This is also posted in the General Discussion area...

Hey everyone. Thanks in advance for your advice if you can help.

I've been a "once in a while" sailor since a kid, but now I have kids of my own. This is my dilema...

I'm a big guy (~250 lbs.) and I have 3 kids, and girl friend that want to sail with me. I now own a 14' mono hull, but want to upgrade to a cat. The cat being better in the shallow Indian River waterway.

That was then...I owned a H14, but with me and 2 kids it would almost sink. I owned a H16, but my skill level was shakey and my kids were too young to help me step the mast. Then I owned a Sunfish, and that was a lot of fun, but it would only hold 1 other sailor.

This is now...I am reconsidering an H16 or a Hobie Wave. My kids are now a bit older, and my married daughter has since become an avid H16 sailor. I am still a bit nervous about the power of an H16, but I figure I can outfit it in balmy breezes with the old H14 sail I still own. Can anyone make a recommendation of the Hobie Wave for me and my cirsumstance? Or should I bite the bullet and get a 16 and grow into it? I would also like to get a firm grip on carrying capacity of all of these craft if anyone has an idea.

Thanks for reading, and I welcome all replies.

Gus

My suggestion would be the Getaway over the 16 and the Wave. I race 16s, but have sailed all three of these models and the Getaway is the best family cat out there. It has plenty of room for the wife, kids, etc without getting bogged down - the wave is a little small for more than 2 or 3. It doesn't have the power of the 16, so no worries there - plus the main is boomless, so you don't have to worry about the kids getting hit in the head.

I think Jody assessment of the Getaway is almost correct as it's the perfect party boat but not an ideal racer, lacks speed and is very heavy. Still with these 2 down sides, it is still the best party boat out there and easy to set up, etc. The Wave is fine for 2 or 3 people and is also easy to set up and a blast to sail. Both of these boats have roto-molded hulls, which makes for a very durable boat.

I actually prefer the H16 and sail regularly with my family (2 adults and 4 kids). I would suggest getting a roller furling jib if you are going to do a lot of family sailing. I actually do not have one but have outfitted other H16's with them and works great. My kids love the H16 and are now starting to sail it on their own. The H16 is powerful so the rollering furling jib is nice to have. I also have reefing points installed on the mainsail so that I can reduce the sail area on the H16 for my kids, this does not cost much to do. Some recreational H16 sailors put mast floats on the top of their masts. So really there is a lot you can do with a H16 to adjust it to your needs and best of all there are a lot of used H16's available for next to nothing, so upgrading cost are not so bad when you get the boat for so little. How heavy you are can be an issue for a H16 but remember even if the hulls dig in the tramp is still high above the water due to the raised tramp design.

I also have Trapseats on my H16, which adds a lot of room, kind of make the boat into a mini sport cruiser. Go to the following website to learn more at www.sail-s.com and click on the sailing section and then on the Trapseat class website.

I think you would be fine with a H16 but then again if you want lots of carrying capacity, the Getaway may be a good way to go.

The Hobie Getaway is your boat. It has twice the bouyancy of an H16 and twice the tramp area. It is a very fun boat even in heavy wind. It is a little heavier, but truthfully it is very easy to manage.

My father has Getaway #23 so I have been around these boats since they hit the market. I like more speed, so I own a NACRA, but the Getaway is the best all around beachcat.

Thanks guys for all your posts. I agree, I think the Getaway or H16 is the ticket. I am leaning back toward the 16, because the $6k price tag scares me a bit. The reality is that the chances of me getting my girlfriend and the kids (Larry, Moe and Curly) all on the boat at the same time is actually probably not going to happen that frequently. I had a 16 once before but sold it because my kids were smaller, I had a devil of time getting the mast up, and my primary launching point was not very good. I think the issues I have with the 16 can be solved with a mast stepper winch thing (forgot the name) and the launching issue with Cat Trax. I need to go down to my sail shop - Performance Sail, and have Scott take me out on some of these models so I can make an informed decision. H16's are just so d--- cheap, compared to the Getaway its almost a no-brainer.

Again, I appreciate the help.

gus

Girlfriend/wife?

Good one!

The Getaway was designed to be a family sailor. No boom to knock the wife or kids in the head, and they have lots of room aboard.

The advantages of a 16 is that you can pick one up for next to nothing, and there is still a race class for A,B, and C sailors. The 16 is a tender boat; the defination of a Pitch Pole starts with "Hobie 16".

The Wave is too small...perfect kids boat.

David

Just for the record, I have pitch-polled a Hobie Getaway... BUT... there were 4 people aboard, the wind was over 20mph and the wave faces were in the 5ft range.

I crewed on H16's and sailed a H14 in high school. That was enough for me. There are too many other boats out there that are less finicky and faster. Mind you, I race open class and dislike hobie class racing.

You want a good / cheap boat? Track down a Nacra 5.2 or a 5.7. I swear the 5.7 is the funnest thing around and will have plenty of room, easy to sail fast. The 5.2 will be cheaper, but has dagger boards, boom...ect... Either can be bought for the same price as a Hobie 16.

I noticed a few people have indicated the hobie 16 is slow and all I have to say is they don't know how to sail it. Also look at the pn numbers and you will notice it is rated faster than many other similar sized boats, even though it is a asymmetrical hulled board-less design, truly a unique design. The hobie 16 can go quite fast actually give some of the bigger cats a run for their money. Some find it hard to sail but the beauty of the boats is that you actually have to learn how to sail it as compared to other multihulls, it really allows you to learn to sail and keep improving without needing to move on to another boat due to boredom. The hobie16 still has a strong following for many good reasons and you can't beat the camaraderie found in the hobie 16 class. I have sailed boat the Getaways, Nacra's, Prindle's, etc. and the hobie 16 is far and the way the most fun beach cat to sail and very challenging to sail at times, which is a great combination to keep ones interest going! Good luck with your purchase and let us know how it goes, and hope to see you soon in a hobie 16 regatta!