Looking Into Hobie Cats...

Greetings to all you Hobie Cats!

I am not new to sailing, but definitely new to the world of Hobie cats. My dad taught me to sail on a little Alcort Sunfish. About ten years ago I bought a 23' Glastron (monohull sloop) and had a lot of fun with it. I recently sold it and I'm ready to move into something newer... faster... lighter... more fun! I'm not yet totally sold on a Hobie, but it's definitely toward the top of my list, so much so that I'm starting to do my research in earnest.

I do a lot of my sailing on lake Chautauqua in western New York state. I will see a Hobie on our lake every now and then, and even have one example of personal experience with a Hobie: my whole family was out in our party barge when we ran across a Hobie in distress - an older gentleman had a bunch of little ones on his cat and they had capsized. Their vessel had completely inverted and it was deep enough that the mast was completely clear of the bottom. We picked up all the kiddos and they directed us into their dock for a drop-off, then we returned to the gentleman and his Hobie. We were able to haul his mast out of the drink and get it onto our party barge - from there we got him righted and got the poor fellow back to his dock (where he was greeted by a group of worried - then relieved - kids). WAY more fun than the quick little tour around the lake we had planned for the day.

Anyway, the occasional upset notwithstanding, these small catamarans look like a lot of fun. I recently purchased Paul Holmes' book on Hobie Alter and the founding of the Hobie brand... very cool! Not even halfway through the book yet, but I knew absolutely nothing about surfing before I picked it up and so it is proving to be quite educational. The guy was clearly a hard-working visionary who leaves a legacy that will live on for many decades into the future.

A couple of questions I'm researching: Do Hobies use any sort of keel? It appears not, how does that work? Of course the Sunfish has a daggerboard and my Glastron had a stub keel (ballasted) with a centerboard that would winch down from the middle of the keel trunk. How does the Hobie track without keels? I guess there's no ballast either? Just your weight hanging out? Do you call this a trapeze (I think)?

I'm not looking to get into racing. More just looking for a fun craft that is lighter than 5,000 lbs and faster than the 5 - 7 knots I'm so accustomed to. From my inexperienced position, the Hobie Getaway seems like a good fit. 400 - 500 lb weight on trailer with the capacity to take out a few full-sized adults. I love the float on the masthead... that poor gent in our lake could've really benefited from that simple innovation.

Before I started snooping around on this forum, I was almost embarrassed to ask if anyone had ever powered a Hobie cat. From what little experience I have with them, it would seem an unlikely fit to carry a little transom. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that at least a couple of folks have retrofitted motors to their Getaways. To me, this has less to do with convenience of docking / near shore navigation and more to do with the courage to go sailing on light evenings when the risk of getting becalmed runs high. A little 2.5 hp outboard only weighs maybe 40 lbs but would certainly get me home faster than a paddle in hand.

Am I on the right track, you think? If money weren't an obstacle (which I'm not necessarily implying is the case), better to buy new or used? Put another way, are the newer Getaways 'good ones' or is it a boat that has certain years better than others? Am I going to be disappointed in a plastic hull? I feel like, no, I wouldn't be disappointed, but then again I just don't know! Will it get 'mushy' in the hot sun? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! ~ Doug from Pennsylvania.

PS: I'm going to post this in the general sailing forum in case discussion navigates clear of the Getaway... that's just my initial feeling but I'm not yet decided.

It appears that you are ready for a beach cat, whether Hobie, NACRA, Prindle or what ever.
The boat that suits you best? Number one question, how much money do you want to spend? You can get 16's, Getaways, and Waves new. Late model boats in great condition will cost more too. You can buy a serviceable 16 for a grand or so.
Number 2 question, how many people do you want/expect to carry? Hobie 16 is good for maybe 3, Wave for 2 or 3, H17 for 2, Hobie 18 for 4-5, Getaway for 6, 21 for 6 maybe 8? (yes you can physically cram more people on any of these, but this is a "normal" number that allows decent sailing. I sometimes carried 5 on my 17, but it was mostly underwater)
Number 3, do you want to solo it? Wave, 16, 17, Getaway. 18 if you are really big. 21? I have no idea. The smaller boats you can handle and right by yourself, maybe with the use of a water bag if you're not as fat as I am.
As far as leeway, no cat points very well. The 14s and 16s have assymetrical hulls that use the Bernoulli principle. 17, 18, 20 and 21 have dagger boards or center boards. Wave and Getaway have long shallow keels molded into the plastic hulls. Speaking of that, no the plastic hull don't soften in the sun. They are rotomolded like so many kayaks are now, and are pretty indestructible! The fiberglass hulled boats require more care, and if buying used, very careful inspection. I bought a used 17 that had a centerboard trunk crack that pretty much sunk the boat.
Yeah, you can add a motor. Look at the thread in the Getaway forum for KeithB's mount ("motor mount of my own design") I had a Cheata mount, then built that one. I use and electric motor, but plenty of people use 2.5 or 3hp gas motors. I often sail on the Great Lakes and have some stories, so for me a motor is a necessity.

Now my personal experience. I've had a couple of 17s, sailed 16s, and currently have a Getaway. The 16 is a fun fast boat. Think of it as a Camaro. They capsize pretty easily. The 17 is a 1 or 2 person hot rod that loves big wind. It's a Corvette. The Getaway has tons of room and is slower than a 16 until winds get above 20 mph, then it's pretty even. I've only capsized once in 11 years and I push the hell out of it. It's an Impala. The 18 would be an Impala SS. The 21? Maybe a Lagonda??

Now, wings. 17, 18 SX and Magnum, Getaway, and 21 have wings. Game changers. Once you've sailed with wings, it's hard to go back. The 4 guys with 16s that I often sail with like to trade boats with me and are all trying to figure out how to fit wings on their boats.

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Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

Thanks for your response dorienc, I appreciate your taking the time to provide me some insight!

Yeah I've never seen a Hobie with wings before (in person), but it would seem to be a great addition and I can only imagine more comfortable than a cat without them.

Given the information you've provided, I'm leaning even more toward the Getaway now than before.

A guy named Joe Bennet has a you tube site called Joyrider TV. He sails mostly H16's and has a ton of good videos on it's sailing, rigging and maintenance at a sailing resort in Greece. Worth a view.

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'89 H14 'Jaws'
'85 H16