Hobie 18 vs nacra 5.2 vs hobie 16

I've got a Nacra 5.2, but have never sailed on another cat. It takes 2 people about 30-45 minutes to set up once you know what you're doing.

I would also seriously consider a Prindle 16 or 18. Where I live, prindle 16s can be had for very cheap, and they are evidently really durable.

Now what I want is a boat where the tiller runs inside of the mainsheet and traveler... Also a system where the boat could be set up and launched by one person.

Where do you sail? Who is your crew?

The H18 is a beast to sling around the beach alone. A H16 is no problem at all.

There are a ton of boats in between. Setup is the same so long as you are not talking a spinnaker boat.

A getaway is the fastest to rig... But they are slugs... Good for families with little kids and as a rescue boat.

Can you fit 3 people on your nacra? I heard they aren't very comfortable

if you want comfort... look for a boat with wings. H17... H18 ...Getaway ... some H20s. There are only a couple Nacras that have wings ... like the 6.0, they are pretty rare.

My Nacra is meant to be double trapped. It has a lot of sail area and a spinnaker to boot. If its blowing 10 knots you can putter around with 3 people, else double trap. When the wind gets to 25 knots.. you put the third person back on. Is it a wet boat yes, but I sail on Lake Michigan, a C&C 30 can be a wet boat out there. Dry suits and full wetsuits except in July and August.

Again, what kind of sailing do you want to do? These boat are light ... between 290 lbs and 450 lbs. crew weight and sail area are everything.

If you go in big wind with 3 people .. a H18 (with wings) is a good bet maybe you can find a H20. These boat weight over 400 lbs though. You might be able to rig alone... some can, some cannot.
If you sail single handed, but sometimes have crew and sometimes that crew is your 100 lb kid, get a H16... A Nacra 5.2 is slightly more boat than a H16, but not by much. These boats can be rigged by one person.
If you want speed get an F18 or a Nacra 20 or a Tornado or a Nacra 5.8 or something like that. I sail single handed on my boat up to about 15 knots ... then I absolutely need crew and it's a very fine line between showing off and swimming.
Prindles are in there somewhere too. I don't need those guys ragging on me.

I sail 3 up on my Nacra 20 quite often, I do not see how its any less comfortable than any other boat without wings.

i have a 5.2 and love it, sail mostly solo on a mountain lake

hate my friends h16, won't tack, won't point, pitchpoles too easily and battened jib always gets hunbg up in light air which is a pain to fix sailing solo

haven't tried the h18, seems to have the same rating as the 5.2 and another 100?lbs

Thanks for all the tips guys! I think I am now looking into a hobie 18 that looks like tw best bet for me.

How long will a hobie 18 take to rig?

20min with a helper

a big factor is can you leave it with the mast up or are you off of the trailor every time...mast up get big boat-off trailor get 16'(prindle prefered!)

Does a hobie 18 pitchpoll easily?

Put your crew far enough forward and bear off a little in a nice breeze and they all pitchpole.

Nothing like a good Peter Pan.

If you want to carry people by all means stay away from the 5.2. I love my boat but it doesn't tolerate a lot of weight. On the other hand with the crew weight around 300 pounds it will take off, and as someone said on a Hobie you keep your eyes focused on the leward hull. On a nacra you can enjoy the scenery.

But on the other hand I am enrolled in the Coastrat School of Catamaran Economics. Take the best deal, they are all good boats and a lot of fun. (but corallary #1 may also apply There is no such thing as a free boat)

18's can pitchpole but is a little rare. Ive only had one close call with my 18 in 5 years. Id go with Hobie 18 with wings. Super comfortable, pretty fast, durable and can be found cheap. I got my 18 for 900$, with almost new trailer and catbox. Then I got the wings for 360$ I am planning on buying another 18 for parts for only 500

bacho wrote: I sail 3 up on my Nacra 20 quite often, I do not see how its any less comfortable than any other boat without wings.

Of course "comfort" on a beachcat is very subjective. I'd consider the Nacra 20 one of the most comfortable beachcats, giant relatively uncluttered tramp (especially for a spin boat).

At the other end of the scale I'd put the Hobie 20 which seems to have blocks and cleat everywhere the crew wants to sit or crawl, and any boat with barberhaulers or a center beam in the middle of the tramp.

Most comfortable of all are the winged boats. Backrests in light air and you can put a passenger on each wing and sail the boat without them getting in the way or having to switch sides on tacks. I've taken my parents (mid 70's) out through the surf like that.

ditto coastrat... will you keep the boat mast up or have to trailer all the time... with or without help?

All the boats are great and you'll like them. speed is relative... relative to what everyone else is sailing... if you're the only cat on the water you'll be fastest... if you have a hobie 16 and everyone else has nacra 20s... you'll hate life.

