dorienc wrote:
I’ve had my Getaway since 2012, and have some experience with your questions.
I use a gin pole, the Mast Stepper III to raise my mast. 33 years ago, I had a Hobie 17, and could just barely muscle the mast up by myself, so I built a gin pole system for it, you’ll see a discussion about gin poles in this forum.
I can almost but not quite raise the Getaway mast by myself, but I’m almost 70. So the answer is, how strong are you?
And yes, I keep the boat on a trailer and drive to lakes to sail, so I raise and lower the mast every time. Using the Mast Stepper, I think it takes 10 minutes or so. Total setup by myself is 50-60 minutes. If my wife is with me, we can set it up or tear it down in 35-40 minutes.
Look for KeithB’s motor mount design, it’s a thread in this forum. I’ve never been questioned about the boat’s motor capacity. It’s registered in Illinois. 2-3 hp motors, gas or electric, seem to be the size of choice.
Only 1 color scheme. I think the dealer provides the trailer, and they use different suppliers I think. Boat options are limited, wings, spinnaker and trap wires are it, I think.
There’s a storage compartment in each hull, about 12 pack size I would estimate. Paddles get shoved in the tramp lacing or under each wing. I carry a SUP paddle under each wing in case we have to paddle for some miles-I like to sail on the Great Lakes and want a back up in case of motor failure. I tie my anchor and rope in a bag on top of a throwable cushion, tied to the lacing of the tramp.
I have a box on the trailer for the sail, rudders, Bob and assorted stuff. I have a couple of bins for PFDs, mainsheet and blocks that go in the trunk.
The last couple of years I started camp cruising, and we put camping gear in dry bags, tied down to the boat’s hiking straps.
Once again your experience proves to be reassuring to me dorienc, thanks for taking a moment to answer my latest query. I think the Getaway is going to be a good fit for me, but I'm sure it will take time to get acquainted with its idiosyncrasies.
I'll look for the discussion on gin poles. Glad to hear that stepping the mast won't be too much of a challenge for a couple of people. I'm going to start sniffing out dealers and getting some quotes. Certainly haven't ruled out finding a used one either, just going to see what I can find out there. I'll keep you posted. ~ Doug