Sea Spray 15' Cat

[Marigaux]

What are you guys' opinions of the Sea Spray 15' cat? I am looking at one that I might buy, it is around $850 including trailer.

[CrazyRu]

The best place to ask the question is catsailor forum
Catamaran Sailor Magazine

[CalebD]

While I am not personally familiar with these boats it looks like a fun but wet ride. There is one listed on the web for $900 here: Sea Spray 15 catamaran sailboat for sale
The good news is that it has a jib which should make it easier to come about although you will find that jibing is the faster way to change course.
Where were you planning on sailing this catamaran?

[Marigaux]

Family owns a house on a small local lake. The depth is too shallow especially near their dock for a traditional keel boat...

[CrazyRu]

Originally Posted by CalebD

While I am not personally familiar with these boats it looks like a fun but wet ride. There is one listed on the web for $900 here: Sea Spray 15 catamaran sailboat for sale
The good news is that it has a jib which should make it easier to come about although you will find that jibing is the faster way to change course.
Where were you planning on sailing this catamaran?

Jibing is never a faster way

With proper procedure, tacking beach catamaran isn’t any difficult than tacking monohull. Leaning the proper procedure may take a time there are bunch of training videos available at catsailor magazine.
Sea Spray is light boat with daggerboards, very responsive; it is actually ideal boat for a lake.
They are not overbuilt like Hobies, so check fiberglass carefully, look for soft spots in front of crossbeams and check around usual places – chainplates, gudgeons, etc. Mast is light too, see if it is straight.
Search the web for “Catamaran buying guide” it is comprehensive list of models and what to look at, while buying. I guess that
TheBeachcats.com - Catamaran Sailing
has it somewhere in archives.

[Bilgewater]

Originally Posted by Marigaux

What are you guys' opinions of the Sea Spray 15' cat? I am looking at one that I might buy, it is around $850 including trailer.

Marigaux, I had one many many years ago and used it as my second trailerable boat. The price seems to be good.

The hulls are very thin which makes the boat quite light and easy to launch and nice to trailer, however because they are thin, when you stand on the bottom hull to right it after a knock down you need to be very careful or you will damage the glass. I always stood on the daggerboard to right it.

They don't come with a trapeze but I made one myself and this makes it much more fun. But you will have to add a hiking stick as well.

Check the way the trampoline is fastened down, there is a tendancy for it to break away because the tramp aluminum retainer strip is only riveted to the fiberglass lip but it can be fixed by replacing all rivets with bolts.

Here's the manual http://www.glenmoresailboats.com/ima..._%20Manual.pdf

The company: Glenmore Sailboats out of Calgary is still around and I believe they still make parts for them.

[Marigaux]

Should I be trying to find a similarly priced Hobie instead? It seems that the consensus is that these boats are fragile?

There is a 1986 Hobie 17 SE that needs new lines for 900 as well.

[irwin325cc]

Well I have a Hobbiecat 16' that I use around the small west TX lakes and its great but they are scary and troublesom at first until you get comfortable with it. I mean comfortable to were you know you wont capsize it. Small cats float just as good upside down as right side up! I do enjoy my Irwin much better though but I can't exactly put her in any lake though.

[Bilgewater]

Well I think the Hobie is a better boat but they don't have a jib. The seaspray has a jib so tacking is much easier and it is a very quick boat. I also think the Hobie has a better hull shape and will have less tendancy to dig in on the leeward hull.

Overall I think I prefer the Hobie. Needing new lines is no big deal but check the rigging and the other stuff CrazyRu mentioned. Cat's usually go through a lot of abuse so take a good look.

[CrazyRu]

Originally Posted by Marigaux

Should I be trying to find a similarly priced Hobie instead? It seems that the consensus is that these boats are fragile?

There is a 1986 Hobie 17 SE that needs new lines for 900 as well.

Marigaux.
Did you decide on a boat yet?
Here is a bit of info on Hobie 17. There are two version of H17, one is SE and another is SPORT. It is kinda confusing, because actually H17SE is strict one design one manufacturer racing class and H17 Sport is recreational boat. They are basically same boats; however Sport version has boomless main and has a jib.
Overall H17 is one of the best older designs from Hobie, IMHO. It is low volume boat, hulls are slim.
Greatest feature is wings – outside racks. They provide nice lounging benches if weather is fair. They are also great for trapeezing out in a blow. It is really fantastic feeling being able to fly some 6-8 ft of the water.
Boat has centerboards – it is nice feature for shallow lake.
Being unirig, boat is very closewinded for a catamaran, and it is fast upwind.
However the boat is fairly technical, and possesses all inconviniences of racing craft – very low boom, many controls, tendency to pitch-pole(it is not as bad as H16 though). I don’t know your level of experience, boat is handful for novice.
Also it is very hard to right this boat after capsize, and it has tendency to turtle. Boat is heavy, about twice as heavy as Sea Spray.
There is a serious caveat. It is sail fabric. Boat was introduced quarter of century ago. They used then modern laminate fabric. It is light dacron fused with mylar film. Because the boat is one design racing class, sail’s fabric has never been upgraded. The fabric has very short life span and delaminates quickly. As soon as delaminations sets, sail is useless, neither Dacron nor mylar film has enough strength being pulled apart.
All things been equal, I’d personally prefer lighter and smaller boat. It is just a lot more fan to be in total control of the boat, both on water and on a shore. I know that many people would disagree with me, so make your decision and let us know. I can pull a lot more info on both boats.
Good luck.
CR