Supercat 20 Information SC20

The SC 20 is one powerful, fast a## catamaran. Due to many factors, expect to spend 1.5 to 2 times more per replacement part (rigging, tramp, sails, etc) than other cats. It takes longer to set up due to size and weight. It was not designed or built as and is Not A Beginners boat. Otherwise it is a hard charging, fast, some-what well behaved large catamaran.

Great boat, with good support still from Aquarius Sails. Boat specific parts are likely expensive but mostly available. 12ft beam makes setup slow, but also makes it very stable. They had a standard and tall rig available, can't remember mast length difference. Very powerful, so I agree not a beginner boat. I learned to trapeze on one and it was so easy, like trapezing on a sidewalk compared to a H16 due to the rounded hull shape.

They are a wetter boat than most when the wind picks up. It is a predictable boat as the wind picks up, don't try to pitchpole and lifts a hull fairly smoothly. Would sail with 3-4 people regularly with no problem, but solo in the right conditions it is amazing.

They can be tricky to right, but ours had shroud extenders to help with that and could be done with 2 people just took extra time to get ready to right it. Also had to climb up the tramp to access the extended 12' in the air (rope ladder built into the underside of our tramp)

Hope that helps.

fun, fast boat
as mentioned - likes to puke water all over the crew at speed
crazy heavy mast

solid boat but I have seen a few transoms ripped off of super cats - not sure if it's a known issue or just a fluke that it happened to a few of them on our beach (we have a shoal right off the beach that "non-locals" seem to be magnetically attracted to)

not for the newbe or single handed sailor (unless you are real good at sailing, depowering, and yelling "Waaaahoooo")

Its a great boat, just keep in mind that a 12 foot beam is whole new world. If you have permanent mast up storage or a tilt trailer, no big deal, but assembling and dissembling for trailering is a beast. It takes the fun out real quick.

I have heard that original bow tangs can fail and should be replaced. The boat I sail on already had that done.

Ditto on replacement part costs, things like tramp and daggerboards are a pretty expensive. I have also had zero luck in finding used sails so plan on new if they need replacing. Other costs like standing rigging seem reasonable for a boat that size. I really dislike the cable car traveler, and the one I sail on has zero jib block adjustment which I also do not like, but those are minor issues.

What don't you like about the traveler? I've found it to be the best operating, freest running traveler of any boat I've sailed.

Also what Scott failed to mention is that while the SC20 can be a bit of a handful in high winds, it is also the boat we learned to sail on. Our 2nd Hobie was a 16 but we didn't get that until 6+ years later. That was his "sail after work" boat that he and MY girlfriend (now wife) would go sailing on 3 days a week while I was still working!

-Eric
H16 (technically Scott's boat, but it is in my yard 😛 )
H18
SC20

The traveler flops around in light wind, especially when beating into ocean swells. Just use to a fixed track I guess. I feel like the only reason they use the cable system is because of the rear telescoping beam. When you buy a fixed beam from Aquarius, they sell it with a track and harken traveler, which I believe would be an advisable upgrade.

I'll jump over hear since this thread is about SC 20's. If someone where to cut say 1' off the bottom of the dagger boards how much of a performance hit would the boat take? Would it be slightly noticeable, but not a huge deal. Or, would the boat fail to sail upwind at all? Anyone have real life experience with something similar?

I've never tried that, but instead I would just drill a hole through the board and tie a rope through it as a stopper. Then you still have full length boards in the future. What is your goal? Are you racing or sailing with the kids? If you're sailing with the kids I suspect you'd never notice the difference.

I sail one with no boards and it's not the end of the world. Doesn't tack as well and certainly slips to the Lee some, but it's tolerable. I have seen Sc19's with half length boards and I'm sure they were effective enough. I would think twice before cutting them considering there cost, and you don't have to sail with them all the way down

I like that answer! Just sailing with kids and/or friends. I intend to also use it as transportation to spoil banks and mud flats for some wade fishing.

chump23 wrote: I'll jump over hear since this thread is about SC 20's. If someone where to cut say 1' off the bottom of the dagger boards how much of a performance hit would the boat take? Would it be slightly noticeable, but not a huge deal. Or, would the boat fail to sail upwind at all? Anyone have real life experience with something similar?

I had been told that the SC19 could be sailed either with or without boards but didn't know if that was true or if it applies to the SC20 so I went to the source and asked Aquarius Sails directly. Got an answer from Tom Haberman.

quoted email wrote:
[quote=me]I've been told in the past that a Supercat 19 could be sailed well with
or without the daggerboards. Is that true? And if so then can a Supercat
20 also?

Aquarius wrote: The SC20 can be sailed without the daggerboards but it certainly will not go to weather all that well, but having said that a half board down will work wonders for pointing ability and the tip of dagger will still be above the rudder tip ..The hull shape is very round below the waterline and much wider compared to the SC19 &17. The Sc17&19 have a much higher fineness ratio so they track well without the daggerboard.

Comparing the SC19 to the SC20 in regards to no daggers is not too difficult. The SC19 is basically a SC17 on steroids. The design CLR is very far forward on the hull where as the SC20 CLR it is in the more classical location around the daggerboard. So if you sail the SC19 without daggers and sail it like the SC17 ( bow down to the tapes or deeper) it will go to weather just like an SC17 , (probably a bit higher) . As long as you keep the bows down and windward hull up it is pretty amazing going to weather and off the wind it is significantly faster because the hulls is much cleaner without the daggerboard trunk causing the turbulence and attendant drag.

Sailing either the SC17 or SC19 from the back of the bus is a deal killer, just stay forward and keep the boat on the tapes up wind they will go to weather as good or better than comparable vintage designs.

