Hi everyone! I've decided to take the plunge and get a Wave to be able to introduce my three kids to sailing (12, 14, and 16 yrs old). I live in Los Angeles and have no driveway or other place to store a larger cat on a trailer, so the knockdown and store it ability of the Wave is my prime motivation. Any of you actually car top your Wave? I'll be using an F-150 with Yakima racks on the camper shell, which are already there from being a windsurfer for the past 20 years. Anyone know of a used Wave in California, hopefully in good condition, trailer not necessary (obviously), preferably in SoCal but willing to drive to northern parts of the state if necessary? Are there significant differences between different years of manufacture? Is there a compelling reason to stretch for a new Wave as opposed to used? Thanks in advance for any help/advice you can give.

Lots of luck, as used Waves rarely appear on the market. We have a building fleet of Waves in Key Largo, FL (winter home) and in Put-in-Bay, Ohio (summer home) and hardly ever are able to find anyone wanting to part with their Waves.

If there are any folks out there willing to sell, you can also contact me at rick@catsailor.com
See ya,
Rick

Well, I must admit I've gotten that feeling after searching the internet, but felt I had to try before plunking down the full pop for a new one. Thanks.
I've been reading your posts about hooters, rigging, and jibs with great interest. Sailing in the ocean here I'll probably be dealing with mostly 12-15 knots of wind, so the hooter might be overkill, but I'm interested in a jib set up. Aside from the bow spreader bar, is there any point in buying Hobie's jib hardware kit? What diameter cable did you find to be appropriate for the forestay and between the bows? Your solution for getting enough luff tension seems very elegant. Did you ever put together a jib hardware kit for the Wave? What size jib do you think would work best on the Wave, if the Hobie jib is woefully undersized, and the blade jib doesn't work? Hope I'm not overburdening you with questions, it just seems that you've done a lot of work with this boat and I appreciate your experience.

The Hobie jib option definitely does NOT work.
I am still working on the jib setup. The sail is supposed to be here within a week or so. After that I will be able to give you an honest appraisal. Until then, it is just a guess.

While the rig I am working on includes both jib and Hooter, I suppose you could use a short bow sprit to get a proper sized jib working.

When I get the sail and get things sorted out, I will post the information.
Thanks,
Rick

Rick - picked up a new Wave yesterday from a dealer who gave me a great deal, cartopped it back home, and then spent the rest of the weekend assembling and rigging everything. Now, I'm ready for the beach! Looking forward to some good times. Keep me posted on that jib! Thanks a lot for your advice.
Peter

Go, Man, GO!
We just spent the weekend at the OCRA's Stray Cat Regatta on Lake Erie. THe Wave Class was the biggest class and the most competitive. Would have been great racing except for the horrible boat chop -- like sailing in a washing machine. The course was located right between two major port entrances and there are a zillion fishing boats zooming in and out.
Had a great time nonetheless.
Rick

In spite of what Rick keeps saying, I have been using the jib (with modifications) for 2 years now with success. Mostly in > 10 knot winds. I have used Rick's method for increasing the leach tension (extra block near base of mast plus a cleat on the mast). The main diffence is adding leach clips and replacing the forestay with a non-coated verion (to keep the clips from sticking when raising the sail). The bow spreader is must - although I do NOT attach the jib to that, I have a cable runnning from bow to bow with a triangular "ring" in the middle.

One trip I was out in > 25knot winds with large waves - lowered the main and came screaming back on just the jib!

barry

Why lower the main in 25K? Geez, that is when the Wave begins to be really fun.
We sailed a regatta in Lake Eustis, FL in 45 knots. Now that was a trial.

And you are right about the jib if you use a low forestay attached to a really low bridal. But the Hobie kit does not do that -- it attaches to the spreader bar and there is no way to put any tension on the luff of the jib (as it is not attached to the forestay) and therefore it sags way off and unusable for upwind sailing. Might be OK for a reach.

In other words, the Hobie kit is worthless unless you something to modify as you did.
Rick

Barry, any way I could get a look at that set up? I'm not sure of your rigging for the jib. Do you have some photo's?

I will do that (this weekend). I've been meaning to document what I have done anyway. BTW, I have tried adding a (slightly) large jib (fashioned on the original). So far no luck. In higher winds I cannot get enough luff tension and is vibrates like crazy. I'm sure I could fix this if I could only move the
cleats mounted to the hulls back a little... Any ideas here? At the moment I have not really been able to get any milage out of the bigger jib.

I would also highly recommend the little mod I made for hanging on to the dang boat. I bolted stainless plates to the rear mounting point for the (seat?). I have a line between these with a streap attached to the middle of that. This strap give me something to hang on to when things get crazy.

I finallly have my new sails on the way for the the Wave HT. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Dont' know if it will be effective or not, but I think it will.
I now have a 9'6" bow sprit with a roller furling Hooter (spinnaker) at the end, with the head at masthead level and sheets from beyond the rear beam.
The jib is 5'6" out on the sprit, the head is at the hounds and is self tacking at the main beam. That should be a lot of sail area for the jib and should have no problems with luff tension.
I should be able to give a full report in a week or two.

I plan on racing it in the Sandusky Steeplechase (21-mile jaunt from Sandusky to Put-in-Bay, Ohio and feeder race for the I-LYA Bay Week Regatta)
Object is to outright beat the Mystere 4.3, which I am almost doing with the smaller Hooter we have been using.

Wish me luck,
Rick