Cats for family of 5

Any of the designs "can fit" 5, but it becomes more uncomfortable with the more people: there isn't a lot of room to move around and the wave slapping gets annoying. I think it really comes down to price and what's available. For 5, I would suggest a Hobie 21. Problem is that the boat is bulky and quite a beast to set-up. I would look at a Prindle 18. No boards, lots of flotation, and is still a pretty quick boat. And, there are quite a few out on the market. You will find there will be 20 different opinions of what is the best boat. The best boat is the one you are able to use frequently and easily.

Since you're playing around and not "serious racing", I'd go with a Getaway - simple, tough, easy and fast enough with gobs of flotation. I picked my 21 SE up for the same types of reasons, but to Scott's point - it's bulky, heavier and requires a little more time to set up. It's also a bit more of a "racer", so a little more demanding to attention and tougher to set up. There's a 21 SC by Hobie that's a little less demanding, but still bulky, etc.

P.S. - LOVE the wings on my boat; makes it more comfortable by far.

I'd go with a Getaway and get the wings. I've had 6+ on one and been fine, you're not going to rip trough the water they still go.

Get a GETAWAY!!

Definitely not an H16 for your mission.

I have 2 mysteres for sale - and a set of wings that fit on both
both posted on this site

Hobie 21 SC, if you can find one. Three's a crowd on a 16 ft cat. You need a front tramp for sure with kids.

Thanks for the suggestions!

In my area (Utah), there are more small monohulls for sale than large cats. I think a cat sounds like a lot more fun, but if anybody here has experience with both, how does the experience compare? Say, something like an O'day Day Sailer (17 ft) vs a Hobie Getaway?

I'm guessing the Day Sailer would rock more, and not be so great for getting splashed on a hot day. But maybe more comfortable for longer rides. Can you jump out and climb back in? How does the speed/fun compare with a loaded Getaway?

Thanks!

I'm guessing the Day Sailer would rock more, and not be so great for getting splashed on a hot day. But maybe more comfortable for longer rides. Can you jump out and climb back in? How does the speed/fun compare with a loaded Getaway?

I have raced 17'Odays - fun boat but small for 3 people - i don't see 5 but who knows

Night and day vs a cat (oday?)

mono's have lead keels underneath, or for small dingies center/dagger boards - the oday has a lead (or steel) centerboard (heavy - almost 600 lbs) so you typically need a boat ramp - not a beach launcher (but anything is possilbe)

A mono has a steel or lead ball (or keel) to prevent flipping, that means there is lots of weight and displacement (slow)
A cat has no lead/steel keel and has lots less displacements, when you get 1 hull up off the water now you have a fraction of the displacement of a mono (much fast) so much faster you can do tricks with the wind to increase your speed (apparent wind) - you are not gonna get that on a most mono's

both are fine but different - most cat sailors who have sailed mono's say it is like being on a rocket but pros and cons to every platform

I think your crew and weight needs push the limits of small / dingy class boats (5 people) and will impair speed and performance - perhaps a few smaller dingies (sunfish/lazer) or start with a 16-18' cat and make sure you love it before you get into bigger boats ....

IF it were me: i would. buy a mystere 5.5 or 6.0 or both, and add wings, and front tramps for gear, and an alum trailer with a yoke extension for easier stepping - but that is what I would do ....

https://www.thebeachcats.com/classifieds/catamarans-for-sale/p17439-1995-6-0-and-5-5-mystereswings-that-work-on-either-boat-2c6-0-has-mainsail-reefing.html

Edited by MN3 on Jun 29, 2022 - 12:41 PM.

I've sailed Hobie 16's for 45 years. I've sailed a few mono hulls for more than 50 years. Both can be great fun for family sails. The catamarans can accommodate a family of 5, with some caveats. If someone goes overboard, can you recover them? In high winds, it's a challenge. In light winds, the challenge will be keeping the kids onboard. We'd saiil with a line trailing behind so our kids could jump off & still pull themselves back to the boat. You're not going to make any significant progress into the wind, but that wasn't the goal for the kids. They'd sit or surf on the hulls when the wind was favorable. They'd jump forward of the crossbeams & body surf holding onto the dolphin striker. I miss those days, my kids are in their 30's, & my Hobie succumbed to old age. I have a Prindle 28 I'm getting ready to sail to give my grandchildren the experience I had.
Monohulls can be fun, they are a little easier to sail in heavier winds. Kids still have a great time jumping off & using a trailing line to body surf. The cockpit can make things a little safer in dicey weather. Choose one, enjoy it, & swap your ride when you can

Thanks for the advice!

IF it were me: i would. buy a mystere 5.5 or 6.0 or both, and add wings, and front tramps for gear, and an alum trailer with a yoke extension for easier stepping - but that is what I would do ....

MN3, If only I were a bit closer to FL 😉

We'd saiil with a line trailing behind so our kids could jump off & still pull themselves back to the boat

cmiles3, how many people did you have onboard?

Thanks!

We'd sail with 4 adults frequently. When kids were passengers there might be 6, on a calm day with a steady breeze. The most fun was sailing with 2 adults. 3 adults on a windy day was a challenge

+1 for a Getaway with wings.

We cruised one 4th of July with 19 kids and adults on my 21SE the watch some fireworks together......plenty of room... 😆

The two rides i would sugges are the hobie 21 or getaway. Both have lots of trampoline room