5 questions about Gataway before buy it

BACKGROUND

I have sailed a lot for 10 years , then stopped for 20 years and now I am back sailing. I absolutely love it. Live in Atlanta, but go to the beach fairly often (4-5 weeks per year). Live 20 mins from lake allatoona as well (little wind). My kids (17, 16, 14) and wife like sailing ok... but do not love it. I have realized expecially with my teens that the only way to get them excited about it is to invite their friends as well and not spend too much effort rigging and messing aorund with the boat. Here is my story so far:
1. I bought a hobie Bravo in May. Great little boat as it allows me to handle it up and down on the beach by myself (or pick it up with couple of teens). I can go by myself or with my wife or with 2 teens. I love the semplicity and allows to do mutiple short trips every day. However it's extremely slow with 2+ people and too light to handle any wave above 1-2 feet.
2. In July I bought (and basically gave it back) a 1982 hobie 16. It has not been a great experience: rigging takes too much time, it was very heavy to lift (4 strong people) , can't be dragged on sand and beach wheel take a lot of effort to put under the boat (unless you do it in the water, but it's hard with waves). Also had a bad experience when we tipped the boat. Took too much coordination for mutiple people to pull on 1 righting line with large waves. Lastly performance with 4-5 people are not the best. I loved the speed in 2 people, but was too much time/effort rigging and manouvering the boat on the beach for me alone and do not want to ask much help to wife/kids/friends otherwise they lose the fun/willingness to come.

I thought to get a gataway because:
1. I understand I can bring confortably 6 people. this allows me to bring 2 of my kids with 1-2 friends each... which means that they enjoy it more AND I can have many hands to help if needed.
2. Seems from videos it's quite easy/fast to rig: 2 people 20 mins from trailer to water OR 5 mins from beach ot water... right?

QUESTIONS:
1. To simplify handling the boat on the beach - what if I buy a dolly instead of beach wheels. here is the link: https://westcoastsailing.net/hobie-geta ... NuEALw_wcB
Would it allow my to put boat on the dolly with minimal effort verus traditional beach wheels?

2. I still would like to keep Bravo with us on the beach for short quick easy outings. Fit hobie bravo on the same trailer of the gateaway (with hobie 16 bravo fits UNDER the hobie 16 on the trailer... is it the same for the gateaway (maybe not due to front trampoline)? if not can I trail it on top? I go to the beach only with 1 car and would like to trail both boat together.

3. can I buy a ritening system (like the hawaian system for hobie 16) so that we have mutiple lines to righten the boat and 3+ people can pull/hang on them? (I assume that if 3+ people 170lb each hang on the rightning lines, gataway should be VERY easy to righten .... correct?)

4. is rigging/transporation time for 2 people 20 mins from trailer to water OR 5 mins from beach ot water?

5. are there other aspects or boats I should consider?

THANK YOU!

Can't answer all of your questions but you are buying one for the same reason I bought one. Wanted to carry 4 or more people and I can rig it in about 5 minutes and go from our beach. Righting is easy with 2 people and it has a built in bunge righting line that runs the length of the tramp so no need to buy more line for multiple people to right it. It is also not as easy to tip over so righting is not very common for us. I think you will love it. We moved up from a Hobie wave and this is a much more fun boat to sail.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY! So I understand:

-no need of special rightening lines - GREAT!
-rigging is indded fast (is 20 mins from trailer to water / 5 mins from beach to water a good guess?)

My outstanding questions are:

- Can I put boat on top of a beach dolly by myself? Is it a breeze to put boat on top of the dolly in 2 people (assume with crashing waves - I need to do it on sand instead of in the water)

- Can I fit both getaway and Bravo on the same trailer on top of each other?

- Are there other other boats I should consider to bring 4+ people sailing from/to the beach?

I don't have a beach dolly but i would think a cheap hand winch would be very helpful.
I think the more things you can fit underneath would be the most convenient, I have a Hobie toy box under mine.
Wings are great. Comfortable and can anchor & use as a swim platform, kids like diving & doing back flips off the wings. They will especially will like going out on the trapeze.

