They still make Aqua Cats?
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Posted: Aug 19, 2010 - 04:43 PM
I would bet that the styrofoam dinghy bought at Sears was a Snark. -
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Posted: Aug 19, 2010 - 05:18 PM
three houses down i the neighbor has this same boat
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Nacra 6.0 NA
Ogden Dunes, IN
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Posted: Sep 07, 2010 - 11:52 AM
I have a 12' Aquacat (bought for $300 three years ago) made in 1990. I replaced all the fastening hardware after I broke a shackle pin, but have had no other issues. My boat does very well in a good wind, and deals w. waves well. It is easy to right (even if it turns turtle). It will only carry me and a dog or a kid; two adults is too much, but it's only a 12' boat. I really like the fact that I can take it apart in 20 min. with three tools; I have no beach and 45 stairs to climb to reach the water from my location.
I've never sailed a Hobie Cat and am wondering what people would note as the big differences? ALso, can one moor a Hobie for the season? (I really have *no* beach). -
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Posted: Sep 08, 2010 - 02:48 PM
You just made the list buddy! -
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Posted: Sep 08, 2010 - 02:53 PM
having never sailed an aqua-cat... i still feel safe in saying the difference is night and day.
much more responsive (hobie) easier steering, less weather helm, able to really (i mean really) fly a hull... able to go through surf without being bounced off the boat... etc
No you can't really moore any beach cat. they are not intended to spend their life in the water. condensation will cause problems, moisture in your hulls can lead to soft, weak hulls (not good), barniccles and other marine growth will not serve you well at all (esp if you capsize and have to stand on the inside hulls... etc
But beachcats break down fairly easily. it is soooooo worth the effort i think
edited by: andrewscott, Sep 08, 2010 - 09:07 PM -
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Posted: Sep 08, 2010 - 09:25 PM
Interesting - the 'Cat certainly shows a lot of weather helm,and flying a hull is asking to get dunked. I think I'll try to find a Hobie to test...
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Posted: Sep 03, 2011 - 01:11 PM
I really enjoy my Aqua Cat 12.5 and it is a perfect boat for the lake behind my house. I've been sailing for about 30 years on monohulls and own a J-24 that I race. The Aqua Cat is great for tooling around on lakes when it's to windy out in the ocean. Let us not forget that the first boat Hobie Alter sailed was the Aqua Cat. -
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Posted: Sep 05, 2011 - 03:38 PM
Quick follow-up; I *still* have the aqua-cat and still like it (I'm actively looking for an H16, having tested one, but I won't sell the A'cat). It pulled up its mooring in the waves from Hurricane Irene last weekend and floated 6 miles down the lake before shallow water re-moored it. Boat is in good shape; sail will need repair/replacement, but was old to begin with. Dog and son now take it out without me; weather helm issue is lessened by experience; lots of weather helm means you have reached the limits of the boat's design, and if you push it any more, you will go over (speaking from experience), but it is still a nice boat to have for messing around. -
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Posted: Sep 06, 2011 - 08:02 AM
Yep they still make them, they aren't bad boats, I wouldn't show up to a race or regatta with one but they are fun to play on as mentioned above.
They are SO easy to setup up and use they are great beginner boats, buy one used for cheap, learn on it, then when it is time to upgrade pay it forward to someone else looking to learn, that's my thought.
I actually sold mine this weekend to a cool family who plans on playing around on it just like I did (time for me to move on up though, I've sailed H16's and have a small mono also). The bad news is that he left the sail out in a storm the day after he bought it, yeah it got shredded. He is looking for a replacement sail if anyone has one they would like to sell.
These boats catch a hard time from a lot of the guys who are performance cat guys but at the end of the day i think that they do a good job at doing what they were designed to do.
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Cesar (Cez) S.
Hobie 16 (had a few)
Nacra 5.2 "Hull Yeah"
Vectorworks XJ - A class (not named yet)
West Michigan (Grand Rapids/Holland Area)
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Posted: Sep 06, 2011 - 09:43 AM
http://www.sailboatstogo.com/v_page.php?content=attach
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See you on the water
2003 Bimare 18HT solo Sailor
Formerly P-19MX solo sailor
Portsmouth RI
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Posted: Sep 13, 2011 - 09:50 PM
my first cat was an aqua-cat that was given to me by one of my clients. it was sitting in the weeds behind his house with flat tires on the trailer and tons of calcified lake crud on the hulls. i spent hours cleaning that off with a harsh chemical that i can't recall the name of now. i had sailed a flying junior for 15 yrs before that so i wasn't a newby, but that aqua-cat was, at the same time, a 'dog' and 'scary'. with two on board, the hulls rode right at the waterline, the thing wouldn't tack, and the sail shape was severely compromised by that 'a-frame' system which cuts right into the middle of the sail. i sold it first chance i could.
next cat was a venture 15 which seemed light-yrs ahead of the aqua-tub. now i own 3 nacra 5.8's and a nacra inter18. all easier to sail and understand than an aqua-cat. watch the aqua-cat video on their website and you will see one of the best cat sailors there is........cause he's flyin' a hull on that thing. that's skill man!
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Aquacat 12 (sold)...'87 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'03 Nacra Inter18 (sold)
Venture 15 (sold)....'89 Nacra 5.8 (sold)...'91 Nacra 5.8NA (sold)
'99 Nacra Inter20 (sold)
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- Rank: Lubber
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Posted: Sep 14, 2011 - 07:47 AM
The AquaCat is a little tricky to tack and anyone can get the hull up but it has to be blowing 14+knots and 17+knots with 2 large adults. To tack an AquaCat go full speed close hauled, go through the tack in a slow round way, when head to wind, ease the sail a few inches (the momentum should bring you beyond close hauled on the new tack) trim and nose down until the boat loads up. -
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Posted: Aug 04, 2013 - 12:31 AM
I sailed agua cat 14s in the Caribbean Ocean. They still have them at hotels on the beach and are quite a lot of fun. Wind was approx 16 knots and seas were running 2' to 5'. At speed they run with one hull off the water. If you sit too far fwd they will flip over on tips. So move back when you fly the hull. The best part is how easy they are to rig and you have almost no rigging to mess with. If you have busted forestays and shrouds you know what I mean. They are not as fast as a Hobie 16 but do manage to hang in there against the Wave. I guess the daggerboards make it reach better into wind. They are also quite sturdy as I ran one over a shallow reef with minimal damage from the rocks.
Don't knock em if you have not sailed them. -
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Posted: Aug 04, 2013 - 06:40 AM
My dad bought me an aqua cat 30 years ago and I sailed the piss out of it. Great starter boat and it began my addiction to cats. Which lead to a h14 then h16 a h17 and now a h21se. I need help. -
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Posted: Aug 04, 2013 - 08:49 AM
There's one brand new in the box on L.A. craigslist won on a game show. Asking $4000 but will take almost any offer. Pete -
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Posted: Aug 04, 2013 - 05:13 PM
How about this brand new one for $1500 o.b.o
http://hartford.craigslist.org/boa/3964192975.html
Edited by pknapp66 on Aug 04, 2013 - 05:13 PM.
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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Posted: Aug 09, 2013 - 04:25 PM
How about free
http://albany.craigslist.org/boa/3990941626.html
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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