I am a parent looking at buying a used small catamaran for lake sailing or ocean bay sailing (1 foot max chop) for my kids. I need something that's light (hopefully 250 lbs max). There are Aqua Cat 12.5 and Aqua Cat 14 catamarans by American Sail, and a Hobie Cat wave for sale locally. Has anyone ever sailed these boats? How do they hold up? Tippy? Sailing in high/low winds?

I can tell you the Hobie Waves are great boats; easy to sail, very stable, and virtually indestructible. They can easily take 2 adults and 3 or 4 kids at once. They like high winds, but are kind of slow in low winds. They tend to be pricey, even used; because people don't often re-sell them. You can get lots of info about them here and on the HobieCat.com forums.

I've never sailed an Aqua Cat, so someone else will have to tell you about those boats.

Aqua Cat = floating lawn furniture. They actually don't sail too badly for what they are, probably lighter than a Wave

I think an Aqua Cat would be a great boat for kids.

Here are two links, one to American Sail, which manufactures the boat, and you can learn more there about both of the Aqua Cat models. And the other link is to a magazine article.

www.americansail.com/
http://www.sailingonline.com/fullby0201.html

Personally, I recommend the Hobie Wave, but you could have a lot of fun with the Aqua Cat, too. And it is probably lighter weight.

As with any cat, follow the advice that has been given on this forum to check for soft hulls and other problems. They started making Aqua Cats 48 years ago, so some of them are ancient. On the other hand, they are still making and selling them, so those could be relatively young boats.

<<<<As with any cat, follow the advice that has been given on this forum to check for soft hulls and other problems. They started making Aqua Cats 48 years ago, so some of them are ancient. On the other hand, they are still making and selling them, so those could be relatively young boats>>>>>

We used to joke about Aqua Cats with their balls on the top. However, if they are still in business that says it all. They must be pretty good and certainly kid friendly.

Even Hobies have balls now!

Just don't pay too much!

Jack

Has anyone actually sailed an Aqua Cat? The Aqua Cat 12.5 has dagger boards and weighs 50 lbs less than the Hobie Wave. When I test drove the Wave, it seemed to get pushed sideways over the water by the wind. The hulls didn't seem to cut into the water very well.

If you get a Wave, add a tiller extension so you can sit farther forward. That will help it cut into the water better. With the new short tiller arms, you tend to sit too far back and the bows stick up, catching the wind. My performance improved significantly when I added the extension, allowing me to sit up on the front seat pads. Only move back enough to keep the lee bow from diving in high winds.

How do you know your performance improved significantly?

Well, I've been reading "Catamaran Racing for the 90's" and it says so. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Actually, I can feel the boat accelerate as I move up and get the sterns out of the water (and the gurgling stops). Also, it does point better with the bow tips digging in more, helping the skegs make it go straighter upwind.

Granted, this is light to medium winds, and I weigh a shade over 200; so in heavier winds or with lighter cargo, the difference may not be as noticeable.

Well, you can find out if you are racing this weekend in the Wave MidWest Championships in Indianapolis.

I registered several weeks ago, and I can't wait! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> But it's not till next weekend, and tiller extensions aren't allowed, per class rules. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I'm helping Skip set up his charter boats next week for the out-of-towners.

This weekend I'm hosting a picnic for my club's Portsmouth Fleet, and I'll have my Wave there for folks to try. Maybe I can get more converts! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Bill

Sorry, I was thinking ahead, because that weekend (May 17) is when I will be arriving at Put-in-Bay.

I hear there will be several folks here from Put-in-Bay for the regatta. I'm hoping to travel up there in August.

Yes, but I was under 5 years old!

For our Div 7 youth regatta we use Waves. I think the kids are wrapping the main sheet around the tiller and using that to stear from the front of the boat.

yes, i can say i have sailed one as an adult. it was given to me by the original owner and was my first cat. i have now owned 7 different cats, mostly performance cats in the 15-20' range.

the aquacat is a very inefficient design, not very buoyant, and not necessarily safer or reassuring in high winds. the sail shape is interrupted & deformed by the supporting 'A-frame' so it doesn't work very well. it is hard to tack because it rides so low in the water with the hulls almost submerged. it can't handle much weight either.

i sold mine within 2 months and moved on. in my opinion, because it is still being sold is not a reason for it being a good boat. it should be retired as it pre-dates the first Hobie from the 60' and has not improved or kept up with advancements in cats.

i would agree with the description of it being 'floating lawn furniture'.

youtube of aquacat capsize