Steve C.

I've owned two getaways over the past 17 years and had a H16 before that. I would highly recommend the getaway. However, I want to make sure you don't have unrealistic expectations.



It has been 17 years since I've rigged an H16, but I'm not sure what it is about the getaway that is going to save a lot of time. You still have to step the mast, attach the rudders, put on the sails, etc. The furling jib will help, but you can get that on an H16 too. I suppose the boomless main will also save a little time.



The getaway is heavier than the H16



The getaway has a couple of advantages here. It is much more difficult to flip than the H16. I have only flipped mine when pushing the boat very hard and/or sailing in extreme conditions. In these situations, I could have chosen to spill more wind and not risk flipping. The getaway has a float on the mast to prevent turtling. That said, if you do flip the getaway, I don't believe it is any easier to right than the H16 (assuming you didn't let the H16 turtle). You should be aware that with good wind and seas, the getaway can pitch pole.



It's more about weight than people. If your 6 people are 200lbs each, that would definitely slow the boat down. I usually try to keep crew weight (including me) below 800lbs so that the boat is still fun to sail. Of course the amount of wind is also important to consider. The getaway has a lot more buoyancy than the H16, so it does handle more people better.



I've always used beach wheels. If the surf is big, you could sail or pull the getaway on the beach and then put it on the wheels. The beach wheels fit easily on the trailer under the boat. How would you transport the dolly? If you have to disassemble and reassemble, that it going to add to your setup time.

Hope that helps!
David

Wow. Some of your questions can only be answered by you.

I've had 6 adults on my Getaway. It still performs ok, but obviously it's going to be slower than with 2 people. I was sailing (solo) with 2 friends with their Hobie 16s (they were also solo) in some high winds a month or so ago. In lighter winds, under about 15 knots, the 16s were faster than my Getaway. When the wind went above 20 knots, we were evenly matched...in fact, I might have been a bit faster since I caught up to them.

I think the dolly or beach wheels will take about the same amount of effort...actually, it looks to me like the dolly would take more work, but I've never used one. I have beach wheels, but have yet to use them on this boat. I did use them on a Hobie 17 I previously owned, and could handle the boat by myself on them.
I would expect to set up the boat on the trailer, drag it from the trailer onto the beach wheels or dolly (which will probably take 2 people), roll it into the water and pull the dolly or wheels from under the boat. To recover, put the boat on the dolly/wheels while in shallow water, roll up to the trailer and drag onto the trailer. The Getaway is heavier than the 16.

The Getaway is about the same width as the 16, so if the Bravo fits under a 16, it should fit under the Getaway. The Getaway hulls are wider, and the crossbars may be lower, so if the Bravo is a tight fit under the 16, it MIGHT not fit under a Getaway.

Like shogun95 says, the Getaway has a built in righting line. Easy to right, as long as you are prepping it right...release the mainsheet and jib sheet, swim the mast around so the wind is coming across the front of the boat, and get one large or 2 people on the righting line. Don't get smacked in the head by the hulls!

Time to set up is dependent on what status you are starting from. I trailer my Getaway with the mast down (obviously), and rudders and float off. So for me to setup, I have to step the mast. If I'm alone, I need to use the Mast Stepper III which adds a good 10 minutes to setup, but if I have a partner, we just lift the mast. I have to put on the rudders, and the float, usually I put on my motor, and the other fiddly stuff...mainsheet, lower the wings, hook up the mainsail, rig the jib, etc, etc.
So for comparison, when I first got the boat, I kept it on the trailer in a marina, mast up, rudders on, jib up and rigged (with a snorkel on the jib to protect it from sunlight). I had to put on the motor, rig the mainsail and back the trailer down the ramp. 10 minutes to rig and launch.
Now, If I'm sailing with my wife (who knows how to rig the boat), we can raise the mast, rig everything and launch in 20 to 30 minutes. If you are sailing with someone not familiar with rigging it, and you have to direct everything they do, it'll take you 30 to 40 minutes.
And, If I'm by myself and need to use the Mast Stepper, it takes me 50 to 60 minutes to rig and launch.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Icebirds" - 1974 Skeeter iceboat
Too many canoes and kayaks

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ANSWERS!

