Recommendations for 1-3 people? Advice please?

I'm working on parting out some of my toys including my H16(See my other post).

LIke to get some suggestions for a small boat, 1-3 persons. 1 most of the time. Was looking at the Bravo, even though I know it's small.

I want to avoid trailers. No marina's nearby and beach is a good 40 minutes away.

Me and the wife's combined weight is 260lbs. We'll be the ones onboard most of the time.

The Wave looks good, but I'm worried about disassembling it every time, surely that can't be good for it.

Thank you very much for your time and any suggestions. Be awhile before I buy something..but I want to do my research early...So far all my looking as been Hobie, but feel free to extend that horizon.

[quote="Gdbyrd"]The Wave looks good, but I'm worried about disassembling it every time, surely that can't be good for it. quote]

Not a problem if you get the Club version. It's meant to be taken apart easily.

_________________
2003 Tiger - Don Atchley

Actually the SE or "Classic" has the one-piece trampoline and is made to disassemble easily; and there are posts here from people who do it almost daily. The Club version has the three part lace-up tramp, which needs to be un-laced to separate the hulls. But neither is hard on it; the beams and hulls slip together, no tools required.

There's plenty of bouyancy in the hulls, and three or four on board is no problem, just slows you down a bit. I think three on a Bravo would be crowded. On a Wave, you can sit on the hulls (4 padded seats) or stretch out on the trampoline.

My wife loves riding on ours, because she can stretch out and relax while I do all the work. She would much rather be a passenger than a crew.

_________________
What - Me Worry?


2006 Hobie Wave 7358
"Ish Kabibble"

How difficult is it to setup and sail the Wave? I setup and took down the H16 several times, and after the first one, I knew the boat was not for me. I've lost A LOT of strength recently from an illness I still don't have a name for(looking for a diagnosis). The loss may be temporary, but the vote is out...

So I need something that's easy for a weakling to set up, heh. Solo. I can lift the heaviest part(hull each waying 75lbs) without too much difficulty.

What is setup time anyhow? I still like the Bravo for the simplicity and size of it. If I end up getting something just for myself, I think I'd have to go with the Bravo..But the Wave(for not much money, relatively) is a lot more boat with way more options.

If you can lift a hull, you'll have no problems with the rest of the set up. The mast goes up easily, especially if you follow the assembly manual's instructions for hooking the halyard to the bridle. Someone commented on another post that his 12 year old son watched the set-up video, then went out and assembled the boat himself in less than an hour, out of the box. I think I've read a half hour is typical for re-set-up from car-topping. A set of beach wheels would come in handy, if you have to drag it very far to the water after assembly.

A Bravo would likely be a simpler set up, but I would think handling that entire boat would be heavier than the individual Wave hulls.

_________________
What - Me Worry?


2006 Hobie Wave 7358
"Ish Kabibble"

I have the one piece tramp and I usually get it from cartop or trailer completely disassembled to sail up ready to go--or the reverse in 30 minutes. A Canoe and kayak cart is great for hauling the hulls longer distances. Check and see if you are capable of lifting the hulls off the car and then go for it!

_________________
Dan St. Gean
'82 H 18
'96 H Wave

I'd be pulling it out of the back of a truck. And from truck to beach it'd be just a few feet. So that part is taken care of. 30 minutes is nothing That's very encouraging.

When sailing though..which of the two craft is easier and more fun to manage: between the bravo and the wave? I'm pretty new to sailing.

I keep going back to the bravo because it's going to be just me on it 90% of the time...but I bet you're right, the bravo will be more work because it's a solid piece.

Does constantly deconstructing and constructing the Wave decrease it's longevity at all? Seems like constantly doing that every weekend will wear parts down fast.

I'll let Dan comment on the wear and tear, since I leave mine set up all the time. But it is just a matter of sliding the beams into sleeves in the hull, and hooking lines onto loops. The owner's/assembly manual is availble on-line, on this site. I don't know how to link you to it, but do a search and you'll find it.

