I have been in a very happy monogamous 34year relationship with Supercat. I’ve owned my 17’ since 1986. I currently own both a 17’ and 20’ (very few hours on 20’, likely going to sell). Now that my kids are off to college I am at the point of having more time to sail and I find myself wanting a new boat. I have priced a new SC17, but I want to evaluate other options.

I have always loved the simplicity and ruggedness of the SC17. In my youth, most of my sailing was done off the coast of NC. Now most of my sailing is done on Kerr Lake, a fairly large lake but nothing compared to the ocean.

I am not into regatta’s/racing, I simply want a fast, easy to sail, rugged boat. 70% of the time I’ll be solo (#225) other will have a 130# crew. I have thought of an A-class but worry it’s too small for 2 people. Other boats seem too complicated.

Not sure I should stay with my first love SC/ARC, or venture over to the dark side of Nacra, F16’s, F18’s?? Not sure if's it feasible to solo a Nacra 20 or 18... I considered the ARC21 (to handle larger crew weights). In talking with Aquarius the 21' is not advised to be a solo boat.

I welcome all opinions/options. My priorities are: fast, easy to sail, rugged. If someone is setting on a good condition SC19' let me know...

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I welcome all opinions/options. My priorities are: fast, easy to sail, rugged. If someone is setting on a good condition SC19' let me know...

My first thought is the SC20 you all ready own should be a good fit for your requirements. Can you explain why it is not?

There are a few reasons. The 20' needs some work to get it in sailing condition, hulls are oxidized and needs some cosmetic repairs and it needs a new tramp ($1000). The 12' beam is somewhat intimidating if it tips over (solo righting concerns), the loading/unloading of the 20' is challenging. I might take the effort to repair the 20'. However, as I have come across extra $$$ it got me thinking of other alternatives. There's nothing like the smell of new-fiberglass...



Edited by lvaught on Sep 21, 2020 - 02:58 PM.

A second hand Nacra 15 (2up for youth, but good to solo). Main and spinnaker are easy/fast to rig and launch. More expensive than older models, but super sporty. It's short/small so you can boss it around on the beach.

Not understanding how you managed to stay monogamous with a 17 and a 20...

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Now most of my sailing is done on Kerr Lake, a fairly large lake but nothing compared to the ocean

My priorities are: fast, easy to sail, rugged. If someone is setting on a good condition SC19' let me know...

Kerr Lake Florida?
if so i have a fast and fun mystere 6.0 for sale

tramp is shot - besides that it is ready to sail

https://www.thebeachcats.…-custom-mystere-6-0.html



Edited by MN3 on Sep 21, 2020 - 05:11 PM.

Ivaught - fast/simple/rugged?

As far as your description goes, what you want doesn't exist.
Fast is the other side of the coin from simple and rugged.
The fastest cats are the newest. Carbon components, high tech running rigging, lots of cash needed.
This is the polar opposite from simple/rugged.

Step away for a second and consider automobiles:
Which one is fast/simple/rugged?

Back to catamarans.
Older is slower, but try to beat a Prindle 18 or Hobie 18 for simplicity and durability.
NACRAs and Darts stand up here too.
Yet they are all fast enough to be thrilling in 20 knots of wind.

Define your terms better.
So how fast, verses how simple and how rugged?

An A Cat with a carbon mast is easily launched/single-handed in the ocean, is fast, and can be relatively simple to rig. Add a crew and now it is slower, you may want to add a jib and a second trapeze, which adds complexity especially because you are sailing the A Cat in a situation for which it was not designed.

The SC 20 is too big for you to launch single-handed. You have one, and if you wanted to sail it, wouldn't you have fixed it by now? The SC 19 has a smaller beam but is still 375+ pounds. You could rig an electric winch to help solo launch and retrieve, but how simple is that? You'll need the winch for the mast solo, as well.

NACRA 5.8 is a greyhound at 390 lbs. Straight-forward rig, and 8 foot beam.
Prindle 18 is 335 lbs, simple rig and 8 foot beam.

I'm just trying to help you work through this.
A solution requires being more specific about your wants and priorities.

--
Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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I want a 31' carbon fiber mast
that will solve ALL my sailing issues (except sailing in lightning)

MN3- The Kerr Lake I'm referencing is in North Carolina and Virginia..

To clarify my criteria:
- 'fast' : i would say a Portsmouth number lower than 74 (my SC17 is fast enough with 1 person, but with 2 adults it sits lower in the water)
- 'easy to sail' - you can dig the hull into a wave and not worry about pitchpoling, roller furler jib, rudders that will kick-up if run aground, rudders easy to lower, mast rotation adjustments not critical, can sail well without dagger-boards (I will occasionally sail the sound on the outerbanks), raise and lower sails without assistance, tacks quickly, stable when flying a hull. I like the boom-less rig of the SC17, but I recognize this is not a common approach.. Boat
-'Rugged' - a better description might be "not fragile". I don't want to overly pamper the boat. I want to be able to run the boat up on the beach, bumping into logs, dock, trees without worrying about cracking thin hull skins. I don't want fragile rudders, I oftentimes run my boat up to shore and have the lake-bottom kick up the rudders. Don't want a thin hull such that when I crash into the hull coming off the trapeze I won't crash thru the hull.

