Amazed!

I took my new wav out for the 1st time today. At one point,there were 4 people on it and it handled well. Then I let my wife take helm for about a 2 mile broad reach - she did well. We turnedback upwind where I took over the helm - the wind calmed for about 5 minutes and then WHAM, winds in the 20's whitecaps and 3 foot waves HOLY COW IT WAS AWESOME! We stuffed both bows in the waves many times - never a concern about the ptchpole - it was wet however. Both the wife and I had a blast.

Overall, I enjoyed the speed the wave can crank out. High winds and I never felt out of control - If I were in my dinghy in that much wind I would have been terrified. Very stable, wife no longer fears taking out out son (poor fella, he didnt get to go this time due to wife pre-testing).

I am a little wary of the comptip - seems fragile to me. Are my concerns unfounded?

Smiles all around - except being a little cold. Great boat, Im glad I bought it! Even passes the overprotective mom test

OK,

You sailed with two adults upwind in 20+ and three foot waves and you still have concerns with the comtip? As long as you don't run it over with your car, you won't have problems on the Wave. Remember, the Hobie 21 and 20 are bigger, run more mainsheet and downhaul and the comtips hold up just fine. I have a 20 as well as a wave and have run a Tiger spinnaker without any issues.

Sail hard, have fun. If you break it, it needed upgrading anyway.

I got jammed under a highway overpass bridge during high tide my second time out on my new WAVE (there's a "most embarrasing moment" thread on the open sailing forum where I relive the entire event).

Long story short: the boat was pitched at a 45 degree angle with all weight on one hull and the mast, which was pegged under the bridge. I was in that position for a good ten minutes as the boat bucked, rocked and slowly scraped under the bridge.

The only damage was a little scuffing and bending on the BOB. I bent the BOB back into position with some pliers and channel locks. If the comptip can handle THAT, it can handle dern near anything.

BTW... I've had my WAVE out in 25 mph winds and 7 to 8 foot seas, single-handed and she was competent and handled the extreme conditions well. At some point, though, it becomes more stressed out work than fun in those kinds of conditions.

There's been more than one time when other Hobie sailors with 16's have stood on the beach with their boats, not willing to go out (high winds, etc.) and watched me out there with my WAVE.

One guy called me "the bomb"

_________________

"HOBIE....
Say it LOUD and there's music playing...
Say it SOFT and it's almost like praying.....
I just sailed my WAVE out the Marina !"
West Coast Story

I've just got a blend of new-boat-anxiety/OCD - If I wasnt worried about my comptip snapping, I would be worried about ripping the tramp or breaking a shroud or some other dang thing. Thanks for the reassurance; now I can worry about something else

This Wave is indeed gnarly in high winds. I was thinking on my maiden voyage "I would never go out in this much wind on my old dinghy or on a 16". This weekend is forcast to be a killer too - I am going to slap the wetsuit on and see if I can fly a hull single-handed.

I am still curious as to what light wind sailing will be like on the Wave - I keep hoping for a warm sunny day with light wind so I can lounge out all over the tramp and daydream.

One totally cool thing I have discovered is that you can lay belly down on the tramp and pee through the tramp lacing without anyone knowing that your using the "potty". My wife wonders if you could poop through the lacing (since I had to skip one regatta due to intestinal issues)?

Yikes!

Well, when you gotta' go, ya gotta' go, but don't feel a need to share.



Light winds are fun, too, in a different kind of way. I like laying in the tramp with my drybag behind me as a back rest. Sometimes, I bring my homemade seats.

But flying a hull is the greatest. Just reliving those "high" moments puts a grin on my face. Anytime. Anyplace.

My wife's afraid of the water, so, alas, I typically sail alone...but it seems that one could have an exiciting time out there with one's lover tangled up in the hiking straps!

Once, a girl out on the jetty offered to swim out to me.

Didn't figure the wife would like that so I told her I didn't have a life jacket for her and didn't want to get arrested. Didn't want to get divorced is more like it.

.

_________________

"HOBIE....
Say it LOUD and there's music playing...
Say it SOFT and it's almost like praying.....
I just sailed my WAVE out the Marina !"
West Coast Story