G’day Darren it’s definitely not a toy and I think it’ll be around in the future. I really like the boat for what we use it for, there is nothing like it for the people I’ve taken out so far. I’ve had the ex cat sailor with no legs, the stroke victim, 80 year old ex cat sailor-ex rescue boat driver, scared small kids with equally worried parents and people that have had sailing experience, all happily sailing without getting wet unless they want to. It’s a real privilege to take these people out and have them take the tiller.
The boat is well designed for what it is and my complaints are only superficial blocks etc, when I sail it on my own I find it a bit lame unless I reach every where with the gennaker and I think that’s the problem with it not unfurling, if I was going dead downwind which is boring it may come out ok. After an hour of reaching with the gennaker in decent wind and the ama under water I came back exhausted but entertained. It has a definite use for introducing people to sailing, I get people that are unsteady on their feet to hold onto the side as I pull it in the shallows so they can walk without anyone on the beach realising they have a disability, then in about 1 foot of water I get them to stop while I pull the tramp under the back of their knees, they then sit on the tramp and swing their legs into the hull they look normal and retain their dignity. Then when they’re sailing quite often I lay on my back on the ama tramp holding the gennaker and leave them to sail, because it’s so forgiving if they make a mistake we just go in a circle and there’s no boom to hit heads. As for the others at the club not sailing it they own high performance cats that are more entertaining for them and quicker to set up, we had a visitor from WA use it for our Cape Jaffa regatta you can have a go if you want the next time you come our way.
regards