Currently I have a Seawind 1000xl catamaran I have owned and cruised since I bought it in 2012. Mostly in the Florida Keys and down island. I normally single hand the boat. It is nominally 36 feet with a six foot bow sprit to fly a screecher from. Most time I have spent on the boat with out setting foot in a store to reprovision is three months.

Problem is in hurricane season I keep the boat well up the St. Marks Riverl protected from the weather so it takes me probably three hours from when I drop the dock lines till I pass the last red marker and hit open water.

So what I am looking for is a boat I can use when I know there is good weather to go for a day sail and maybe camp cruise on some local barrier islands. Also might wanna take the boat up some of the rivers in Florida, specifically the Peace River to look for meg teeth. Also considering the Okeechobee Waterway and maybe the Everglades Challenge.

Back in the day I raced sailboards and went to the Olympic Trials. Also raced ODs of various flavors and in SORC races. I understand PHRF ratings and that the gunboat that crosses the line first does not always win. But nowadays I mostly race for the social aspect not to get hardware to clutter up the boat.

I looked at a lot of fboats and really like the various flavors of Ian's 22/24 and maybe even a 27; also some of the less common tris. But they seem a little big for a spur of the moment go for a sail; even if they are much more comfortable boats.

What impressed me about the Getaway was a vid I saw where it was rigged from mast down to in the water and raising sails by one person much faster than a lot of other boats. I know it is not going to be a gunboat but it does seem easy to get off and on a trailer and sail by one person (even if there may be additional passengers not to be confused with crew).

I have also sailed and raced Stilettos, both the 23 and the 27. While they are great boats it is a non trivial exercise to get them on and off the trailer. Have been on a Prindle 18 and it seems to be much faster than the getaway but never had experience raising the mast on one.

Another consideration is the UFO. Much smaller but seems like an easy boat to sail and when it is foiling it is very fast. Probably many other boats I forgot to mention.

Budget is flexible depending on what I consider a good deal. Right now I am looking at an older DragonFly 25 at the top. But some of the older beach cats are around $US1,000+ but would probably need some upgrades.

Must haves are easy for one person to trailer (I have a Sprinter van to tow with a max of 8,000 pounds), get on and off the trailer, take apart and put together, sail single handed in 15 knots or less with ease, and be a fun boat. Most important it has to be a babe magnet.





Edited by ragebot on Aug 15, 2019 - 12:35 AM.

I had a getaway for many years, loved it. Not a race boat, you can sail it solo in heavy wind, easy to rig and great to sail w6 inexperienced crew. I only sold it to upgrad to a h21sc which i also love.

Have you considered a WETA

HULLFLYER

Have you considered a WETA

Not for very long. My take is a UFO would be a better choice for what I am looking for. Problem for me is both of those boats are not really able to camp/cruise the way a medium/large size beach cat can.

Perhaps consider a Hobie 17? They are fairly rugged. Designed for solo rigging and sailing (but can handle a small crew). Depending how you store it, could be rigged in roughly the same amount of time as a Getaway. Definitely faster/higher performance than a Getaway. Pretty good used market and parts availability.

sm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIrg0hGGyuc

This guy has some videos of him camp cruising his Getaway. I wouldn't talk you out of it, my only concern is with your background you may not think its a performer, but its a great boat.

I cruise camp on a Gcat 5.7 and could not be happier. It suits the job perfectly. They are hard to find in decent shape though.

Do you keep your boat on the St. Marks River south of Tallahassee? I live in the area and have a Hobie 16 and Gcat 5.7 you are welcome to take for a spin if you just need to scratch the itch. The Hobie 16 is mast up on Shell Point beach probably only 5 miles to the mouth of the St. Marks river by water, a good bit further by land



Edited by jalex on Aug 15, 2019 - 03:27 PM.

Sound like the Getaway with a front tramp would be a good fit. Faster than a lot of beachcats to rig with no daggerboards and very good rudder system.

Very durable boat since it's rotomolded like a kayak instead of fiberglass layup, that makes it a little heavier than it could be for the size but not too much to handle.

Performance is better than most people think, I've been beside well-sailed Getaway's on my Hobie 18 and they are competitive, although didn't seem to be able to point as high.

