brisbane_novice Posted February 20, 2005 Report Share Posted February 20, 2005 Hi, I am a novice sailor (sailed twice on a hobie cat in the maroochy river) and would like to buy a boat to sail. I'm looking for a boat that is easy to launch and retrieve by myself (light) and that will allow me to race when I know what I am doing (not necessarily win though, just for the fun of it.) Have seen them using beach wheels so I imagine you need a fairly light boat to drag it over the sand. I would like to also be able to go out in it myself or perhaps sometimes take a second person with me (mostly just me though). I would also like a boat that is easy to right by yourself after a capsize. I'm a 40 year old disability pensioner (psych disorder) so don't have lots to spend. Would like a boat that I could sail down at Woody Point or in the Bribie passage. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks, Shane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantom Posted February 20, 2005 Report Share Posted February 20, 2005 Sounds like you need to go to the humpybong club and talk to a few of the members there. a hobie 14 or 16 might be what you are looking for..... but no matter what craft you purchase you still need to know how to rig it and sail it .... join a club and save yourself a lot of time and effort ... remember if you get stuck out there you carn't walk home ... join a club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Hi , Check out a prindle 15 , a great stable cat with the scope to grow and race . No centreboards and a great trampoline for taking out a couple of friends. I love Prindles . Also wont kill your wallet . See the guys at Bris cat centre too .They used to make these things . All the best , ANT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REV YUKKA II Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 a maricat 4.3 would be worth a look. more bouyent than a hobbie 14 so you can take 2 out on them without sinking. they have built in esky and start at about $500 on a trailer. you might find a hobbie 16 a bit flighty especialy one up. go yo your local club and there is a fare chanse that you would be able to for a run on a couple different makes before you decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantom Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 reckon that both of the above are right ... I have dealt with the cat centre and they are great ... as are calypso and hobie dealers ... the hobie 16 might be a bit of a handful to start with.. especially on your own. the calypso 14 might be a bit heavy for you to man handle but they are great in the water .. not the fastest but a great craft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brisbane_novice Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I don't think I'm able to join a club, as I am very shy and don't have money for a boat and club membership as well. Really need something that can be righted by one person. Are any of the boats you have suggested able to be righted by one person without assistance? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantom Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 don't worry about being shy .. most clubs allow you 3 sails before you need to pay membership ... most clubs have associate members .. so money for club fees should be minimal..as for a craft that you can right yourself ... if you don't know the way to right a cat they are all difficult... the best way to right a cat is not to ditch it ..really talk to your local club they won't bite and you might be surprised that they are ordinary people who will go out of their way to advise you on what you need to know. if money is short .. spend what you have wisely and get all the advice that you can from people that know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest not Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 And most sailing clubs are cheep compared to golf clubs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 to race you need to be a member ,of a club which is affiliated with the QYA and a certain amount of the fee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAX Posted February 26, 2005 Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Of the boats mentioned, each can be righted after a capsize alone (if you are not too light) apart from the Hobie 16, it is difficult to right alone. The Hobie 14 is the easiest to right from the list but also maybe the easiest to capsize and does not really suit sailing with 2 people as much as the mari, prindle or H16. Seems that from the list your best options are the maricat 4.3 or prindle 15. enjoy your sailing ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brisbane_novice Posted February 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2005 Thank you all for valued imput. I think it's wonderful that you are all willing to help novices like me. I look forward to sailing in the near future. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen G Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Have you considered a Paper Tiger? I'm not sure what they sail at your local club, as it's good to be able to sail with similar boats. You can pick up Paper Tigers for reasonable money. They are light, easy to right and are great performers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Originally posted by Stephen G: Have you considered a Paper Tiger? I'm not sure what they sail at your local club, as it's good to be able to sail with similar boats. You can pick up Paper Tigers for reasonable money. They are light, easy to right and are great performers. 2 people on a paper tiger ,,,thats asking for trouble.