For best combo of price/durability/fun/performance/comfort I'd second the Hobie 18 with wings. It's rugged, comfy with wings... fast enough for street cred at a race, not prone to pitchpoling... you can solo it... or take 3 folks out... doesn't break the bank. moving on the beach is easy... I weigh 160 and don't have an issue w/the 400lb boat, and it's all about balance and leverage my friend. 🙂

Edited by robpatt on May 02, 2012 - 11:28 AM.

Get a Hobie 18, I sail mine solo a lot and sail with up to 4 once in a while. Easy to rig, mast up or down, although stepping the mast takes a little grunt. If the distance is short leave all the rigging on it and then just put the stick up. The 18 is like a cadillac compared to a 16, I have sailed both a lot, never ever pitched the 18. I have a 5.5 only to race, it is a solo boat with a kite, I prefer the 18 for fun sailing.

Personally I would stay with the Hobie brand, more parts more knowledge, more availability. Nothint wrong with P boats but they never sold like Hobie did. HTH, Ricardo.

Put your crew far enough forward and bear off a little in a nice breeze and they all pitchpole.

Nothing like a good Peter Pan.

Every cat can pitchpole. Have you seen the AC 45s? or the Extreme 40s? It's not a question if if... but when. When you pitchpole ...

I'm a big fan of a Hobie 16 - easy to rig easy to sail and fast down wind. Not too much to right solo if you just want to take it out by yourself. Hobie 18 can be sailed in heavy winds with no trouble - well a little trouble upto 35knts (see if Damon posted the Juanas pix on here) In all reality- If I was looking for a real beach boat I would be looking at a H18 or P18-2/19MX

captedteach wrote: - well a little trouble upto 35knts (see if Damon posted the Juanas pix on here)

Here's the story from 2002 when Lee and I sailed the Juana Good Time Regatta in some wind.
Warning Longwinded Account:
http://www.thebeachcats.com/news/30/2002-juana-good-time-regatta-navarre-beach-fl/

That was a fun trip - Maybe next time we can do it on a bigger boat!!

For a single.. N 5.2 rocks Busy tramp for 2 folks.. ( Get tiny agile crew for 2 up) Quite Managable for 1.. Get padding or re-route the jib tacks.. BUT Balance.. Response to helm.. Stay in the same lake as bigger boats.. Can not be beet.. Not so easy to find parts.. Especially on the west coast. Solid boat.. Boat from the past . Too bad it is not made today.. Cheers H

I'm a little biased but I love my 5.2. Its a little daunting to rig the first time but I solo and right mine alone all the time. If you move the jib lines under the tramp, get rid of the barberhaulers and upgrade the daggerboard system to sideloaders the tramp gets less busy. They are cheap and really most of the parts are simple to find except the daggerboards and rudders, even then if you ask around a bit you can find some spares. The 16 is simple but hard to right and the tendancy to dive forward is a little disconcerting. The 18 is a handful for 1 person. If you want to see what you can do with an N5.2 take a look at my gallery: http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=74145 . If you get one feel free to PM me with any questions you may think are too silly to ask in the open forum. I've asked them all.

Regards,
Dave

lasersailer wrote: Does a hobie 18 pitchpoll easily?

Never pitchpoled mine and I have buried it to the front crossbar several times. Wonder if the wings help
to resist pitch poling? Cannot really go wrong with an H18 especially with wings. Pretty fast,comfortable,
and can carry quite a bit of weight. Oh and parts are easy to find. That said I love my P16 and am
always on the lookout for a P18.

H18 is a cool boat ... especially in the rough stuff. Here is a vid from a couple years ago. Buried well past the cross bar... she put herself into reverse and comes back out. http://youtu.be/uX0-OhNRbfI

Still not selling my nacra tho. H18s are just so ... clunky. They have their place, above 35 kts... its THE boat. I have had the nacra there without incident ... but its a bit like driving a dragster with a JATO unit on the roof one handed. On H18 in the same wind you are sipping champagne and eating caviar. Well .. so long as your drink is in a spill proof mug and the caviar is in a go-burt tube.

The H18 is a heavy boat, which is why I would think about it a few times before buying one and planning to singlehand.. That being said on the used market there are three rules: condition, condition and condition. If the boat is well kept and doesn't need a lot of work, that is the one to get. I also wouldn't forget about the Prindles. They are awesome boats in thier own right! A P16 is a really really nice boat to sail.

D.

I like a LOT of boats - H18Mag P18-2 are both on my list So is a Stiletto 23 and a Mystere 4.3. I think I could single hand any of these on my local waters with out too much drama. That being said it looks like I will be single handing a 31ft beast when I get my current project in the water. Guess it all comes down to what you have a warm fuzzy feeling getting on the water with............