Any QB3 Sailors

[QB3]

G'day mates,

I'm new here, a retired seaman (68) a novice sailor who would like to get into sailing on Corio Bay in/on a QB3 but first I would like to chat with QB3 owners...If there are any out there If anyone owns a QB3, I would like to know if these Cats are suitable, for a novice, to learn to sail.

I think they are a nice looking Cat and was wondering how difficult would it be to renovate one of these old Ply Cats.

Bill

[Bridgehugger]

Hi Bill, Well seeing as how i am very close to your age. I will give you my 2 bobs worth.

the first question I would ask myself.Do you want to sail or renovate a boat? If the answer is to renovate, go ahead with your QB3. If you want to learn to sail then you will need an easy to set up boat made of fibreglass in reasonable condition such as a Maricat 4.3, or something similar. Boats of this type can be purchased fairly cheeply and are more robust than Ply boats. go to your nearest sailing club and you will find that sailors are very willing to help beginners. That way you will find people that sail similar boats and you can compare your sailing against them and you will learn a lot faster.

Cheers Rob

[QB3]

G'day Rob,

I hear you loud and clear mate.

I enjoy woodwork, I also enjoy fishing and being on the water. Having been around boats, large vessels and smaller sail boats and power cruisers, I “believe” I would like to learn how to sail for myself. I got the QB3 at a great price and would like to renovate her for my use. I also bought the plans to build a James Brown/John Marples Seaclipper 24 Micro Cruiser. The SC24MC is a Tri and I will build her but meanwhile, I would hate to see the QB3 going down the gurgler. The QB3 is, I believe, a Australian designed 19' Cat, she has nice lines and I would like to see her brought back to her former glory...I'm just wondering if she, the QB3, would be a suitable Cat for me to learn to sail with.

Decisions decisions

Cheers,

Bill

[HooD]

Terrible boat to learn on.

all your going to do is put yourself and whoever sails with you off sailing.

buy a 14ft surf cat, like a mari or windrush and learn to sail. it will be far more fun and rewarding when you get going.

[QB2]

As an ex Belmont boy and QB2/3 owner I had a ball on mine (No86) but they can be pretty intimidating sailed in a blow especially if you have not handled a cat before. There is a huge difference in power between a 14 foot and an 18+ cat.

I sailed solo with just the main in average seabreezes and used the jib with a crew. I usually had to slap on new deck paint every year to fill in the cracks.

I would not want to be on a QB by myself on Corio bay in a southerly buster.

For selfish reasons (as I would love to see the class survive) I'd say do the QB up, but ensure you get as much time as possible on 14 & 16 footers so you learn the handling, weight, sail controls etc.

My biggest hassle was getting 30' of heavy duty mast up and down. Down was easier as it was a controlled crash every time.

If you sail with crew getting the QB on and off the trailer and rigged is doable but by yourself is a major pain unless you are reasonably fit & have systems in place to take the weight, easy ie winching hulls onto trailer, raise/lower mast. Moving the cat on beachwheels by yourself would be a killer.

A 14 foot cat is easily handled by one person on and off the trailer, mast raising and righting when you turn it over.

If you have any back problems or are not reasonably fit go for a smaller cat.

IF you go ahead with the QB I would be interested in some digital photos!

[QB3]

G'day mates,

Thanks for your views on the QB3, they are much appreciated...Even if they are not what I wanted to hear but they are what I was guessing all along.

It's good to get the views from someone who knows the area I plan to sail on QB2. When I removed the mast, I was thinking, how the heck will I get this sucker up again on my own?

I do have a few health problems that I won't talk about here, and on top of that, I busted my back several years back in a traffic accident, I could not walk for several weeks and it still acts-up from time to time but, it doesn't stop me .

As for sailing with a crew; 99% of the time, I would be on my own on the water, the couple of mates I have are not into boating of any kind.

Clearly you blokes are giving me good advice for my own good, I thought the QB3 was too much Cat/boat for a person like myself but what should I do with her now...Any ideas would be most welcome.

Thanks again mates,

Bill

[QB2]

Bill,

Three Choices- 1 Talk to local sailors on your options, (they can see the cat and let you know what is involved in repairs etc)

2 decide whether to sell the QB and buy 14 footer.

3 try it out on the water yourself and see how you feel.

Check out fibreglass Maricat or Windrush which are usually bullet proof, or if into woodworking, look for an Arrow or other 12-14 foot ply cat.

If you want to sail solo

put systems in place to help you raise the mast ie lock the base in with a rope or shackle so it won't kick up. Use the mainsheet or other ropes/blocks to help you mast raise and lower. Use cunning rather than muscle. Enlist the help of passersby/other sailors to move cat, mast up -down etc. Exra bodies make a hell of a difference.

If you can, go straight from trailer to water and back,- minimal lifting or dragging involved and reduced effort required.

Before you DO anything talk to cat owners, get their advice, and try lifting & moving their cats around, mast raising etc to learn what you like in a cat and how easy and hard it will be to move and handle it.

In the worst possible scenario cut your losses and dispose of the QB if it is too expensive to repair, you can't sell whole or as parts, or just need the space for the next boat.

There are QBs around whose owners may be looking for spares- None have been made in a long while. Some are still sailed in country Victoria and at last report there were some in Melbourne's bayside areas. (I do hear of the odd one or two still in Melb)

The best of luck.

my first Maricat was aptly called 'Lemon' because it was old, tired, neglected and slow, (or was that just the driver?, But I had a ball sailing it. My QB was six layers of different coloured paint holding together delaminating ply. I had a great time sailing it as well and it was cheap to buy and do up for the years of pleasure I got out of it.