Looking to purchase my first Cat - Need Advice

Are those two models the only options you want to explore? I’ll assume so.
My choice would be H16. Can be purchased used cheap, massive used parts market and a well proven design.
Only downside is they don’t like to be loaded up with weight and can be a handful solo.

Badfish,
Thanks for the quick reply. I am not limited to any boat. I would ideally like to stay under 3k.

I would like to eventually solo, and if i'm limited to two people thats fine too..

ventnor_cat wrote: Badfish,
Thanks for the quick reply. I am not limited to any boat. I would ideally like to stay under 3k.

I would like to eventually solo, and if i'm limited to two people thats fine too..

There's options out there. Nacra 5.0, Prindle 16 are the first off my head. I would suggest getting involved with a local group and start taking some rides. You'll find one you like and they're all pretty solid boats.

ventnor_cat wrote: So now I have the itch for Ocean Sailing,

Here's the rub. The H16 is a 70 year-old design. The hulls are small and the frame is problematic.

Think about another similar-sized cat with more volume in the hulls for ocean sailing (where the hulls are connected by a set of crossbars instead of a raised platform). Look at one of the other high volume Hobies, a Prindle, or a NACRA in your price range.
When you look at the other Hobie models, you'll realize that they got away from the small volume hulls and the raised platform pretty quickly, starting with the Hobie 18 in 1976. There was good reason for this.

Ocean sailing is really fun, and quite a challenge. A cat with lots of hull volume will be more forgiving in the waves.
My $0.02

klozhald wrote: [quote=ventnor_cat]So now I have the itch for Ocean Sailing,

Here's the rub. The H16 is a 70 year-old design. The hulls are small and the frame is problematic.

Think about another similar-sized cat with more volume in the hulls for ocean sailing (where the hulls are connected by a set of crossbars instead of a raised platform). Look at one of the other high volume Hobies, a Prindle, or a NACRA in your price range.
When you look at the other Hobie models, you'll realize that they got away from the small volume hulls and the raised platform pretty quickly, starting with the Hobie 18 in 1976. There was good reason for this.

Ocean sailing is really fun, and quite a challenge. A cat with lots of hull volume will be more forgiving in the waves.
My $0.02

Worth while to point out the original design brief for the H16 was beach launching and ocean sailing. It is probably the most widely sailed boat off the beaches in the world. The Worrell 1000 was started on H16. That's not saying some boats are better, but I wouldn't skip out on one.

Edited by badfish on Mar 21, 2019 - 02:56 PM.

Bummer about the 16' limit. If you want to sail 2-3 people 18' plus would be better.

gahamby wrote: Bummer about the 16' limit. If you want to sail 2-3 people 18' plus would be better.

This is what opened my eyes to the Getaway... but seems most reviews I have read kinda said its the Minivan of sailing... I dont plan on racing at this point, but would be nice to have the best of both worlds.. be able to go for leasurly ride with non sailers, and also to be able to get white nuckels from time to time..

"Here's the rub. The H16 is a 70 year-old design. The hulls are small and the frame is problematic"
sorry but that's not accurate

In 1967, Alter designed the Hobie 14 Catamaran.- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobie_Cat
The Hobie 16 was unleashed on the Southern California beach scene in 1970 and sailing was instantly transformed. - https://www.hobie.com/sail/hobie-16/

That makes the h16 48 years old

"This is what opened my eyes to the Getaway... but seems most reviews I have read kinda said its the Minivan of sailing... I dont plan on racing at this point, but would be nice to have the best of both worlds.. be able to go for leasurly ride with non sailers, and also to be able to get white nuckels from time to time.."

Getaway is a great compromise
lots of room for people (esp with wings) but can still fly a hull and spray you in the face
you wont be beating any modern performance cats but you will be out there with them having fun

Getaway. All fun, no worries.

Technically speaking, both the Hobie 16 (16’-7”) and Getaway (17’) exceed your 16’ length limit.

Just saying- you might want to talk to other locals to see how strict the town actually is with that limit. Where in NJ are you sailing?

sm

If you are going to be moving that boat on the beach by yourself, you may want to look at one of the lighter 16' boats available today. I have no problem pushing my Blades around on beach wheels and it checks off a few other boxes mentioned here.

The pre-2017 Hobie Getaways are still “under 17 ft”.

Hmmm, worth noting that the Hobie 16 is still in production after all these years. Just saying.

dssaak wrote: If you are going to be moving that boat on the beach by yourself, you may want to look at one of the lighter 16' boats available today. I have no problem pushing my Blades around on beach wheels and it checks off a few other boxes mentioned here.

Doesn’t meet OPs 3,000 budget.

A real survivor, unlike the Hobie T2, which IS 16ft AND rotomolded like the Getaway AND has a spin. Hobie appears to have pulled this “new generation of Hobie Cat“ in the US, after just a couple of years. 🙄

Maybe you can find one of these orphaned boats at a discount.

48 is the new 70 lol A Prindle 16 with good solid hulls is hard to beat and you can stack more people on it.I think you can buy a Dart 16 in the USA maybe hard to find though

Edited by onekiwi on Mar 21, 2019 - 11:57 PM.

g cat 5.0 is a pretty great boat

I went with the Getaway. Love the boat. Easy to rig from the trailer. Up to 6 people. Funnnnnn.

ventnor_cat: You really need to check on that length limit as dogboy suggests.....most length numbers in boat names/models are nominal figures. Of all the cats specified above, only the Prindle 16 and Dart 16 are 16' or less LOA. No experience with Darts, but it sounds like a Prindle 16 would fit all of your criteria.

+1 on Joshua's advice to find other catsailors in your area as well. Even if you have to travel a little, it's by far the best way to learn and find the right boat.

Edited by rattlenhum on Mar 23, 2019 - 09:53 AM.

A Super Cat 15 will meet the length requirement. It will sail two well enough, three will be crowded and performance will suffer. There is plenty of buoyancy in the hulls.

Not sure how flexible your budget is, but in my neck of the woods a Getaway will run at least 4K, and you need to have a little left over for the unforeseen things a used boat always needs, and beach wheels should probably be in your future as well. 3k will go pretty far in Hobie 16, Prindle 16 world. I think you’d like the Getaway, and really the only option if you plan on more than one passenger, but with your budget and size restrictions it will pay to be open minded. I love my Hobie 16

I own a nacra 5.2 almost the same size as a hobie 16 it cuts thru the water like butter and try as I might I can't pitch pole it but I have stuffed both bows and pops up like a cork. Pretty good with 2 people getting crowded with 3 .This is a cat with dagger boards so one more thing to pay attention to especially coming in to shore.I have sailed many hobie 16s at my club and this is the 1st cat I bought no regrets no trouble getting people to sail with me either this boat is alot of fun.

A Super Cat 15 will meet the length requirement. It will sail two well enough, three will be crowded and performance will suffer. There is plenty of buoyancy in the hulls.

Plus 1 on the comments above. Great support from Aquarius and a very fun boat for 1 or two. OK when you load up with 3, if the two are smallish. I sail regularly with two grandkids at under 100# each, and myself at 185.