Started cat sailing last year with a cheap Solcat 18. Lot's of fun learning a new game but looks like one of the hulls is toast as it is pretty soft forward of the beam. Looking for another solcat for a parts boat or maybe try something different.
As I live in the mountains of British Columbia and sail on a river my selection is limited by geography, time and money. Within a 4hr drive and budget of $1000 I have found

Hobie 16 many to choose from
Hobie 14 a few
Seaspray 15 very common
Gcat 5.0 kind of cool looking
Solcat 15 single hand version of the 18
Venture 15 ?
Dingo 15 ?
Unicorn 18 project boat
Paper tiger 14 looks like fun
kind of a interesting selection

Does Kootcat mean the Kootenay's?
As kids we used to summer around East Kootenys, Cranbrook, did a lot of skiing in Fernie. My Western place is just off Waterton National Park, the one that half burned down a few weeks ago with the massive forest fire.
If you have a relatively decent Solcat, & like it, finding another hull would be the simplest.
If you trailer & setup each time,(Kootenay or Columbia River?), find a boat that is easy to step the mast & setup.
The Dingo is a dog, & parts will be hard to find.
How much do you weigh, do you sail solo all the time?
Hobie 14 won't carry much weight.
Is it mostly light wind, smooth water?
Seaspray is a pretty good "smaller boat. They can be found in good condition out there for not much money as there was quite a substantial fleet.
I would take a boat in great condition, vs a "cooler" looking boat that ends up eating way above budget.



Edited by Edchris177 on Sep 28, 2017 - 09:58 AM.

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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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Yes the west Kootenays, Kootenay lake to be exact. Typical mountain lake with unpredictable wind.
Scattered sailing scene but some interest in cat racing. Happy with the Solcat as it works well with crew or solo and is manageable ashore ,extra hulls in good shape might take awhile to find.
Boat is kept rigged on beach so ease of rigging not a issue.
As a good all around boat the Gcat seems to have the edge
Any info on what they are like or typical issues?

I own a Gcat 5.7, It is a great boat. Well built, no nonsense, easy to rig. The owners of both the 5.0 and 5.7 seem to speak highly of them. Spare parts are more of an issue than say, a Hobie 16, but I still have been able to find some. If you are on facebook the G-Cat Owners and Enthusiasts page has some great photos and videos and plenty of people to sell you on how great they are. You may even get a response from the builder himself, Hans. I also own a Hobie 16 and I will say you will be happy with either boat, but you will feel the difference going from an 18ft cat to 16ft one.

What about a Hobie 18? Lots of cheap ones around, and good availability of parts. I've got one for sale for $1500 obo I'll probably post this weekend.

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Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
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Hobie 18 on my wish list but none to be found within a days drive. Very few larger cats for sale near here at the moment and all need repair and are well above my bottom feeding budget.
Trying to sell a 505 dinghy to add to my boat purchasing moneyball.