My thought on rightening the getaway is that it’s easier than Hobie 16 if you have 3 people (450lb) because they can all 3 hang from the righting line as the righting line extends horizontally . On the Hobie 16 it was impossible to have 3 people pulling on the same line. Correct?

I do need something to move it on the beach and would appreciate the feedback of anyone that tried the dolly. Beach trax on 16 were a pain to put under the boat on dry sand.

I do understand rigging getaway is more than bravo but it seems that job is less trouble than 16: not having boom + the traveler line does not have to be rigged every time if you leave boat overnight on the beach + furling jib. These 3 differences from Hobie 16 seem worth 10-15 mins of rigging - correct?

Lastly : if my intention is launch from the beach with 3-6 people getaway seems to be the only boat- correct?

Thank you again!

I don't see a reason you couldn't rig a similar righting system on the H16. However, the buoyancy of the getaway hulls makes it easy for multiple people to stand and help right the boat. The mast float buys you time and may gives you a better starting position.



I've never tried the dolly for a getaway. We do have a sunfish one that looks very similar and like it. I would still be concerned that transporting the dolly is going to be more difficult than transporting beach wheels.

The front cross bar on the getaway makes it easier to get it on the wheels while on the beach. I can do it single handed by standing in the front-center and lifting on the cross beam while pushing the wheel axle with my feet. Two of my kids (13 & 11) are also able to get the boat on the wheels by themselves. Once the boat it centered on the wheels, it is easy for one person to move around. Again, the front cross bar is very helpful for this. Its much better than trying to move/balance the boat by holding the bridles (on H16).



When I leave my boat on the beach, I detach the main from the sail (it just hooks on) and hook the main sheet on the trampoline laces to avoid it getting tangled. The rudders stay on the boat, jib is furled. Depending on how fast you move, you could be in the water sailing in 5 minutes. It really depends on how fast you can get the boat on the wheels, get it in the water, and raise the main sail. So I guess I agree this would be faster than the H16 because of not dealing with the boom. You save more time if your H16 doesn't have a furling jib. I think the time saved from trailer to water isn't as significant. Getting the boat off the trailer, stepping the mast, attaching the rudders/tiller are all going to be about the same between the boats.



I don't know of any better choice. It would be ideal if you could find someone near you that has a getaway so you could check it out in person.

David

If you are planning on sailing with 6 people (unless 4 of them are very small children), the Getaway or the Hobie 21SC are the only boats from Hobie with enough capacity. 6 adults are too much for even an 18.

You can use the same righting system on the 16 as the Getaway has. My neighbor rights his 16 by himself, he uses a water bag to add 20 pounds to his 150# frame. I can right my Getaway by myself, I weigh 200#. 2 people can pop a 16 or a Getaway right up. The biggest thing is to release the sail sheets, and to point the bow into the wind, or have the wind at 45 degrees between the bow and the mast (which actually uses the wind to help you right it.)

You seem so concerned about rigging time. A Getaway and a 16 take pretty much the same amount of time, give or take a few minutes. I wouldn't choose the boat based on that. The biggest variable is what is the boat status that you are starting from? Since I trailer my boat with rudders and float off, and need to use a Mast Stepper to raise the mast, it takes me about an hour to set up by myself. With another person who knows what to do and can help me lift the mast, it takes half that time. If you are starting with the mast up, and rudders on, all you really have to do is put on the mainsail and launch, on either a Getaway or 16. So there is rigging from towing, and rigging from the beach, with wildly different times.

My first boat was a Hobie 17, when my kids were small (3 to 8 years old) and the 2 older kids (8 and 6) helped me rig it, it was part of the fun. We all had our jobs when we arrived at the launch and it was fun to watch them put on the rudders and set up the wings on the boat.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Icebirds" - 1974 Skeeter iceboat
Too many canoes and kayaks