Best thing is there is a lot of them around and unless you buy a brand new one (that would be great) you'll be able to sell it if you decide you don't like it. They always seem to go quickly on the classifieds here.

And ragebot, welcome to TheBeachcats.com, you have a lot of sailing experience, have you ever owned a beachcat before?

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

How To Create Your Own Cool Avatar

How To Display Pictures In The Forums.
--

Quote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIrg0hGGyuc

This guy has some videos of him camp cruising his Getaway. I wouldn't talk you out of it, my only concern is with your background you may not think its a performer, but its a great boat.

If you want to explore, it's safer and funner on a Getaway. And you can fly a hull solo, if you are good. Go for it! The H17 would never carry enough weight for overnighters.

That guy gets "cool" points for his awesome pontoon BBQ. Unfortunately he loses them all, and then some by wearing argyle on a campout,..

--
Prindle 18
96734
--

how about something like a searail ?
light, easy to rig, can haul all the gear you need for camping
http://www.searail19.com/

For blazing fast rig-up, all-around performance, and camping, the Weta is a serious option. The UFO is also a hoot. I own both -- you could do the same.

Sailed Getaways quite a bit. Sail one (almost any cat rental spot will have them). If you are not disappointed with their handling on the water, then you'll be ok.

DamonLinkous

SNIP

Best thing is there is a lot of them around and unless you buy a brand new one (that would be great) you'll be able to sell it if you decide you don't like it. They always seem to go quickly on the classifieds here.

And ragebot, welcome to TheBeachcats.com, you have a lot of sailing experience, have you ever owned a beachcat before?

None seem to be in the classifieds now. Never owned a beach cat, mostly because I had several windsurfers.

MN3

how about something like a searail ?
light, easy to rig, can haul all the gear you need for camping
http://www.searail19.com/

Searail has the same problem for me as the L7. Both are almost as much trouble as some flavor of a C24 but with much less creature comfort. All the Fboats Ian designed stressed getting off the trailer and into the water quickly. My understanding was that the L7 was similar to the Searail in terms of speed; faster than similar Fboats. Thing is in this vid at about the 3:50 mark Prindle shows up and seems to be walking away from the L7. All the tris like Weta, Searail, L7, and Fboats are probably twice the price of something like an older Hobie, Prindle, NACRA, and similar beach cats.

https://www.youtube.com/w…continue=1&v=UQSasSXnrTU



Edited by ragebot on Aug 15, 2019 - 06:58 PM.

Comfy. Looks like a stretched WETA.

Sorry to diverge but that was a stupid move by that Prindle. Even if the container ship was not underway, which it appears to be. Disappointed to see that.

--
Prindle 18
96734
--

Quote

Thing is in this vid at about the 3:50 mark Prindle shows up and seems to be walking away from the L7. All the tris like Weta, Searail, L7, and Fboats are probably twice the price of something like an older Hobie, Prindle, NACRA, and similar beach cats.

well yea, a 400 lb catamaran with more sail to weight ratio is gonna have lots of get-up-and-go on tri but when you start getting into bigger tris (30') a beachcat can't touch it's speed

plus L7 are homebuilds correct? so no way of knowing how the build quality is

and every boat has it's preferred wind range - some kill it in light air (comparatively), some kill it in heavier air, some bigger boats will win because they have tall rigs that will get air that others have windage ... so 1 clip of a race doesn't mean all that much


my friend has a f-31R - it's huge (45' mast, 23'beam) -it's a rocket ship but weighs a few tons
need an f-250 to move it around the lot

Yes your gonna pay more for a carbon fiber anything vs a 20 year old prindle/hobie/dart/anything
you stated"Budget is flexible depending on what I consider a good deal. Right now I am looking at an older DragonFly 25 " - so i thought you were open to some "real boat" costs and your not getting into any F-boat for cheap

Quote

Sorry to diverge but that was a stupid move by that Prindle. Even if the container ship was not underway, which it appears to be. Disappointed to see that.

dumb is an understatement - that boat should be dnf'd
i mean he could have seriously scuffed up the paint on that cargo ship when it demolished that prindle



Edited by MN3 on Aug 16, 2019 - 08:47 AM.

