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H17 or Getaway?
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=41818
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Author:  Minnesota_Cat_Fan [ Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:00 am ]
Post subject:  H17 or Getaway?

I'm ready to buy a Hobie for fun lake sailing and would be grateful for some help making the right choice.

My goals are:

1. Take kids out for fun and fast rides in light to medium conditions;

2. Get wild high-speed rides when sailing solo or with an experienced crew in heavier conditions.

I prefer a low-maintenance program and something I can pull up on a beach or bump into a dock and not worry about dings and scratches. I also want to keep my investment down to a reasonable number.

Any advice about the right choice between the Getaway and H17?

I would consider a Hobie 16 but when I've sailed them in the past they are so hard to tack sometimes.

Thanks

Author:  jmecky [ Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: H17 or Getaway?

If you want very low maintenance then you have to go with the getaway, there durable like skunk stink. It also has pretty nice performance on windy days and you can load the whole crew on and plenty of places to sit.

The 17 is a lot more maintenance due to fiberglass and gel coat. I wish the 18 was made of the same stuff as the getaway. But the 17 will give you a lot more performance single handed or two light people.

Id say you need the getaway with a spinnaker. That way you can still fly like a cat should and carry the whole car load.

Have Fun in Life.

Author:  jackB [ Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: H17 or Getaway?

jmecky wrote:
The 17 is a lot more maintenance due to fiberglass and gel coat.


This is just a propaganda generated by plastic boat owners to make them feel better about their boats. :twisted:

But, seriously -- fiberglass requires very little maintenance. Once a year, you may need to do a few touch-ups with some gel-coat. If neglected, a boat may need a "bottom-job". There are pros and cons for both. Fiberglass is roughly10x stronger and stiffer than a polyethylene. This is makes fiberglass boats lighter and generally allow better sailing performance. What is perceived to be maintenance-free about rotomolded boats is what happens when a hull meets a rock. Because fiberglass is so stiff, the material does not deflect and stress concentrates on very small area. This results with a scratch or worst a crack. With more flexible polyethylene, the stress get spread out and there is no damage.

On the other hand, fiberglass is very repairable. All can be fixed. On occasions, with a big damage to a hull, it is just better to replace the hull, because of the amount of work required. With polyethylene, a home-repair is pretty much impossible. There are some methods to sort-of patch-up small damage. If your hull gets a big hole or a crack, it is done. To be fair, you would have to try hard to make this type of damage. You can't repair scratches or repaint a plastic boat.

We also know, there are 50 year-old fiberglass cats still sailing. With polyethylene, this is still to be determined. In principle, all polymers would sustainable some UV damage over years. UV acts as a catalyst for polymerization process, resulting with the material to become hard ad brittle. However, if a boat is stored covered, I don't see why a rotomolded boat would not last for many decades. I would be careful in getting a used boat from a resort. They typically are stored uncovered on a beach, year around.

Both materials have pros and cons. It all depends on your needs/wants.

Author:  jmecky [ Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: H17 or Getaway?

I don't have a plastic boat for your info and I spend the last week doing a bottom job and all day today sanding with 800 then 1000 then waxing. You never have to do any of that with plastic. Never have to fix dings with plastic, never get water soaking into the fiber glass or foam with plastic.

Plastic is very low maintenance compared to fiberglass. Both have flaws but were talking about normal maintenance.

Author:  jackB [ Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: H17 or Getaway?

jmecky wrote:
pend the last week doing a bottom job and all day today sanding with 800 then 1000 then waxing


This is because you want you boat to look to her best. The point is, it is possible if you want to. On plastic, there is no point on fixing scratches.

I do not go as far for my "normal" maintenance. As long as my both is in healthy condition, I am happy. I would rather spend my time sailing. It is all your personal preference.

Author:  kevinbatchelor [ Wed May 16, 2012 5:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: H17 or Getaway?

I had a Hobie 17 and I loved it. The problem was that it just didn't carry enough weight to take out may whole family, it really doesn't preform well with more then two people. I sold it. I just got a hobie getaway.

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