In some decent winds. I am amazed at how well she sails. Super stable, even in the constant up and down gusts we were dealing with on the small lake. What a difference from my Hobie 16 days. At one point I had my dad and one of my daughters on it with me and it still didn't feel bogged down. Windward hull out of the water; we never skipped a beat. The other thing I really enjoyed was the lack of stuff on the tramp to trip over. Just a great boat. Happy I pulled the trigger. Next summer will be a ball. Pete
Sounds like you had fun and it handled well what year is it, and what were the winds would you say 10 mph or less?
It is a 1980. It was just small lake sailing where the winds ranged from 5 to 25; for real. I really like the size of the boat. I guess the only way I can explain is that it is much more relaxed compared to my Hobie 16 when hit with quick gusts.
Yo Ho Matey!
You've selected a fine sailing vessel upon which to spend many hundreds of hours balancing the elements to get where you want to go. Enjoy the buoyancy and sink that leeward hull deep!
Congratulations on your P18, the best fun cat ever made! I bought a P18 in the summer of '89 and sailed her for years. What a boat! Fast, stable, and can really haul a load when needed. Foolishly sold her when I got married. Big mistake. P18's in good shape are hard to find. Bought a ragged-out Hobie 16 years later--these boats are not even in the same class as a Prindle. Finally found a nice, old, (like me now), P18 close to home ( thanks Burt ). Took her out yesterday for the first time. Wow! It's like re-living your first real kiss, or something of that magnitude. I intend to keep patching this old cat up and sailing her 'til she falls apart. In my humble opinion, it is the best beach cat ever made. No daggerboards, nothing complicated, not hard to rig or sail, just stable, fast, and fun! Have sailed these boats off the beach through the open surf in red-flag conditions in my younger days. Bullet-proof boats. In my opinion, the only weak links are the rudder system and the mast hinge used when stepping the mast (which can be improved on by you very easily.) Other than that, perfection!
If whoever owns the rights to the Prindle line (the Nacra guys?), would start making the 18 again, I think they would sell very well. I'm sorry, but the plastic-hulled heavy barge fun cats that Hobie makes are not good for exciting recreational sailing. They are good for the rental business only. Heavy, slow, cumbersome. And very expensive. With plastic hulls. Make the P18 with a better rudder system, and you could sell a bunch of these boats. Look how desirable old P18's are for proof.
Have fun with your 18.
Edited by 33curt33 on Oct 12, 2013 - 04:47 AM.
Talk to me about hinge issues with the boat. The previous owner put a bolt through the mast to fasten one of the corners. I pulled it out because it was such a hack job, and replaced with large rivet. Do they tens to pop off?
Have seen several hinges pop off or ready to. Simply rivit hinge plate to other side of mast with stainless rivits. As 33curt33 says, one of the problems of selling a P-16 or 18 is you didn't know how well made a boat it was--until it was gone & you tried something else. Pete
prindle pete