MN3

Quote

Thing is in this vid at about the 3:50 mark Prindle shows up and seems to be walking away from the L7. All the tris like Weta, Searail, L7, and Fboats are probably twice the price of something like an older Hobie, Prindle, NACRA, and similar beach cats.

well yea, a 400 lb catamaran with more sail to weight ratio is gonna have lots of get-up-and-go on tri but when you start getting into bigger tris (30') a beachcat can't touch it's speed

plus L7 are homebuilds correct? so no way of knowing how the build quality is

and every boat has it's preferred wind range - some kill it in light air (comparatively), some kill it in heavier air, some bigger boats will win because they have tall rigs that will get air that others have windage ... so 1 clip of a race doesn't mean all that much


my friend has a f-31R - it's huge (45' mast, 23'beam) -it's a rocket ship but weighs a few tons
need an f-250 to move it around the lot

Yes your gonna pay more for a carbon fiber anything vs a 20 year old prindle/hobie/dart/anything
you stated"Budget is flexible depending on what I consider a good deal. Right now I am looking at an older DragonFly 25 " - so i thought you were open to some "real boat" costs and your not getting into any F-boat for cheap
SNIP

Lots of terms being used don't really have hard and fast definitions. "Beach cat" is a great example. I would say all the Hobie cats are beach cats, along with a lot of what I would say is true for most under 22' cats (there are some pocket cruiser cats with cabins that are under 22' but they are few and far between). I am not sure how to define something like a Reynolds 33 (or even the older Macgregor 36); both are open deck with tramps. While the Macgregor had some issues the Reynolds is still capable of being a gunboat in lots of races and consistently beats any fboat. I have sailed on C24, C27 and C31 and none of them would be faster than the Reynolds; and I doubt they would beat a well sailed Prindle 19 or a good Nacra. The A Class beach cats would also run away from them.

The fastest I have ever sailed on was a home built F39 which hit 22 knots. Of course there was a crew of 5 and the owner said he would not feel comfortable with less crew. Thing is the Reynolds can easily match that speed with fewer crew; and is easy to trailer and ramp launch.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fboat fan. Ian was the man who created tris that performed well and could be quickly and easily moved from a trailer to water; there is a reason there are more Corsair tris than all other production tris combined. But fboats are not really known for their speed compared to more high tec tris of the same length; some folks think they are over weight.

I have never been on, or even seen, a Dragonfly. They are not really that common and due to their quality build demand a quality price. The older ones often have issues with soft spots and the non folders can have issues with how the cross beams connect. They seem to offer more creature comforts than fboats and are somewhat heavier and not as fast. While I did consider them early on I have come to view them like a unicorn, attractive but almost impossible to find.

One of the more interesting tris I have come across (and one of the rarer ones) is the Catrihttps://catri24.com/for-sale. It is a perfect example of what you call preferred wind range. In most wind speeds a C24 will beat it, but if the wind gets above 20 knots and the foil assist kicks in it can easily exceed 20 knots and the designer has legit claims it has hit 27knots+. It also has a huge advantage of no centerboard trunk in the cabin, not to mention standing head room below.

A big reason most of what you call a 'real boats' measure their numbers in the hundreds and the beach cats measure their numbers in the hundreds is what I will call 'bang for the buck'. Some times for less than $US1,000 and often less than $US5,000 you can get a viable beach cat you can keep in your back yard, trailer to the water, set it up and go for a day sail or camp cruise for a weekend. It is hard to find a real boat you can do that on for less than $US20,000; and a new one will probably be three times that or more.

For me it was worth getting a 'real boat'; even if I had to pay a lot more than $US20,000. My claim to fame with my Seawind 1000 is that when google streetview came to the Dry Tortugas my cat was anchored off the North Coal Dock and they captured it of posterity.

https://www.instantstreet….872038,62.85h,-5.09p,1z

Let's start off with the fact that coming here and asking us to talk you out of a beachcat of any type is not going to be a fruitful endeavor. Heck, we might just as easily suggest you get two boats...

Quote

Most important it has to be a babe magnet.

Now you're just being picky...

The getaway is a great boat for social sailing.