Hope this helps. Any other questions just give us a shout . 651-462-SAIL

Thanks, Damon. That's interesting. Well, maybe I'll see what I can do about that SC20 in Austin!

I've redone 2 20's amd have had to replace the bow tangs in each of them. It's a pretty good job, but not impossible. Here's a thread on the Aquarius Forum documenting the redo of the first showing the bow tang replacement http://owners.aquarius-sail.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=600

The latest one I did is for sale, but it's pricey due to all the upgrades I did to it (solid beams, self tacking jib, tramps, sails, top down furling spin, etc...)

Great info Damon. Nice to see how responsive Aquarius was.

lakewateree wrote: I've redone 2 20's amd have had to replace the bow tangs in each of them. It's a pretty good job, but not impossible. Here's a thread on the Aquarius Forum documenting the redo of the first showing the bow tang replacement http://owners.aquarius-sail.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=600

The latest one I did is for sale, but it's pricey due to all the upgrades I did to it (solid beams, self tacking jib, tramps, sails, top down furling spin, etc...)

Awesome build report and that was a sharp looking boat when done...

Inspiration!

A little more info from Aquarius about the status of the Supercat models.

Aquarius wrote: I would like to correct a misconception about SUPERCAT availability.

The only SUPERCATS not built anymore are the SC15 & SC20. The SC20 was replaced by the ARC22 . The RC27 , RC30 and ARC17 were added to our product line in early 1990's . The SC17 is still available as well as the SC19, SC19X and SC19XL versions.

Many changes in production methods and materials over the years yield a much lighter and stiffer hull thanks to the use of epoxy and much improved core materials as well as a much refined vacuum bag process. . Details make a difference.

Just too many things to list right now. Each boat is built to order and we try very hard to match the boat to the clients needs and sailing venues.

Parts are available for all older SUPERCATS and we try keep prices in line but unfortunately in some cases trying to update and restore older models at 2016 prices sometimes leads to sticker shock.

Sail fast and have fun.

Aquarius are doing their best, but certain parts are about 2-3x what market value should. Daggerboards are a case in point, I was quoted north of $2500 per ARC22 daggerboard. When the euro was up and Nacra parts weren't as cheap as they are now, an Infusion Mk. 2 longboard set you back $1350 each. It's about the same amount of carbon in each (perhaps a bit more in the ARC22 board), but the Mk. 2 board is fabricated in an Autoclave with pre-preg carbon, the Aquarius board I have is glass (though I suspect the new ones are Carbon). At that price point, it would almost be, or possibly is, more cost effective to drop the Nacra F20 carbon C-boards into the ARC22.

Just a quick note of support for Aquarius.
I own a Supercat 15 and they have been super with supplying me parts and advice for the 8 years or so I have owned this old, discontinued boat that still rocks. I am constantly amazed by the performance it has compared to a lot of other Hobies and others in its general "class".
They have gotten me sails, running rigging and standing rigging all without a hassle, and in my case, all at rationale prices. I don't expect them to be the cheapest, but they have always been fair for the quality and responsiveness I have received.
We need more suppliers like them.

The designer of the Supercats (Mr Roberts) comes up to Jacksonville every year in an ARC 30 and usually wins line honors in the Mug Race. He is a former aerospace engineer and boat designer and designed the Supercat lineup because he felt the hobie 16's were just too dangerous when they pitch poled. If you notice all of the supercats have fairly large and rounded hulls and in some of the smaller models that sail well without daggerboards, the hull shape is symmetrical but still has a shape on the bottom that allows them to tack and track well.

There is a gentleman who comes up every year for the same race with a Supercat 20 and he sets it up and takes it down solo without too much effort. He does have a custom winch he built with a fulcrum on the mast for raising but that is about it.

There is a gentleman who comes up every year for the same race with a Supercat 20 and he sets it up and takes it down solo without too much effort.

Does he have a tilt trailer? If not I can't imagine he does it without much effort, taking the boat from collapsed state to 12 foot beam is a wrestling match.

Actually with a properly functioning trailex trailer it can be telescoped fairly easily. It has a cool set of cables and sheeves that you attach to the winch and slide it apart. That said I've put a decent amount of time into mine and I think it is just getting old and worn and it is generally takes a couple bodies to help slide it apart. I just wanted to point out that it can be done easily if you're lucky.

-Eric

That's a friend of mine that sets up the 20 solo. He usually sails the Mug Race solo, but I crewed for him a couple years ago. He has solid beams like mine. He leaves one of the old telescoping beams in place and spreads the boat out then mounts one solid beam, then pulls off the telescoping one and puts the other solid one in place. He had the Aquarius gin pole system which actually makes raising and lowering the mast pretty easy. They use the same thing in the RC 27&30. He has it down to a science and can set his 20 up fairly quickly.

i don't a take mine anywhere so I'm really slow setting it up. A friend told me the other day he extended his floating in the water! Said it made it go very smoothly!

Eric,

You might just need new buttons on your beams. The telescoping beams have delrin 'buttons' on them that help it slide smoothly. Tom still sells them.

One way to end the assembly nightmare forever is to cut the boat down. Several of us have done this and it is a perfectly fine boat at 9 or 10 feet wide. Mine is 9' and I trailer it flat, yes, it is supposed to be tilted to be 'road legal' however I have never had any issues. At 10 feet you can tilt it exactly like a Tornado, it's also been done to the 12 foot version.

You can see plenty of video of my nine footer at my youtube channel, nutfarmerandy. I have the stock mast and the pintop main. Here's one link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI8R0mecjHs where my wife and I are sailing main only.

You can see video of jib and main on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Telh7OM0M

The SC20 is a great boat and Aquarius is without peer in the support department.