[quote=texastuma][quote=cloudchsr]I've had a bunch of different boats, and I suspect I know the answer, but my purpose is to find the best cheap cat to sail around the islands of beautiful east Penobscot Bay in Maine. The archipelago of islands there contain the "Island Trail" with great places to beach with only bay-like small waves, but the catch is the big tides and shoals. Also some rocky beaches.
So I want the best non board, preferably light boat, for this mission. I've owned a P-18 and 18-2, loved them both, but the Nacra models seem to have even more buoyancy and simplicity. The 5.7/570 seems best to me, but they're in super short supply. A decent 5.0 is available. I'm thinking about getting the 5.0 as a place holder for the 5.7, should I ever find one. Rugged skegs better than a P-18? Does the extra length make that big a difference? Thoughts? Thanks in advance...[/quote]
Things to consider: what crew weight are you anticipating? Not particularly for speed, but are you thinking of having 1,2, or 3 people on the boat? If you are in the 150-170# range and expect to have you and one other, the 5.0 may be best. I used to have a 5.0 (and did add a N5.8 rig on it and a 9' rack on the side for a particular regatta) and it is limited on buoyancy. Between the P18 and the N5.7, it really depends on what is available and a few differences: wanna go boomless? Do you like the Prindle or Nacra rudders better? Do you like the deck lip on the 18 or do you want a smoother hull like the Nacra? It will depend on the condition of each you find. The boomless is convenient and we have a local 5.8 that added a boom. I would only go with the 5.0 if the mast of the 5.7 or 18 is difficult to deal with. I think you'll enjoy the buoyancy of the bigger boats more as you cruise the area.[/quote]
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