Quote

Must haves are easy for one person to trailer (I have a Sprinter van to tow with a max of 8,000 pounds), get on and off the trailer, take apart and put together, sail single handed in 15 knots or less with ease, and be a fun boat.

I can think of a ton of beachcats that would fit this bill depending on your skill level, fitness level, age, etc.
What do you want to do with it?

--
Joshua

Texas Gulf Coast
'82 Prindle 16 (Badfish)
'02 Hobie Wave (Unnamed Project)
‘87 Hobie 18 (Sold)
‘89 Hobie 17 (ill-advised project boat, Sold)
--

you are talking about purchasing $20,000+ boats and then comparing them with $1000 beachcats.

I have nothing more to add to this

best of luck



Edited by MN3 on Aug 16, 2019 - 12:59 PM.

badfish

Let's start off with the fact that coming here and asking us to talk you out of a beachcat of any type is not going to be a fruitful endeavor. Heck, we might just as easily suggest you get two boats...

Quote

Most important it has to be a babe magnet.

Now you're just being picky...

The getaway is a great boat for social sailing.

Quote

Must haves are easy for one person to trailer (I have a Sprinter van to tow with a max of 8,000 pounds), get on and off the trailer, take apart and put together, sail single handed in 15 knots or less with ease, and be a fun boat.

I can think of a ton of beachcats that would fit this bill depending on your skill level, fitness level, age, etc.
What do you want to do with it?

Not asking anyone to talk me out of a beach cat; rather asking to talk me out of buying a Hobie Getaway by suggesting a different a different beach cat to buy. Right now I am looking at a Hobie 21 SE and a Prindle 18 2 from the classifieds here. They are both an easy drive from where I am; which is also another consideration since I will not be going to Europe to buy a boat.

In my OP I said

Quote

So what I am looking for is a boat I can use when I know there is good weather to go for a day sail and maybe camp cruise on some local barrier islands. Also might wanna take the boat up some of the rivers in Florida, specifically the Peace River to look for meg teeth. Also considering the Okeechobee Waterway and maybe the Everglades Challenge.

Back in the day (1980s) I crewed on a Stiletto 23 which was faster than any of the other local beach cats. But today there are a lot more options. While I liked the 23 it was not a lot of fun getting it off and back on the trailer. Today there are tons of youtube vids about single handedly raising the mast on a beach cat on a trailer and launching it. Problem for me is that while some are legit some may be bogus as well.

There are also some top of the line brand new beach cats that cost $US10,000 plus. Depending I could buy a small tri that would be a much more comfortable cruiser and some of them are also easy to get in the water from on a trailer.

I have always found the sailing part easy. As the Everglades Challenge web site says if you flip your boat and have to right it you will wind up being behind boats that reefed early and kept the mast side pointed up.

Maybe I should have not included the babe magnet comment; but I am humor impaired and often say things I think are a joke that others take seriously.

Bottom line is while I have a lot of experience sailing and still cruise on my big boat for extended periods during the season I have not kept up with the beach cat developments so what I was asking for is advice about a boat that is better than a Getaway.

ragebot

badfish

Let's start off with the fact that coming here and asking us to talk you out of a beachcat of any type is not going to be a fruitful endeavor. Heck, we might just as easily suggest you get two boats...

Quote

Most important it has to be a babe magnet.

Now you're just being picky...

The getaway is a great boat for social sailing.

Quote

Must haves are easy for one person to trailer (I have a Sprinter van to tow with a max of 8,000 pounds), get on and off the trailer, take apart and put together, sail single handed in 15 knots or less with ease, and be a fun boat.

I can think of a ton of beachcats that would fit this bill depending on your skill level, fitness level, age, etc.
What do you want to do with it?

Not asking anyone to talk me out of a beach cat; rather asking to talk me out of buying a Hobie Getaway by suggesting a different a different beach cat to buy. Right now I am looking at a Hobie 21 SE and a Prindle 18 2 from the classifieds here. They are both an easy drive from where I am; which is also another consideration since I will not be going to Europe to buy a boat.

In my OP I said

Quote

So what I am looking for is a boat I can use when I know there is good weather to go for a day sail and maybe camp cruise on some local barrier islands. Also might wanna take the boat up some of the rivers in Florida, specifically the Peace River to look for meg teeth. Also considering the Okeechobee Waterway and maybe the Everglades Challenge.

