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PostPosted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 5:44 am 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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I'm curious why you want a boat to sail solo if you already have an AI for that. Or is the AI too slow?

The reason I ask is that we love our Getaway as a family boat, but I'm considering adding an AI for those times I want to sail solo. It's certainly do-able in a Getaway, but just a bit too much work to rig, launch, sail, put back on the trailer and de-rig all alone.

We're picking up a Revolution next week, so we'll first see how the kids and I like the pedal-kayak thing.


Great question! I LOVE my AI, and there isn't really any problem with it. It's slow by Cat standards, but when people ask me, I always say that it's fast enough to have a LOT of fun.

I live in Canada, and our summers are short. I'm able to sail several times a week, but since I only have an AI right now, sailing is an individual sport in my household.

My primary reason for looking at the Getaway is so that I can take more people. The reason I'm asking so many questions about sailing solo is because I'm confident in it's sailing abilities with a crew, but there are a lot of days where the weather is perfect for sailing, but I know that I won't be able to take my family. My wife and I have a newborn now, and we're planning on a couple more. The fact of my life is that I won't always be able to take someone with me. I know what conditions the AI can go out in, so if I have a better understanding of what the Getaway can do with me, I'll know if it's a good boat for me.

We had initially considered the wave because we knew that up to half of my sailing could be done alone. If the Getaway can be sailed solo in, say, up to 20 knot winds, then it's a far better boat for us. I'll be able to go solo, almost whenever I want, but we'll be able to turn sailing from an individual sport, into a family sport.

The AI is a great boat, and I'll probably end up keeping it, I use it on Lake Ontario all the time, but I see it being relegated to more of a smaller lake boat if I get the Getaway.

The few things that I won't miss when comparing the AI, to the Getaway. Being up a little higher off the water (especially with the wing seats) means that I won't get soaked with every medium sized wave that I hit. The speed means that I'll be able to go a little further with each trip, and I'd also like to learn to sail a more traditional boat with a jib and mainsail. Plus, how can you not look forward to the potential of flying a hull. (Although I do like the stability if I'm going to take my family)

Finally... the rigging. The AI is certainly easy to rig, and it can be done in minutes, but... call me weird, I look at rigging a boat as part of the fun. Sort of like when I was a kid, I'd make toys out of lego, then play with them. Then when I was done, I'd take them apart, and put them back together the next time I wanted to play with them. I don't want something that's complicated to rig, but if it takes some time, that's ok with me.

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:23 am 
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Quote:
Crobiecat: So it is really very manageable by one, but after a certain strength of wind, I would just switch to a boat that I can feel is more in line with the size of a solo sailor.

It also really depends on the wind condition in your area. How much wind do you get ?

I have to say that I agree with what crobiecat says here.
As I said, I have sailed solo a bunch and I can tell you that when there is less than 10 knots, it's definitely very easy to sail by one person and lots of fun. 10 to 15 knots, you'll get more speed but and starts being more work to handle solo (nothing you can't handle with a little experience... you can have a blast). More than 15, probably you wont enjoy the ride much sailing solo, even though the boat is still sailable by an experienced person.
So I guess it depends on the wind and how much you'll be sailing solo.....


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:20 am 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
So, up to about 15 knots, I could handle solo. That's good, because that's the majority of our days out here. That's helpful to know. Thanks!

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:50 pm 
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Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:14 pm
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Location: Toronto
augaug wrote:
My wife and I have a newborn now, and we're planning on a couple more.



This is your best reason for looking seriously at a Getaway. In a couple of years you would have a blast taking the family out on light air days. My kids are now 4 and 6, and we have been sailing together as a family for a couple of years.

I rig my Getaway entirely by myself with the exception of 1 thing - I get my wife to come out to put the pin in for the jib while I hold the mast up, and I get her to take the pin out when I'm taking the mast down again.

There are lots of ways to spill air when sailing the Getaway. You can furl the jib, let out the traveler, connect the mainsheet to the top-most clew on the main, etc. If you want to keep a Getaway upright, you can; just keep your attention on the bows and make sure you don't bury them in a wave when you are moving fast.

I've had a Getaway since 2003, and every time I sail it (by myself, with my wife, with the family, or with a ton of friends) I am so happy I got a Getaway - I love this boat. Just last weekend I had 9 people (5 were kids) on my Getaway. The air was light, and it died after an hour. I parked the boat over a sandbar and we used it as a swim platform for another hour before coming in.