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Palmer Posted March 2, 2005 Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 Actually, there's a paper tiger up for grabs on ebay at the moment, currently at $900 and is in Qld. Cheers Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hansonfamily4 Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 Don't despair, I have just gone through the same routine when I wanted to buy a boat. The club is definately the way to go. Even if you are shy you won't have trouble finding people to help. I recently went to Humpybong Yacht Club for my first time out with the new boat. I had no idea how to put the thing together but all I had to do was ask and it was done. I had to borrow beach rollers and that was no problem either. Unfortunately they are about $400. As for the type of boat to get don't get anyting under 16 feet in length as they are usually too tippy, definately stay away from Hobie 14's. They cartwheel, tip over backwards and sideways, occasionally all at the same time. Having said all this just remember you only have to go as fast as you feel comfortable with - you don't have to go flat out everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Beachrollers Posted March 7, 2005 Report Share Posted March 7, 2005 There's a set of beachrollers for sale on the A Class website $250 located at Noosaville. See link http://www.users.bigpond.com/aiadca/for_sale.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted March 8, 2005 Report Share Posted March 8, 2005 I have to disagree with HansonFamily4 on one point, namely "don't get anyting under 16 feet in length as they are usually too tippy". While this may be true of Hobie 14s, there are other 14ft cats that would be ideal. While I am a Paper Tiger sailor, and personally think the racing in that class is fantastic (50 boats from 5 states in Nationals), if your desire is to regularly take other people out with you, a PT may not be the best choice. I would suggest a Windrush or a Maricat. If you are a novice sailor, you want to AVOID anything 16ft or more until you get more experience. If that comes quickly, Windrushes and Maricats should hold their value, so you will be able to sell it again. I have seen way too many people try to tackle 16ft+ cats when still novice, and it usually results in disaster, with them leaving the sport. Learn on a boat you can comfortably sail in most conditions. A Windrush or Maricat will allow you to add a jib when someone else goes with you and even a trapeze when you want added excitement. Both these classes are fairly robust and forgiving, so they are a great place to start. Regards, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QB2 Posted March 8, 2005 Report Share Posted March 8, 2005 I second everything dave says. If you are mostly sailing solo go for a 14 PT, mari or windrush to learn the basics, These cats are foolproof, can take a lot of punishment, go surprisingly fast, allow you to quickly/safely learn the basics and then experiment to get the max out of them. For ease of solo set up and dismantling as well as on/off the water handling you can't go past them. They do hold their value. I sailed solo for many years and my mari was a delight to sail, but it was a whole new ball game when I went up to an 18 footer, dealing with huge amounts of sail area/power, a bloody great mast and the need to have someone weighty on the wire to hold it down when things got hairy. Finally having to grab other people to help you drag it up the beach and onto the trailer when you were absolutely stuffed at the end of a boisterous day was a real pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantom Posted March 9, 2005 Report Share Posted March 9, 2005 Carn't agree with you more QB2 I have a 16 Calypso and the hardest thing is to find a crew every week ... we have a couple of 14' windrushes at the club and to see how easy they set up and how good they are with their craft makes me green with envy. and one of them sail 2 up ... father and son .. but this is where the value of the club comes into it .. just by being around helps novices like myself greatly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest darcy Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 14 windrush are the toughest and simplest of the 14s ,will carry 2,cheap to buy and maintain. Seek advice and guidance from a club, you will enjoy sailing much more in like minded company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Windrush, Maricat, Paper Tiger, Arrow (there is one on Ebay at the moment) are all good boats that are easy with one and great with 2 on board. Anything bigger than 14 feet is hard work with only one if it is a long way from the water. Beach rollers solve this in many cases but you still have to get the mast up. I am keeping the A-Class out of this as it is a complete different kettle of fish. The best suggestion has been made (not that I have ever done it) but if you are a novice and want some guidence, go to your local club and have a walk around and chat to the blokes rigging the boats. You will learn more in half an hour than in a week here. But most of the 14 footers are fail-safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmessee Posted March 31, 2005 Report Share Posted March 31, 2005 Except a Hobie 14 which only has enough bouyancy to carry a small child. I should not be so hard on them, but you can capsize them in every direction in the light stuff. I remember the first time I sailed one and it was only about 8 knots and I tacked and as I went about I was at the stern, and the bloody thing just fell over backwards. Good fun though when the wend got honking but definately not a boat for anyone over 65kg or two people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepsi1234 Posted November 8, 2008 Report Share Posted November 8, 2008 I like to see all the views on what people would prefer you to sail. i would look a little further to the future''. Don't buy to small , you will just be selling it in a week, and its not much fun sailing by yourself, Better to take friends or family who can also experience the fun of sailing. Money is always a factor when buying a boat. if you want to have fun and not brake the budget and still feel safe Buy a Hobie 18, there a little older but have plenty of buoyancy and you can put a small crowd onboard and still feel safe and they will still scoot along. CHEERS... Dave,,PS AND There a good looking Boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepsi1234 Posted November 8, 2008 Report Share Posted November 8, 2008 Hobie's Back in for a run, i wonder what you decide, what ever you decide, its all fun, just enjoy.Cheers Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepsi1234 Posted November 8, 2008 Report Share Posted November 8, 2008 i should of mentioned ,,don't buy boats that live at Coloundra and there owners live in moroochydore,its one hasle after another''Ecuse my spelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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