Back in the day (1980s) I crewed on a Stiletto 23 which was faster than any of the other local beach cats. But today there are a lot more options. While I liked the 23 it was not a lot of fun getting it off and back on the trailer. Today there are tons of youtube vids about single handedly raising the mast on a beach cat on a trailer and launching it. Problem for me is that while some are legit some may be bogus as well.

There are also some top of the line brand new beach cats that cost $US10,000 plus. Depending I could buy a small tri that would be a much more comfortable cruiser and some of them are also easy to get in the water from on a trailer.

I have always found the sailing part easy. As the Everglades Challenge web site says if you flip your boat and have to right it you will wind up being behind boats that reefed early and kept the mast side pointed up.

Maybe I should have not included the babe magnet comment; but I am humor impaired and often say things I think are a joke that others take seriously.

Bottom line is while I have a lot of experience sailing and still cruise on my big boat for extended periods during the season I have not kept up with the beach cat developments so what I was asking for is advice about a boat that is better than a Getaway.

Was messing with you. Sounds like you should take some time and figure out what you want/need. If money isn't the concern (doesn't sound like it is) and you're not a timeline, just ease off and think about it. There will be boats available whenever you decide on what you want. Charter some different ones, go out with people who have some different ones. There's never a shortage of people willing to take out people to see what they think about their boats.
Again, the Getaway is a great boat, but it is no Stiletto 23.
A Hobie 16 is a great boat, but it is no Getaway when it comes to comfort.

--
Joshua

Texas Gulf Coast
'82 Prindle 16 (Badfish)
'02 Hobie Wave (Unnamed Project)
‘87 Hobie 18 (Sold)
‘89 Hobie 17 (ill-advised project boat, Sold)
--

Quote

Must haves are easy for one person to trailer (I have a Sprinter van to tow with a max of 8,000 pounds), get on and off the trailer, take apart and put together, sail single handed in 15 knots or less with ease, and be a fun boat. Most important it has to be a babe magnet.

Most of what we call the legacy cats fit these qualifications. As long as its not a spin boat I find most of the under 20ft cats are pretty easy to rig and I have owned a handful and have camp cruised with them. Some will disagree with this, the argument being the longer masts with spreaders are more difficult. I am 40 and not a super athlete and I still do a Supercat 20 just fine, although I have my tricks. Never done the river cruise thing even though I do have a motor mount on my 5.7, I just can't imagine having all that weight hanging off the stern.

The rest of it I think you have to answer for yourself, you are not a newbie, have a decent budget and have your own opinions.

jalex

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIrg0hGGyuc

This guy has some videos of him camp cruising his Getaway. I wouldn't talk you out of it, my only concern is with your background you may not think its a performer, but its a great boat.

I cruise camp on a Gcat 5.7 and could not be happier. It suits the job perfectly. They are hard to find in decent shape though.

Do you keep your boat on the St. Marks River south of Tallahassee? I live in the area and have a Hobie 16 and Gcat 5.7 you are welcome to take for a spin if you just need to scratch the itch. The Hobie 16 is mast up on Shell Point beach probably only 5 miles to the mouth of the St. Marks river by water, a good bit further by landEdited by jalex on Aug 15, 2019 - 03:27 PM.

Big boat is close to Shields. I use to do the Steven Smith Regatta back in the day and know Shell point well. Interested in learning more about potential places to do mast up storage in the area. Would like to meet you face to face to learn more. Will send private message with contact info.

removed



Edited by MN3 on Aug 19, 2019 - 04:38 PM.

Got a Prindle 18 2. Seems to be in fairly good shape, very nice sails. Need to find a manual for it. Hope to get it in the water this weekend. I am sure I will have lots of questions. First one is how to remove the rudders for transport.

congrats

Here is a link to the manual

https://www.thebeachcats.…pictures?g2_itemId=35494
where are you sailing?



Edited by MN3 on Aug 20, 2019 - 10:40 AM.

Quote

where are you sailing?

