bundewallah Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi, I am seeking some advise please. I am looking for a boat to sail with my 12 year old son on Jervis Bay. We have a combined weight of 135kg. I was originally looking at a B14 skiff or similar, however I came across a QB3 18' catamaran. Would this be a suitable boat? I have sailed on and off for years, most recently in a 470 and an etchell. It would be nice to carry others occasionally. I believe this boat has a square top main which I assume means it is faster at dumping air if you get over powered. There are no sailing clubs nearby to check out other boat types. What do you suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loose Change Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Sorry, There are no sailing clubs nearby? Have you tried Callala Bay Sailing Club, Jervis Bay Cruising Yacht Club or perahps you may have missed Vincentia Sailing Club, all these clubs sail on Jervis Bay. As for the QB3 nice boat but a bit long in the tooth these days, there is no competition for them, so effectively you would be sailing on your own or if you happened to want to race then you would be in open class against all the current hot classes. Wouldn't happen to be the one currently listed in ebay? Looks ok. if it's a cat you are interested in then I suggest Vincentia Sailing Club except this weekend as the ACT and Southern Hobie regatta are on and nothing but Hobies. regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bundewallah Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi thanks for your reply. I should have been more specific, we are an hour north of Jervis Bay and Vincentia is more than an hour away and as far as I knew Jervis Bay Cruising Yacht Club is for keel boats, not cats or skiffs, however I will investigate Callala Bay Sailing Club, thank you. If the QB3 is a bit long in the tooth, do you have a more modern suggestion that would suit our requirements? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lachy pudney Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Have a look at a Hobie16 they have a great class and 135kg is a perfect weight. Also JB is the perfect place to sail them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QB2 Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 If you don't mind ply boats, like repainting every couple of years and you don't want to competitively race newer cats the QB could be a good buy depending on its current condition and price. However its been years since a new one was built and current numbers being sailed are very low. Mine was a delight to sail but maintenance wise they are a handful and need to be protected from the weather to stay in good shape. If you just want to get into social sailing you can't go past a windrush or maricat. If you want to go for more performance look for a hobie 16 or 18, Nacra 5 or 5.2,or stingray. If money is no object look at a Taipan, hobie tiger, or nacra 5.8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bundewallah Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Hi QB2 and lachy pudney, thanks for your input. I have sailed (years ago) hobie 16's but how do all these different cats perform relative to each other. Budget wise at this stage I would like to spend less than $5000, the QB3 was asking $2900. Also sizewise, what length is better to allow development and also carry family sometimes. The reason I was looking at the B14 or similar is it is only 2 crew, however the 16' skiff moves up to 3 crew which I don't want. Basically without being able to sail all available cats, how does a hobie 16 and 18 compare to a Nacra 5 or 5.2 or 5.8 etc. With all these cats is it just a matter of the bigger boat the more sail area and the more performance, or do some actually sail better than others, or are some more user friendly than others? Sorry for all the questions, but cats are a bit foreign to me these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QB2 Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 The hobie 16/18, nacra 5 and 5.2 are now a good,durable middle of the road cat which are well built, handle well and easily carry 2 or 3 people. the H16 would feel the effort of carrying 3 people but not the H18 or the nacra because of their higher hull volumes. A 5.8 would be a bit of a handful as a first cat unless you are adventurous. You don't want a too powerful performance cat that scares the heck out of you, or your son, because it will sit idle in the yard. If it is too big it becomes a superhuman effort just to set up, drag up and down the beach and on and off the trailer. Around $5k should buy you a well maintained H16,18 or Nacra 5 or 5.2, Plus there's plenty of spare parts available. See what takes your fancy and where possible spend time studying what their features are and whether they meet your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loose Change Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Originally posted by lachy pudney: Have a look at a Hobie16 they have a great class and 135kg is a perfect weight. Also JB is the perfect place to sail them. Lachy is right about the H16 being the perfect boat for JB (it just aint the perfect boat) JB gets very rough and choppy and the H16 handles this better than most. There are at present also quite a few Mari 4.3's available on the market, nice and light, compact and easily handled by two or sailed very well by one. I assume you live in Berry, come and pay a visit to Vincetia and talk to the guys there, there are none better to advise what works on the Bay. regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bundewallah Posted February 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thank you for your suggestions QB2, I appreciate them and perhaps a trip to Vincentia to have a look may help with decision making. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lachy pudney Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 You can come too Vincentia Sailing Club anytime this weekend as they are holding their regatta of the Hobie traveller series this weekend. there should be a good turnout of boats particularly Hobie 16s as well as many knowledgable guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bundewallah Posted February 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks for your thoughts I will come and have a visit this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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