[quote=MN3][quote]Looking for a cat, that can be sailed solo in a coastal area. [/quote]
Which coast? where exactly (big difference from california coast and say tampa coastal waters
[quote]Would be great if it was light enough to get in and out of the water solo. [/quote]
"Light enough is vague" What is your age/weight fitness level?
Typically 14, 15, 16 and 17's are concidered lighter boats (with exceptions) but also have smaller masts, easier sail plans (less control lines to manage) and less room for crew and gear
[quote]I seen on some Hobie's they have [b]extra netting at the front seating at the sides[/b], this would be great if I wanted to stick some family on the front, im guessing these could be detachable? [/quote]
I am not sure what you are refering to "extra netting at the front seating at the sides"
Front tramps come on a few boats (g-cat, hobie getaway) maybe others i can't think of right now
the getaway has an option for wings (seats that sit above the tramp on port and stbd)
many people (myself) rig a low drag mesh somehow, or a permanent front tramp of some type
only a few cats come with front tramps as they add weight and cost and also they can be problematic to sailing
they add drag when sailing and make righting a capsized boat more challenging(the tramp catches a lot of air)
add weight (in front of your beam is typically not a good place for weight on a beach cats)
you can sail in light air with kids up front, but it's really not good for sailing in med/heavy air
and kind of dangerous to have people up there where a jib will be switching sides and possibly flogging and taking out a tooth or eye
[quote]
Ive also seen on some (moslty with passengers on board) there is no boom on the main sail. Im guessing this setup is designed for cruising and not for speed? [/quote]
yes cats with booms do have more control of sail shape but unless you are a racer or really worried about keeping up with the Jones's (or other catamaran around you) ... who cares if you have a little less control and a fraction less speed
boomless is GREAT for crew and skipper's noggin
the feeling of hitting a boom is never fun and can be dangerous - bootless is a great option<!-- editby --><em>Edited by MN3 on Jan 11, 2018 - 10:15 AM.</em><!-- end editby --> [/quote]
No HTML tags allowed (except inside [code][/code] tags)
