Is this a good boat to start?

[longislandsound]

I might be interested in buying one of these. Are they any good?

Thank you

Hobie Bravo

[nolatom]

I've absolutely no idea. Cat sailors love cats, I just find they don't tack worth a darn, and upwind sailing is to me the gem of the sport.

So I'm biased and narrow-minded, I'd start out with a nice-sailing monohull.

Anyway, the multihull enthusiasts in this crown can tell you much better than I can, and no doubt will..

[danjarch]

A bit two small and narrow to make any use of the catamaran design. It will prove to be a really weight sensitive and pesky creature. You'd be better upsizing or finding a monohull design. Then you could at least take a friend along every once in awhile

[knotaloud]

No! It's not a good boat. It's a toy, designed for kids. If you must sail a cat, then at least get a Hobie16, but stay away from the plastic kiddie boats.

[BlueWaterMD]

My first boat was a 12' Escape (rotomolded monohull). I got it when I was 12 years old. It was fun and easy to sail, and I sailed it all over the bay. But it wasn't very long until I was wishing for something larger. It could only carry one other person (and that was a challange at best), and by the time I was 16, I didn't really even fit on it anymore.

Additionally, the plastic cracked on the deck, and was a nightmare to fix. If any of you have experience with plastic welding, then you know that it really doesn't work all that well. The crack was in a location that was stressed, and kept breaking on me.

If I were you, I would get something made of fiberglass (NO PLASTIC). I would opt for a bigger boat - at least 17-18 feet. Also unless you are into racing, I really don't like small catamarans. They can't carry that much, have no storage, are wet, and uncomfortable. I think they are fun to sail for an hour or 2, and then my back hurts. I wouldn't really want to go cruising all day in one.

[GulfCoastSkimmer]

I would suggest making sure any boat you decide to get has more than just a mainsail. I am looking for something as well to upgrade a sunfish. I want a multihull so will probably will end up with something like an 18' hobie for a few years untill i can afford a farrier or corsair trimaran. I have sailed my friends and my brother-in-laws 18 foot hobie's and found having more than one sail a blast. Not to mention the speed. Anyways goodluck

[poltergeist]

Hi, long island --

I responded brusquely to your inquiry about "subject matter experts" the other day, mostly because an expert, say, on rebuilding a diesel engine or anchorages on St. John's may not know anything about, say, boats under 10 feet. Now that you've identified a boat that appeals to you, folks who can help can and will weigh in.

I agree with knotaloud that the Bravo is a toy, and not a very well-built one at that.

What is it about the Bravo that appeals to you? Cost, "catamaran" design, size, beachability? Tell us what qualities you want in a small boat and maybe we'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Regards,

Kurt

[guajiro]

IMO, waste of money and time.