He is in my neck of the woods, Florida Big Bend. I guess we are going to get together and see what damage we can do

cool - enjoy

Still at the ranch near Crystal River. Need to do a little work on the trailer, one of the rollers is missing. Also wanna clean the boat a little. Hauled the the boat up from Clearwater yesterday with the rudders attached. There was some damage to the rudder attachment to the connecting which was repaired in a manner that means you have to remove both rudders and the connecting bar in one unit.

Also have questions about the sails. There is one old standard jib that is usable. Also have almost brand new laminate squaretop main and jib that are most likely from another boat and may need to be recut; or mods made to the four way system for the jib. Truth be told the sails may be worth more than the boat.

All in all it seems like a great deal for me and with a little work will be a solid boat. Trailer was like a dream at 55 on interstate. Taking a break from repacking things in the back of the van and cleaning; back to the salt mines soon.

We pull the long rudder pins and remove the rudders as an assembly with the crossbar connected. They fold in half nicely and can be slid under the hiking straps on the tramp for travel.

--
Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
--

if traveling distances or bumpy roads - the rudders really should be removed
all the jostling around is not good for the fittings and can worm out the holes

plus the wind on the system could be a lot of stress

Boat is safe at my marina. Still looking for somewhere I can store it mast up close to a ramp/beach. Lots of work cleaning the boat and building a trailer with four rollers instead of three. I have been reading hints about replacing some fittings to make taking apart and putting together easier. Also wondering about some type of instrument/chart plotter with a VMG function.

Any advice welcome.

Hope this pix works

Quote

I have been reading hints about replacing some fittings to make taking apart and putting together easier.

Experience is your best method for decreasing rigging time
yes there are a few spots to replace ring-dings for quick pins but they are minimal savings and increased risk for error or mistaken demasting

I suggest you rig it a few dozen times and develop a system vs looking for ways to make it easier - esp if you are looking for mast up storage

Quote

Also wondering about some type of instrument/chart plotter with a VMG function.

no one on a beach cat uses a plotter
some use a gps/speedometer

issue is you need 2 screens or a pivoting system so you can read the data from each tack - and it should be self powered (or you end up adding lots of weight and drilling holes for 12v deep cells)

tic-tac is/was a pretty well known Speedometer (with some vmg ability) for beach cats - it has 2 screens and doesn't need 12v battery somewhere on the boat
The Velocitek SpeedPuck is also a highly used one
others wear a garmin watch

IMHO these are all distractions from sailing - when you are a solo sailor they are almost counter productive (taking your eyes of your course/sails). If you are racing pins / it's of no use. If distance racing ... follow the fleet - when you consistently win ... then you don't need it

as above ... i suggest you sail the boat a few dozen times before you worry too much about spending $ or "making it easier"

I've been a Hobie sailor since 1972, Had a branch dealership, Catamaran's Ltd. selling boats and renting in St. Augustine Florida for a number of years. 'Owned, sailed and at times in the '80's and '90's raced Hobie 14, 16 and 18's. Had a Monocat for a while, two Waves; a 17 later; a 21 and...Ta Da, a Prindle 18, the last one without daggerboards.
As I got a little older I started sailing Getaways. Mine have wings, later a spinnaker kit and I've generally dolled them up with the latest Harken everything and twin traps.
I love them. It's hard to pith pole one unless you are trying; impossible to turtle one so long as you have the foam bubble, they have a decent turn of speed but are very forgiving. And no damn daggerboards. The fin in place of those means you don't go to windward worth a damn unless you've got a good turn of speed and even then its not as good as a 16 or the 18 Prindle in my experience.
But the front tramp plus the wings means that you can carry a lot of kids and friends. For a Hobie its even fairly dry.
Now I life part of the year in Sandpoint Idaho, on the huge lake Pend O'reiile. I'm the only catamaran.
So of course I go out as uninvited guest for the Wednesday evening and Saturday morning races with the J-24s and -29s and Santanas and the like .... and of course murder them all over the course. I'm kind of The Pirate of O'Relle.
There are so many more options than there are now. If you looked up the Wikipedia segment on Beachcats, after the first paragraph, the one description of the history and all the models that came and went, that's me.
You'll enjoy your Getaway. Maybe when you are in port you'll find some mooohull racers to shut down :)