Hi.

Me and my dad are looking for a cat - just for the sheer hell of it. We are quite experienced sailors and have sailed Hobie 15's a lot on Sunsail holidays, but that's the only cat we've sailed. We are looking to buy a cat mainly for having fun in - not really for racing. We thought the Hobie 15 was rather good when we sailed it but obviously can't compare it with any other cats, so we don't know what to get. We like new cats such as the Topper 16CX and Dart 16X, but they are expensive and don't have a 2nd hand market yet. We were thinking of fairly new Hobie 16. Does anyone have any suggestions to help us out?

Thanks.

Oli Roberts.

Try a Dart 18. I think it's a better boat to sail than the Hobie16 and there's more of a following in the UK. Easy to rig and launch. It has been around for years so there's bound to be one in your price range.

If you fancy stepping up a bit in terms of speed then a Hurricane59 (yes I'm biased) is worth a look. Again, you can pick them up fairly cheaply. They are faster still than the D18 and a lot quicker than a H16 with twin trapese but forgiving af most mistakes due to good buoyancy in the bows. If you and your dad are experienced then sailing one should be no problem. You can't get a bigger bang for the buck.

Thanks for the advice. Could someone tell me how difficult it is to tow 18ft cats around on small roads? - I have visions of potential nightmares!! That's why we like the Hobie 16 - it is small enough to be quite practical, but it does not have the high performance of some of its bigger rivals.

Thanks.

Oli Roberts.

The Hurricane 5.9 looks awesome but is probably a bit big. I like the Dart 18, but does it have trapeze? I think I've seen one with a trapeze but that might just be a racing rig. Most of the Dart 18's for sale don't seem to have trapezes. Are they an option to put onto the boat or isn't it possible? Sorry for all the questions guys but I appreciate you answering them.

Thanks. Oli Roberts.

All Dart 18's have a single trapeze as the standard rig.

Dart 15's may or may not have trapezes dependiong on the rig they are using

hurricane 5.9's have two trapeze's.

Towing the boats is no worse than towing a caravan, in same ways better as there is a whole lot less side windage.

If you asked me I would say get a hurricane 5.9, excellent boats, won't break and I just happen to have one for sale

Except a Hurricane !

You say "me and dad".

How old are you ?

If you are 7-14 age I would suggest a Dart 18 with the option for you to crew now, and then helm later (I was helming a dart 18 with some sucess at 12).

If you are 14+ I would suggest a Hurricane as you'll grow into it.  Also, it does depend on how physical your are (and want to be).  The Hurricane is a far more "grunty" boat to make it go fast.  If you are not planning to race, and have the time to grow into a boat and you are willing to learn I would still suggest the Hurricane over the Dart.

I owned and sailed a dart from 12 untill I left uni, and then moved up to a Hurricane. 

The hurricane is Faster (by a long way), but heavier and more gruny to sail.  But by far a better boat.  I would take a Hurricane 5.9 out in far more wind than a Hobie 16 or a Dart.

did he say that ?

i take it to mean that according to handicap the sx is ONLY .002 slower!

whereas on the water the gap should be more

Oli Roberts asks what cat is recommended for someone who wishes to fun-sail. I shouldn't think many people use a hurricane 5.9SX or an F18 for fun sailing, although "Worthy" would probably disagree.

An important consideration before you buy, is your choice of club, if any. Many clubs with limited storage will turn you away, if you rolled up with an H 5.9 or an F18. Their bowsprits are at head-height, and are deemed to be a hazzard to other boat park users.

Dart 18s, and Dart 15s (now called Sprints), don't have bowsprits, and are not a hazzard in the boat park. Both are versatile insofar as they can be sailed solo or two up. Being smaller, the 15 is easier to right after a capsize, and many are used for fun sailing. Co-incidentally, the Dart 18s and the Sprints consistantly achieve the highest number of entries at a nationals. 

Avoid the Dart 16. 

Oli has signed up for demo rides on Dart 18 & Sprint 15 at Grafham. Doubtless he will let every one know what he thinks once he has had his demo rides.

I agree with Soggy Doggie about the Dart 16. They are a good boat for the holiday trade but they are heavy, hard to right single handed and anyone who is a half decent sailor moves on quickly because there is no circuit & no one to race against. It seems that they have cultivated the family fun sailing niche in the market & nothing else.

Cheers

Bob