As for ease of sail, the Wave is simple to control and tough to capsize (and then it's easy to right). Kids can handle it, but it can be challenging for the best of sailors. It may be a little under-powered in light winds, but it really takes off in higher winds, while still being quite controllable. Rick White, a former Olympic sailor and catamaran guru, has taken a special shine to it. You can read more at catsailor.com and the International Wave Class Association website.

_________________
What - Me Worry?


2006 Hobie Wave 7358
"Ish Kabibble"

>>Does constantly deconstructing and constructing the Wave decrease it's longevity at all?

Very unlikely. I could even see taking the boat apart each time as decreasing wear. When you trailer a catamaran assembled, the hulls and crossbars are inherently subject to some flexing and motion. Take the crossbars out and it eliminates that wear.

In either case, your talking about very minimal wear in the grand scheme of things. Hobie builds a quality product and the Wave has been around for a long enough time to prove that.

sm

I play around with both, and the Wave is much easier to sail and less "squirly" than a Bravo. I actually prefer the Bravo because of that, it is a fun boat in a lot wind, but if it is ease of sailing you are looking for then I would pick the Wave.

_________________
Arie
H 16 107568

Well, I was starting to lean more towards the Wave for all the above reasons..when I stumbled on an old post about trouble stepping the mast. That's the reason I'm selling my H16.

If it's even remotely similar to the H16 I will not be able to do it :*( My strength is not very good and holding something above my head like that walking it up would be almost impossible.

Any input on this? If this is right, I may settle on the Bravo or take my search outside of the hobie world :*(

The wave mast is much, much lighter than the H16 mast, and you don't really have to walk it up with two people - the halyard is extra long so you hook it to the bridle, and one person can steady the mast side-to-side while the other uses the halyard to bring the mast up.

_________________
Tim
Unofficial Fleet 72 Communications Officer and Div 4 Webmaster
http://www.hobiefleet72.org
http://www.div4.hobieclass.com/

So does it take more than one person to step the mass solo? I had trouble doing the H16 when I was healthy..with help...Now that I'm weak....

Maybe the Bravo is for me after all. Keep any info and input coming that you can.

Here are a few more considerations, some may have been mentioned already:

The hulls on the Wave weigh 80lbs each, sliding them into the bed of a pickup is real easy, but placing them on a top rack, is a chore singlehanded. Either way, a kayak cart can come in handy here, as somone already pointed out.

I transport my Wave in the 6.5' bed of my full size pickup, and they stick out 5' beyond the lowered tailgate, but otherwise ride fine. I place the mast and crossbars on a rack on my cap.

The hull on the Bravo is probably about 150lbs, not sure exactly. Probably not a option to single handed load on a cartop rack. But sliding into a pickup bed may not be bad.

As far as assembly, the classic Wave goes together pretty quick, especially after you do it a few times, but not nearly as fast as rigging the super simple Bravo.

Stepping the mast on a Wave is also pretty easy, but tricky to connect forestay singlehanded. The Bravo on the other hand, has a shorter mast (a couple feet shorter), so lighter. And no forestay to worry about.

Maybe you should visit a dealer and try stepping the mast of both the Wave and Bravo. And get a feel for hull handling weight.

Good luck!

_________________
Jim

2007 Hobie Wave

The mast is very easy to step. I'm sure the folks who do it often will attest to that as well. I've only had to raise it a few times, when I first assembled the boat, and when I've skyed the halyard ; but it was no problem at all solo. With the halyard hooked on the bridle, you just raise the mast to your shoulder and walk up the tramp to the front crossbar. Then you cleat the halyard, and it locks itself up while you walk around and leisurely attach the forestay.

There was another post about someone who regularly had to sail under a low bridge, and he could drop the mast, coast under the bridge, and step it again on the other side; all on the water and without losing much boatspeed.

_________________
What - Me Worry?


2006 Hobie Wave 7358
"Ish Kabibble"