For instance, how does the F18 Scorpion by Exploder fit the criteria (just noticed one for sale in classified)...Is this a fragile/complicated platform to sail?



Edited by lvaught on Sep 21, 2020 - 07:44 PM.

F16 ... very light at 240 lbs all up; easy to move around by yourself.

'fast' - PYS 63.0 DPN

'easy to sail' - can sail main only (think H14 simple, main/spinnaker, main/jib or main/jib/spinnaker

'Rugged' - more rugged, less speed (?). It seems any boat run up on the beach consistently or bumper pooling off of logs or docks is going to need some repair in the end.

I don't know about the Scorpion but I do know my Hobie Tiger is built so it can take a bit of abuse. Of course, it weighs 155#s than my F16.

--
dk

Blade F-16
Hobie 14
Corsair F-242
Mirage 25 (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
TomCat 6.2 (Sold)
--

dssaak, the Blade F16 does look like a nice ride. I guess I should be more polite to my boat, it would open more options....

The Blade is a great ride. We have two of them in our area. The Falcon is the latest version of this boat and the other popular make of the F16 is the Viper.

Newer hull forms with lots of buoyancy up front really helps with the pitchpoling of older boats. Those reverse bows just slid through the waves. However, if you really need roller furling, you won't find it on a Blade. The Blade uses a pelican striker to lower the tack of the jib down to the spin pole and can't be furled.



Edited by dssaak on Sep 21, 2020 - 10:18 PM.

--
dk

Blade F-16
Hobie 14
Corsair F-242
Mirage 25 (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
Hobie Tiger (Sold)
TomCat 6.2 (Sold)
--

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I want to be able to run the boat up on the beach, bumping into logs, dock, trees without worrying about cracking thin hull skins.

Trees? docks? - you need a barge to fit those specs

Our place on the lake is bulk-headed, so possibility of banging into dock. I needed rugged too. I just purchased a getaway. Very easy to sail and rugged (rotmolded plastic). I've found the performance to be great, plus it has capacity to take several people. I love the extra trampoline space up front for grandkids. So far I've been very happy with it.

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I just purchased a getaway. Very easy to sail and rugged (rotmolded plastic).

NICE!

a far cry from a modern f18 but a lot more comfy, roomy, and rugged

I think they serve and fill a need very well - enjoy!

This sounds like a cry for an Old G-Cat

--
Forrest
I-20 USA-645
Hernando, Florida
"There's not enough rum in the drum"
--

I am not a hardcore racer, but have had a few boats, and used to spend every off work moment at the beach. I currently have an F16, but I wish I had another supercat. I had a supercat 19 and wanted something light to push around on the beach. The F16 fits that bill but can't take the abuse that the supercat could. If I had it to do over I would have definitely ended up with a supercat 17. You have already drank the supercat kool-aid, If your like me you'll keep breaking the other boat you get until you buy another supercat.

--
Ernie Kamp
http://www.youtube.com/user/TopSpin80#g/u
Richmond / Livingston / Galveston / Kemah / Texas City, Texas
Supercat 19 and Blade F16 "Nauti Habit", 2 Sunfish
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Ahhhhhh, just get a Hobie 16 and be done with it. Lol.

--
Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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Two words - Aqua Cat!

If you’re at all interested in a F18, my Exploder Scorpion is also available, for less $ than the new one in the classifieds, and is fully race rigged and sorted. She’s the fastest beach cat I have ever owned (1,2,3 finishes at Worlds). I have been hesitant to part ways with her as she’s in tip top shape and I don’t think there is a better boat on the market if you are serious about F18 sailing...

Back to the OP’s question...no fast beach cat with foam or Nomex core is going to stand up to a ton of abuse. The Hobie Tiger, F18 Infusion Mk. 2/3, Evolution, Scorpion and C2 are all solid boats designed for raid sailing and the rare brush with the bottom, but they will dent if you are driving them along a dock and don’t generally like getting pulled up onto the sand. The same applies to A-Cats, F16’s, Nacra 15’s and Nacra 17’s.

Now, I think you are looking for more performance than a Getaway...my suggestion is a Nacra 570 or maybe a Hobie T2 with Hobie 16 sails...these are the modern equivalents of a Supercat 17.

I appreciate the input and suggestions. I think I'm going to stay with the Supercat 17. At the end of the day I think the SC17 meets all my needs and I feel comfortable on this boat both solo and 2-up.... Not sure I can handle the performance of the F18/16's.