Thats the good thing about being my age and loving older boats <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> there is always room in the budget and one of the sheds for another boat, as long as it's white the missus wouldn't know <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

They certainly look great, but I have never been up against one that went anywhere near as fast as its potential/hype

I bought one for this very reason, to single hand in the light stuff, and have a boat that was able to handle two crew and kids on our local lake. Granted the lake is really two small for the boat, but man do heads turn when I go flying by the college sailing team. They are not indestructable however! Many things have been replaced; running rigging, transom mounts, standing rigging, all of which would eventually need replacement.

My boat was Worrel boat, and thus had been reinforced in several area's with the help of Randy Smyth. As for speed well we chased down a 90 foot mono racing around Fishers Island earlier this year and had just blown by it when the rear shroud swag failed we lost the mast.

As for righting the boat I use a water bag when single handing as my 200 lbs is just not enough to get the boat back up. Every once and awhile the sailing team will come to my rescue!

At $4000 I would buy it and not think twice. If you don't want spin launcher I will take it!

Jon

jdaf31r, just out of interest, around how many miles by how many miles is the lake you use your f18 on?

the lake i use my 17foot nacra on is only about 2 miles around:o(

Oh man eric, that must be torture. I bet you are getting really good at tacks sailing on such a small lake.

Okay, I'll be the bogie man here.

Two well documented ailments of the Bimare 18HT are :

-1- Its rearbeam is to close to the watersurface leading to beam slapping in waves.

-2- Its bows are too small to handle the tall and powerful rig in strong winds.


1 and 2 combined make for a thrilling ride in rought conditions and some crews who did the Tybee 500 said that they would not do that again on the Bim 18HT because of it. Will Sunnucks (UK tornado compaigner) was one of those.

Other point of concern were the kick-up mechanism used. Didn't work really although the concept is an elegant one. The boards are hollow with an opening on the bottom so you always have water in them unless you tape them up. Some of the fittings appeared to be right on the threshold of being sufficient, but most can be replaced.

I personally don't think it to be the right boat for your intended purpose, but indeed 4000 USD is not alot of money for a boat that is basically only 4 years old. Still the demand for these boats is so low that you must take into account that they hardly have any resale value.

Wouter

re: small lake, hey gree, going to start a new thread

I have to add... they may not be great boats for open fleet racing or big water, but... they sure do sail well!! Down hill, they're a BLAST!!

Dave,
The 18HT is an amazing performance value. It would certainly be a fun boat to have. But nobody should be kidding themselves--it is not a singlehander.

Well guys, thanks for the wealth of input. I'm gonna give it a try, the check's in the mail tomorrow. The F16 may be a bit closer to my needs, but the price difference has suckered me in. I do have the Boyer for solo work, and this boat is really a lightweight replacement for the SC, which was primarily used for hi wind work. I'm pretty sure I can have a good time with it, and if not, it can be replaced. Much appreciation for all the support and encouragement!

dave

Is this the same Jav. 2 HT I saw sitting in Eustis, Fl. last month? If not, for anyone who is also interested in a Jav.2 F18HT, there was one for sale for $4,000 there. I don't have the contact info but check out the Lake Eustis Sailing Club web site, they might have it.

My HT mast broke in a storm while the boat was on the beach, so I priced out a new Riba mast and a Hall replacement. While I cant remeber the exact numbers, the Riba replacement was in the $3-4k range which varies with the Euro exchange and its FOB italy, so it would need to be shipped, probably to Vectorworks in FL.

A new Hall mast was $2800, with a sailtrack and carbon goose neck. Forte's verson was just under $2k, but its more of a teardrop section.

Regardless the $4k HT is a steal.

Bill

The Cost of a new HT?

Mine was close to $12k, slightly used in 2002. (Randy Smythe sailed it in one race.) The new ones were closer to $14k, and most owners added a bunch of stuff to them like snuffers and carbon spin poles and other add-ons.

Most owners added at least the snuffer.

Since then the Euro has dramatically changed and we dont enjoy the same exchange rate. Back in 2002 the dollar was strong against the Euro so we effectively got a 30% discount on boats coming in from overseas.

New today I would guess an HT would be over $18k and it would be hard to get given that most of them are made in Italy or in Europe.

Bill

By the way, I'll buy an HT Riba mast if anyone every comes across one.

Hey Bill, sent you a PM. No, i don't have a Riba mast, sorry, but I do have a question.

So what's the cost of one new? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Anybody?

I suspect that RIBA does not produce anymore beach catamaran masts.
Since the last two years BIMARE catamarans are fitted with BIMAST (in house built) sections.
The new masts are better than the previous RIBA (6 bar pressure, more expensive carbon pre-pegs etc.)
I remember that a press release with full details was delivered a few months ago. If you can't find it, ask Matt McDonald of Vectorworks, which is NA BIMAST agent.
Anyway the BIMAST Javelin 2 stick in Europe has a retail price of EUR 3,300