Hi (again) everyone, I'm getting ready to buy my first cat but still at a loss which cat to get!
Some of you helped me out very well before:
http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...;amp;page=0&fpart=1&vc=1Let me explain what I intend to do with my cat, and then the real problem....
I really want a cat to sail solo 80% of the time. It has to be cheap (I'm talking sub 2k $$$ or +/- 1750Eur) I want to race socially, but do not have the time or the money to get into any serious racing scene.
When sailing solo I would like to be able to take this cat out in all kinds of weather, on lakes and at the beach. This means I need to be able to assemble it solo too, and drag around on cattrax)
The problem I have is that I tend to get bored quickly. I need lots of ways to trim the boat so I can keep on top of things.
Wanting to sail solo (93Kg/200lbs) mostly I was looking at around 4.5 meter (14') cats like a Nacra 4.5 or a Dart(Sprint) 15. They seem small enough to be easily handled, and can be car topped if needed.
However, could these small boats handle two adults occasionally (don't have to be competitive 2-up)? The nacra is described as an entry-level boat. The Sprint 15 (and 18) is marketed as "simple". Would that mean the chances are I may get bored quickly? If so I would prefer getting something like an old Nacra 5.2. They are dirt cheap and look like you can trim them to infinity. Which should keep me busy... But, is a Nacra 5.2 too much to handle comfortably solo? A salesman told me the Nacra 5.8 could be handled solo, but I think his sales agenda was fuelling that advice... I shudder to think of raising the mast, let alone righting one solo in light winds.
Basically I'm looking for an exciting and fast solo cat that can take a friend out every now and again and still have fun.
Can anyone offer some tips or things I may not have considered? Things I like are trim possibilities, safety (solo righting without poles and bags), I prefer boomless designs and I like dagger boards, though I also like boardless designs for their robustness.
Thanks,
Dennis
