Check out this video. This looks like a half day exercise for two people ...

http://www.youtube.com/wa…detailpage&v=g9Kdfi6TiYM

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Jack B
Hobie 17
BC, Canada
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Wolfman

Rank: Chief

Registered: Jun 24, 2009

Last visit: Jun 15, 2023

Posts: 1555
Posted: May 15, 2012 - 10:26 PM

From a fully broken down state (i.e. car topped) it will take anywhere between 4-6 hours ot assemble a cat. Depending on how good you are at doing it and how much you leave semi setup. I brought my cat out of the shed last Saturday, fully broken down, cross bars, tramp and all. It took me around 5 hours to reassemble. If you trailor the boat pre assembled and only have to make a few connections and step the mast you can do it in about a half an hour. I leave my boat on a dock with the mast up and in only takes me about 15 minutes to have the blocks and sails up and to be out sailing. Car topping or breaking down fully for a weekend trip is really not feasible. What a lot of people do if they go to the same camp ground all summer is trailor the boat out at the beginning and find a local resident (normally a farmer) and pay them a couple of hundred bucks to store the boat on the trailor on thier land when you aren't using it for the summer. Trailor storage may be cheaper than that even, depending on where you are and who you know.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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FlyingDutch

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Sep 15, 2010

Last visit: Jan 27, 2014

Posts: 36
Posted: May 16, 2012 - 08:32 PM

snosheriffFlyingDutch; That tubing video makes the cat very applealing! Can all cats do that?

We have large lakes here... How do these cats handle big lakes with large waves? Weather can change quickly. When you are in the middle of the lake it gets rough and choppy very fast...

I would imagine that all cats can pull a tube like that, all you really need is the speed. I have to say that we tried a regular (swimming pool) tube first which did not work as we had to connect the rope to a handle on the top. Once we got the more "professional" tube (It's a tube wrapped in a nylon bag and the rope hooks to the bottom of the bag) the fun really started.

Regarding the waves, I think looking for a boat with a straight hull is key when going on a choppy lake, the Nacra (and Hobie getaway as well) should both cut right through them. I would steer away from a Hobie 16, these boats pitch pole way too easy for my taste. I purposely sail my boat on a small lake today so that we will not get into any "scary" conditions as my kids are still young (6 and 8 years old). In a few years we will probably get on lake Erie which sounds more like what you are talking about. Keep in mind that sailing with youngsters overall will get challenging at times as you need to keep it interesting for them, apparently just going super fast and flying over the water gets boring over time(?). In the summertime I let them swim a lot and we do "man overboard" exercises ad nausea. This coming year we will be testing our "flip the boat over" and rightening skills. Also want to get them controlling the boat themselves. Bottom line, sailing is a great sport and with kids hooked to electronics all winter long it's great to share time and an interesting hobby with them, have fun!

Edited by FlyingDutch on May 16, 2012 - 09:34 PM.

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Marc C.
Cleveland, Ohio.
Current love: Nacra 5.0
Old loves: Int Laser, Int Europe, Int 470, Int 420, Vaurien
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Quarath

Rank: Mate

Registered: Jul 06, 2008

Last visit: Jul 19, 2018

Posts: 986
Posted: May 17, 2012 - 12:35 AM

WolfmanFrom a fully broken down state (i.e. car topped) it will take anywhere between 4-6 hours ot assemble a cat. Depending on how good you are at doing it and how much you leave semi setup. I brought my cat out of the shed last Saturday, fully broken down, cross bars, tramp and all. It took me around 5 hours to reassemble. If you trailor the boat pre assembled and only have to make a few connections and step the mast you can do it in about a half an hour. I leave my boat on a dock with the mast up and in only takes me about 15 minutes to have the blocks and sails up and to be out sailing. Car topping or breaking down fully for a weekend trip is really not feasible. What a lot of people do if they go to the same camp ground all summer is trailor the boat out at the beginning and find a local resident (normally a farmer) and pay them a couple of hundred bucks to store the boat on the trailor on thier land when you aren't using it for the summer. Trailor storage may be cheaper than that even, depending on where you are and who you know.

Many lakes have dry storage areas close the marina where boat can be stored on the trailer for a monthly fee. The fee varies. There are some by me as low as $25 per month. One even has on teh beach cat storage for $25 a month. The problem is when I was checking into it the water was so high there was no beach and the cats all seemes to be haphazardly stacked on the mountain side on top of fallen trees and whatever was there.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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jfricker

Rank: Lubber

Registered: Aug 01, 2011

Last visit: Oct 07, 2014

Posts: 82
Posted: May 21, 2012 - 08:05 AM

QuoteMy two cents, I have young kids myself and the NACRA 5.0/500 is the ideal choice of boat for this situation. It might take a little while to find one but this boat is fast, the straight hull shape prevents the boat from pitchpoling and there is no boom to crack your head on and no dagger boards to mess with. The boat can easily be sailed solo or together. The kids and I had a blast pulling them behind it on the tube... http://youtu.be/trvgt1szzDA

Marc - We dragged the kids (6 and 8) in a tube yesterday in 10-12 knots. It was a blast. The tube was pumped up tight so it planed easily. My wife was a little nervous while we had one kid in the tube, one laying on the bow, and occasionally lifting a hull, but it was fun. Let me know if you have other fun ideas for the kids on the boat. I'm thinking of rigging some big, easy to grip handles on the trap wire so they can hang out without a harness.

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John Fricker
Prindle 16
Seabrook, Texas
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