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PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:13 am 
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Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:02 am
Posts: 1
Hi,

I would like to know a few things, I am moving from doing bike racing into another phase of my life. I've always enjoyed beeing in the water and I've had a lot of fun with windsurfing, also rented a few cat in the past and really had a blast.

So here we are, me and my friend looking for the next challenge in our lives.
I would like to eventually get to somekind of racing in this sport even for fun :)

So here are a few questions:

1. I think F18 is the right platform, I looked at the Tiget and the Nacra Inf F18 what are the main thing to look for when purchasing used boats?
2. To learn how to be efficient or even just to make sure I use the correct word to describe what I am talking about is there documentation? Training? or just learn as you go?
3. What is the learning curve like on the Tiger F18? I don't intend to race this or next year but I am planning on spending a lot of time on it! :)
4. Althouh I don't have a lot of saling experience, I understand basic concept will I be able to start off with the Tiger, should I try to find a "mentor" to help me get going with the first few session?

Thanks a lot for your inputs!
Also if you know or any Tiger available within the east coast up to south carolina I might be a taker! Going in vacation from canada down to myrtle beach! :)

Have a great one! :)


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:53 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 am
Posts: 104
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
A Tiger might be a bit to much for a new sailor. I would suggest either sailing a Tiger w/o the chute for a while or just picking up a cheap Hobie 20 and getting used to sailing from the trapeze, tacking, gybing, raising and lowering dagerboards, making adjustments like mast rotation, downhaul, mast rake, spreader rake, diamond wire tension, rudder adjustments...

What ever you do find someone who lives near you that can mentor or at least you can go look at their boat to see just how to set it up. This should help shorten your learning curve.

Oh, last thing. Keep your credit card handy :lol:


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 9:53 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:46 am
Posts: 1054
Location: eureka,california
Look for solid hulls and check for repairs.

There are a few tuning guides available to help learn to tune and set up the boat.

The Tiger is intimidating when you first start sailing it but the comfort level will increase as you go. For learning I would try to find someone to take you out and show you the basics. Learn how to right the boat and put the spin away when flipped. (you will flip it don't be afraid of it learn from it)

I would recommend using it in light to moderate winds till you are very comfortable on the boat. Using the spin learning curve is kind of high but other than that the boat is easy to sail but hard to master.

_________________
Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2012 6:03 pm 
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Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:53 am
Posts: 232
Location: Storm Lake, IA
dray wrote:
or just picking up a cheap Hobie 20
Not a beginners boat.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2012 6:09 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 am
Posts: 104
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
I sail both a 20 and Tiger and the 20 is way easier to sail than the Tiger (technically). Anyway, that's why I suggested a 20 but an old Hobie 18 would work also until the newbie get's his feet wet. I can't see him buying a Tiger and making new boat owner mistakes without damaging the hulls, spin pole dagers....
That's my 2 cents.
It all depends on how deep mister newbies pockets are and how quickly his learning curve is.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 5:33 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:58 pm
Posts: 186
Location: SE Michigan / NE Indiana
+1 on the H18 to F18 stepping stone idea.

I made the same transition - sailed the H18 for a couple years and this year am now sailing/racing a Tiger and Nacra F18. Still quite the learning curve, but much more manageable.

An H18 is till 95% the amount of fun for recreational sailing - only lacking the spinnaker. For racing though, you'll eventually want a boat where you can actually race against someone, sadly the H18 is no longer the boat for that (at least in Michigan).

_________________
Jeff R
'88 H18 Jolly Mon
'10 F18 Closely Called
cramsailing.com


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:13 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:14 am
Posts: 13
Location: Southern Ontario
Hello,

Don't want to jack your thread (or create a new one of the same nature) but i'm kind of in the same boat, however i think i may have a bit more experience. My brother and i have sail since we were very young so we do have some experience in sailing school and a couple different types of boats both with and without daggers, however this would be our first boat with a spinn set and our second cat.

We're looking to upgrade from our H14T to something bigger and faster. We love the speed however my brother doesn't like the stability of it with shorter hulls and such. I personally find it challenging and love to flirt with it.

So we've been looking around at the Tiger and Tornado. However, we're concerned about righting it when it's over, we're only a 290lbs crew and we struggle to get our 14 righted (without bobs and bags). It can be done but takes us a bit of time so i'm wondering if the Tiger is much harder to right?

There is a Tiger for sale on the board here, a 2000 and from my findings it looks like the 2000 is a gen 1. Should i be concerned with a gen1 version of this boat? Can anyone chime in on what i should be looking for in a used Tiger? also when they went from gen1 to gen2?



Thanks!


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:46 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 am
Posts: 104
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
HobieKatz,
I can help a little as I'm a new owner of 4 months, first thing you would notice sailing a Tiger or any other F18 is they tack VERY fast! excellerates quickly, is very wet and points higher upwind than almost anything else out there. I have experience on several multihulls and I kind of have this for an annalogy:
A Hobie 16 is like driving an old VW bug, a Hobie 18 is like driving a minivan, a Hobie 20 is like driving a Lincoln town car and a F18 is like driving a Ferarri.

My boat is a 2004 and has all the newer stuff on it including tramp, self tacking jib, rudders, spreaders and SNU snuffer. I would highly recommend a 2nd generation boat unless it's only been in freshwater. Check for corrosion on all aluminum parts if she was sailed in saltwater. Rich V. and John B. on this blog have lots of good info for what to look for.

Lastly the kite is awesome!!! best help I can give for the kite is don't overtrim, ease and drive off when a puff hits.


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