Sailing a cat gently?

MIeagle · #1 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

I am considering buying my first boat right now. I am choosing between a prindle 16' cat, a hobie 16, or a 16' rebel.

I like the idea of going fast on a cat but am wondering if its possible to have an easy, relaxing sail on one. It seems all the photos you see are of hull flying and the crew leaning way off to the side. So is the monohull rebel the best bet for being able to relax but still have a reasonable speed or would it be ok to pick one of the cats? Either of the three is going to cost me $1100 and will include a trailer.

donlofland · #2 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

I spent years on a 16' hobie Cat and loved it! A little drier than the Prindle, because the trampoline is up off the water a bit more, and is water impermeable, whereas the Prindle tramp is lower and lets the water right through, lots of spray in the face, etc, (unless they changed the tramp sometime along the way).

Lots of mellow days on the Hobie, too-10 knots of wind or less, you're sitting high and dry, (for a fully exposed boat). At ~12-15 knots, (as I recall), you're starting to hike off the windward hull and thinking about getting out on the trapeze. (But you can put a reef in the main, and not hike out until the wind gets stronger-but our goal was to get that windward hull up so it was just kissing the water for maximum speed, but I digress...)

And I think things would get pretty active in a similarly sized monohull at about the same wind speed-I capsized a 16' monohull in ~15 knots of wind as a teenager...

The catamaran and monohull are two fun though different sailing experiences, and you would probably enjoy either-is there a chance you could try both before buying?

MIeagle · #3 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

Thanks for the reply. I won't be able to try both before buying. I am buying used and the two sellers are on different sides of the state, so I doubt I will drive to see both boats. My biggest concern with the cat is that I want to be able to go sailing without having to worry about trapezing at all. I will be taking some trips with my girlfriend just to be quiet and relaxing after all.

MIeagle · #4 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

Also, don, what do you mean by "put a reef in the main" ? I haven't heard the term before..

donlofland · #5 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

Generally speaking, I think most of the mainland US usually has winds 15 knots or less-(a huge generality, I know, but I've quested for consistent, predictable winds >15 knots for years as a windsurfer and there's just a few places you can usually rely on that). So I think most of the time in a cat you'd be sitting flat and not having to "hike"/lean off the side of the boat.

You can either hoist the mainsail all the way up on a Hobie, or hoist it ~2/3's of the way up. 2/3's is "reefing" the sail. You do that to reduce your sail area and make things more manageable when it gets windy.

MIeagle · #6 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

Alright, this is very helpful. I think I am beginning to lean towards pursuing the Hobie 16. Another question, is it reasonable to sail with more than 2 people on the H16?

sailingdog · #7 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

IF you're looking to really learn about sailing...get the 16' Rebel. The beach cats are a lot of fun, but a lot of what you learn about sailing on them doesn't really apply to larger boats. They're highly overpowered and don't do a lot of things well... They also don't support that much weight... so more than two people can be an issue.

Mind you, this is coming from a multihull sailor.

sww914 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-09-2010

Beach cats are really really fast. Not the same thing as relaxing. They're about as comfortable as sitting on the floor. They're a lot of fun but I wouldn't use the term relaxing to describe a sail on one. It's like the difference between rock climbing and an afternoon hike.
If you want relaxing and you wan to take more than 2 people you really want something different IMO. Something with seats.

poltergeist · #9 (**permalink**) 07-10-2010

I don't sail catamarans, but in my observation, most enthusiasts sail them because they are the opposite of relaxing. They're looking for the rush of speed, which is what cats are built for. If relaxing some of the time is what you're looking for, go with a monohull with seats and storage. You won't necessarily be giving up thrills ... a Rebel will give you plenty of excitement when the wind is up around 15 or so.

Kurt

CapTim · #10 (**permalink**) 07-10-2010

I would have to agree with the idea that small cats aren't what I'd call "comfortable". Sure, the forty-footers are great... but they have, you know, seats and roofs and such.

If you want to take the lady friend out for a stroll around a lake, you'll look much more dignified if you aren't squatting on a trampoline. The monohull has a few basic creature comforts, like seats and backrests. Also, the lessons you'll learn with it will more directly scale up to the larger boats. Going from monohulls to multihulls is a lot easier than going from multi to mono.

Having said that, there are a lot more cases of 5-footitis among 16 foot monohull sailors than among 16 foot cat sailors.

I guess, for a rough and painful metaphore.. the cat is a sports car, the rebel is a sedan.

edit: and to answer (in my own very humble opinion) the title of the thread, no, you can't sail a cat gently. if the wind is gentle, you will sail gentle. If the wind is non-gentle, so will be the ride. Reefing will help, as will a deft touch on the main sheet, but in the end, small cats are built for speed, not comfort.