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Reply to: Hobie Wave or RS Cat 14XL

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[quote=danielt1263]As for speed... Based on the Small Catamaran Handicap Rating System (SCHRS) the RX Cat 14 is faster than the Wave. The RS Cat has a 2-up rating of 1.417 (1.385 1-up) while the Wave 1-up is 1.521 (1.524 2-up). (All numbers assume you are flying a jib when 2-up but not when 1-up and includes the spinnaker on the RS numbers.)

A1: I believe you are wrong on that point. According to the rigging manual[url]https://www.rssailing.com/wp-content/uploads/guides/RSCat14RiggingManual.pdf[/url] it is not a self taking jib.

A2: The main on the RS Cat is about 9% smaller and the boat is heaver. I would expect it to be slower if you don't use the spinnaker.

A3: I would expect the two boats to be about the same in tacking ability if you are only flying the main. The jib on the RS Cat will make taking easier. Even if you are single handed, you can just leave the jib alone until the end of the tack and it will make tacking easier.

A4: Construction quality is about the same... However, there are more turning points for lines on the RS Cat which means more blocks and more chafe, which means more maintenance. For a single owner, it's probably not that big of a deal. My local sailing club had both for a time available for use by members. These were boats that got beat up for many seasons by lots of people who barely knew what they were doing. In that case, it makes a difference.

A5: If you are starting from the ground up (putting up the mast and everything.) All the extra time on the RS Cat would be in rigging the spinnaker. If you are just talking about storing with all spars attached, again the extra time will be in the added sails but it isn't a big deal. I expect it would double the time it takes to rig, but we're talking about 10 minutes for the Wave and 20 for the RS Cat (assuming you even bother with the extra sails, including the spinnaker.) However, I do not recommend keeping these boats on the water. They are light enough and durable enough to pull them on shore (they are called beach-cats for a reason.)

A6: Likely with the jib the RS Cat will point higher (everything else being equal.)

A7: Yes, but the traveller is pretty easy to deal with. All the way out when going downwind and all the way in when going up wind. Sure when you are racing there is more nuance but this is good for the typical cruse.

A final comment. I sailed Hobie Waves for 20 [b]years[/b] before I finally got bored and pulled the trigger on a more complex boat (my Topcat K4X, much like the RS Cat 14 but a bit bigger and faster.) Even if you got the Wave, I expect you would be happy with it for a long time.<em>Edited by danielt1263 on Apr 14, 2024 - 08:35 PM.</em> [/quote]

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