Hi everyone.
Having finally moved to the beach, I'm wanting to get a small cat to have some fun and start learning how to sail. I have found someone selling their AquaCat 12.5.

I would like something I could go out into the ocean from the beach with my fiance and I on board. I weigh 230 lbs and she's 140 lbs.

I'm hoping someone on here can tell me if this is the right boat for me to start with and to give me some details about it (easy to handle? speed? worthyness, etc)

Also, I dont want to pay too much so if you have pirce ideas, that would be awesome too. It includes sail, mast, pontoons, rigging, rudders, trampoline in good condition. The only thing wrong with it is that a daggerboards is broken.

Thanks for your advice!

I think it's too small for the two of you.

Sailing can be frustrating so enroll in a class. Also, if you are brand new it isn't safe for you to go off shore.

For beginners, off shore is water over ankle deep. Seriously.

Good lord, Pete...ease up. You don't have to be an expert to get a boat over ankle deep and most learned to sail from the beach without any initial instruction (myself included).

Kmbarnes, the Aquacat is a strange little beast. I've never sailed one personally but given that we do still see them from time to time should indicate that they hold up reasonably well (they haven't been manufactured in quite some time). However, they have very flat bottomed hull shapes and they're frankly not a very good performing boat. They will work if you want to tool around, get wet, and sail. Keep in mind that parts will probably be difficult to source.

I do agree that the boat is probably a little small for the two of you, but you're sacrificing performance by sailing overweight and trading off some space by having a smaller boat. However, you gain some ease of mobility and some safety (due to being underpowered) while underway.

That said, there should be a plethora of used Hobie Cats available or perhaps even a Nacra. These boats are still supported today by their manufacturers and parts are relatively easy to come by. In my opinion, the Hobie 16 and Hobie 18 are terrific beach boats and while you may be a little heavy to go competitively race a Hobie 16, it would be a solid boat for you to start with.

I say move on from the Auquacat and look toward a Hobie 16, Hobie 18, or a Nacra 5.2 or 5.5 or similar.

You ease up! You may have learned from the beach, as I did, but there were a lot more people around to help and advise. If he's the only guy on the beach, that's a whole different environment.

Pete, is that a scaredy cat in your avatar?

kmbarnes, do yourself a favor and avoid the Aquacat. Jake's suggestions of the Hobies or Nacras is spot on, even a Prindle 16 would be a great fit for you.

Where are you located? Finding someone to sail with you for your first few outing would make learning quite a bit easier (and safer).

Nope.... happily still in production per their web site

http://americansail.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=9

They still do boat shows....

Mark, I know you love to argue but Trey is spot on,Stay away from the aquacat. I know you can't be advising this guy to get one.

He did have a point...I had no idea they were still being manufactured....but still...You're standing up for Trey and not me? I'm hurt. (but thank kmbarnes for starting an interesting thread on here - we've been stale for a couple of weeks!).

The Hobies, Nacras, or Prindles will give you something you can grow into and find some readily available help and assistance.

Thanks for posting that link Mark - I'd forgotten what an apalling boat the Aquacat truly is! Their video even confirms it!
The last (and only) time I sailed an A*****t - I can't even bring myself to type it - was waaay back in the early '70s and it scared me almost to death! A friend had bought one to teach his daughter to sail and I was pretty sweet on her too. I was racing Condors at the time so offered to take the daughter out on her new boat. Wind was only around 10mph but that thing flexed all over, wouldn't go upwind, needed all my strength to overcome the horrendous lee helm and was generally awful. After a 30 min slog to get back to the beach (offshore breeze) I swore I'd never go near it again. The young lady's dad sailed it the next day in a club race and we didn't see him from just after the start as he'd headed for the beach.

2 weeks later he palmed it off on some other poor soul and bought his daughter a H14!!!

kmbarnes, stay away from that boat and look for something in line with Jake's suggestions.

Trey:

"There are old sailors and bold sailors. There are no old, bold sailors."

Picture it: brand new sailor, Aquacat, Tybee surf.

First; most Tybee 500 launching surf is benign. You get one or two really tough days every couple of years that everyone remembers...and it's usually because of light wind and not so much the surf. While there is some boat damage and drama every now and then, it really hasn't been that physically dangerous...and there are plenty of old crusty bold bastards still out there sailing. Just look at Todd Hart for heaven's sake!

I started an an old Aqua Cat 12. (think conduit riiging and the big styrofoam ball at the masthead) Whie we overloaded and abused that little boat, I TOTALLY agree that it would be a bit small for the orginal poster to start on.

As far as learning to sail, you can learn on your own, but it is much faster with a little help.

Read, sail, think, ask, read, sail again. I have been using that learning technique for a long time and still have got it totally figured out!!!

Pics of the Aqua Cat coming soon!!!!

Hobie 16 is good. I am surprised no one has recommended a Hobie Wave. Hobie 16 can be intimidating the first couple of times to someone that still has to "learn to sail".

A Wave is a great "learner" boat; but if he's looking for CHEAP, that kind of rules out a Wave. They hold their value too well. Old H16's are a dime a dozen.

That Auquacat video just shows the same white-haired guy going back and forth in front of the camera, broad reach to broad reach, over and over. Doesn't look like it could go upwind very well; and with that A frame, you couldn't let the sail out enough to go dead downwind either.

Thanks for all your responses! To reassure some of you, I definitely do not intend to get a boat and head to the beach without lessons and reading a lot.

I'm in Charleston, SC and will be wanting to sail from Folly Beach.

I'm feeling thanks to all of your responses that the AquaCat would be a waste of money for me. I found one on Craigslist that looked like a great deal but I couldn't find any reviews of it online. Found this forum and thought I'd join and ask! (I'm glad I could provide some good conversation for you all too!)

I'm looking for a good deal/cheap as I'm just starting out from college and saving up for a wedding. Learning to sail is a goal for my fiance and I before our wedding next summer. If I start looking for a Hobie 16, would price range should I look for? Also, any advice on what to look for (on the boat) would be great.

Thanks!

Good news for you! There are tons of people in the SC area that can help you out. Both Jake and NCSUTrey are only a few hours from you and NCSUTrey goes to Charleston all the time on his boat.

You should definitely get in touch with him.

Awesome!

As for other boats available around me- I found a Hobie 18 with everything (and trailer) for just over a grand. But it has some "soft" spots which scare me. There is also a Hobie 16 with everything (and trailer) for $1500. Either of these good deals?

Soft spots can usually be repaired. A hobie 18 would be a great boat for you and the wife, but it might be a little too much to handle solo. The H16 can be sailed either solo or two-up.

I highly doubt I'll ever go out solo. This is something for us to do rather than just me. (I've got my pilot's license and she hates flying so thats my solo fun...)

When you say usually can be repaired...what goes into repairing them?

Do those prices sound good?

Those prices sound in the ballpark for sure. It all depends on what the condition of the gear and rigging is in to be honest. If the sails have holes in them from mice, then I wouldn't pay a cent for the boat.

Usually soft spots form in the hull decks because the fiberglass-foam sandwich has been abused in some fashion. The fix involves drilling shallow holes into the deck, only through the top layer of fiberglass then clearing out some of the foam in the middle of the sandwich, then injecting epoxy resin into the holes. Hobie has a good diagram on their website.
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/articles/archive/?src=http://2010.archive.hobiecat.com/support/tech/delam.html