I'm on lake St. Clair near Windsor - where are you?

Mark


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:27 pm 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
I know Lake St. Clair! My parents used to live in Wallaceburg about 35 years ago. They still have some friends in the area. We live in Toronto for now. I tried to convince my wife to move out to the Lake St. Clair area because the cost of living down there is SO reasonable, but it's a little too far away from family.

Thanks so much for your input! Is there a Hobie dealer in your area? I only know of the one here in Toronto, and one up in Orillia. Your area is perfect for the Getaway! Lake St. Clair must be great, and you have easy access to two Great Lakes. I bet you have a blast with your family, and that's exactly what we're hoping for in our future.

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:00 am 
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I had an AI and a Getaway. Carried them both on the same trailer, the AI under the Getaway. Weather would determine which boat I would sail each day.

The Getaway is a great family/beach boat. Carries lots of people, easy to set up, easy to sail, almost indestructible. I always set it up and broke it down solo. Not all that difficult once you figure out your system. Even stepping the mast is not a problem solo if you have a plan that works for you. I had wings, which I loved, but once you start to fly a hull, they are a real drag in the water. Small price to pay for all the benefits and comfort they bring.

Not many negatives to the Getaway. It's weight is one. The Getaway is heavy. A real PITA to move around on the beach solo, but it can be done. On any given day I may land on and leave the beach 10 different times, taking people for rides. Each time you have to pull the boat up out of the surf, get new people and pull it back off the beach. Help was always welcome, but I usually did this by myself. Again, you can do this. Just lift on the front crossbar and pull forward as you turn around on the sand, that way the skegs are not a big problem. The other issue is righting the boat. It's difficult to right solo.

I had my Getaway for about 5 years and loved it. I don't think you can go wrong with that boat. I actually sold it for more than I paid for it 5 years ago. so they hold their value well.

The only reason I sold the Getaway was because I bought a Corsair F-24, and the wife thought 3 boats was a little much. Get the Getaway, you won't be sorry.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:55 am 
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I'm looking for used Wave's and Getaways. Getaways are MUCH harder to find and 2x more expensive used. We keep our boats on the Oneida Lake shoreline (so I would only raise and lower the mast 1x per year, and there's always others around to help, so that's not much of an issue). But the wave is hard to enough to yank around on land. Someone had a Getaway and I heard it was a bear to move on the ground (some boats are 20' from the water, but I'd probably get a spot right on the water).
You can get a jib for the Wave for slightly more speed and to keep the passenger busy, but the Getaway will be faster yet.
The Getaway's sails are much smaller (180 sq ft versus 218) than the H16, and the Getaway weighs a lot more, so I assume it's much harder to capsize, espcially if you sit on the wing. You'd have to make a big mistake in heavy air to capsize. I never capsized my H16 and sailed alone often (but not in super heavy air).
Lakes are cold up here, and the air outside of summer, and you get wet on the Wave in much wind. The Wave requires more wind (and therefore larger waves)to go fast (very small sail)...I would not like that on cool days, nor would passengers. But the Wave is inexpensive (if you get lucky), so I figure there's not much risk in trying it for a season if I don't find a used Getaway.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:22 am 
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Location: Saint John, NB Canada sailing on Washademoak Lake
If you can build some tracks out of wood or wood and PVC, you can easily slide it by yourself. My friends just has a bunch of tree limbs on the ground that he slides his Getaway on. 80% of the time, he's by himself. He's also a lumberjack by trade, so he's stronger than a computer nerd like me.

I made ladders, the sides are wood and the rungs ABS pipe. I can slide my 16 in and out of the water by myself and keep it about 20 feet from shore. I'm however considering putting a trailer winch on a near by tree.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:12 pm 
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Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:07 pm
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Just an update. We found an amazing deal on a Bravo, and decided to use that as an interim boat until we get a Getaway. We're going to wait a year or two for little ones to grow up a bit. Thanks to the people on this forum, we realize that the Getaway is where we want to be in a couple of years, and the nice thing is, that we'll probably keep the Bravo as a quick boat to get on the water, and even for my kids to use as they grow up. For now, the Bravo is my baby! I'll get to try it out for the first time this weekend!

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