The only F16s currently for sale are at the upper end of my budget. Dave's got this lightly used 2002 Bimare F18HT for a little over $4K, that has me pondering. Anyone got advice or opinions? Weight? It's a carbon mast, height? I hear negative comments occaisionally about Bims' durability, is that just their As, or is it their construction techniques in general? Is this an unfair criticism?
The boat comes with a carbon and an alum spin pole, with an endpole snuffer. Is anyone using endpole snuffers anymore? I assume I could convert it to midpole fairly easily.
Seems like I could solo this boat with no problem up to, what, 10 or 12 knots(I'm 160 lbs)? I felt comfortable soloing the SC20 up to 12 or so. Probably couldn't right it by myself.
I've still got the same criteria, a boat I can single hand up to some wind strength, then add semi skilled crew for high wind blasting. No one around to race, so don't need a class boat. Have a fairly steep soft sand beach, and I'm ageing rapidly, so the light weight of the F16 is real attractive, but at a $4K premium? Can I be happy with an HT? Thanks!

Dave

The HT is a great boat and the durability is not an issue. I used to co-own an HT and the current owner of the boat has flipped it MANY times and there have been no serious issues. I sail on a different HT fairly often and we have driven it really hard and not had a problem. I am still impressed with the boats durability actually.
Only problem is that it has a lot of sail for a boat its size and at 160 you may have trouble with it when wind is above 10 or so (maybe even less).
For 4k I don't think you could go wrong with it really. It is lighter than almost all the other boats- with the exception of the f16 and a cats obviously.

Hi Dave

The 18HT is a great boat and for 4k I would'nt think too long. In our class in Switzerland ther are some, that use a smaller main with 16sqm when they sail alone. They say it sails like an A-Cat then. I sail my 18HT with the big main sometimes allone until to 4 Bft (16kn) and I'm not a heavy guy with 68kg. But for sailing allone, I would prefer a smaller main. For righting the 18HT allone a waterbag is sufficent for me.

The RIBA mast on the 2002 Javelins is strong and still flexible enough to trim the main nicely.

Good luck with your choice!

what am I doing wrong ??? (don't answer <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />)

I'm 115kgs 253 llbs and sail a singlehanded cat derived from a 18 ht , it has the stealth 18ht platform with an enlarged f16 rig on it 16m2 plus rated main/mast area and a 17.5 m2 kite

I'm fully maxed out with down haul in 10 knots and I'm a heavy bstard .

I wanted a boat I could take out in any wind and with this I can , its a wee bit sticky in very light winds but with the full cut landy big top main it soon powers up .

Makes me wonder when I hear of folks near half my weight sailing boats with a 5 foot taller mast and 4 sm2 bigger mains in force 4 winds ????????

Guess scottish wind must be much more denser or I is !!

I agree it sounds a bit exagerated.

Yes your air might be a bit denser ;-)
Something that definitly can be felt, when sailing at the lake of silvaplana (2000m above sealevel).

It was at the lake of garda (only 200m above sealevel), sailed with some friends (they sailed on a Taipan together) while I had to sail alone (my crew didn't show up) and they promised me to take care of me, in the case of capsize.

My downhaul was maxed out and so was my traveller...
I wasn't very fast and had trouble to get through the tacks.

When you often sail the 18HT alone, you defintifly wand a smaller main.

Another requisite of my boat was to make it competitive in handicap fleets - as nothing like it around !

It is vaguely competitive too , driver useless ! ,

The handicap with a 18ht rig on it would have been horrendous and I would have to give Olympic tornados time , in very light winds it may have been possible , but above f1 would have been knackered , nearly went for this option though with 10 foot beams which would have coped with power and given me a very fast toy to play with but not a competitive racer , I've wings on my rudders too which help enormously re nose diving - thing of the past >

If anyones got a spare ht rig though would be fun for long distance light wind events .

or big rig two up in next Loch Ness Monster Race , one up was a long way !!!

i have a 2002 18HT #5. I think its a perfect boat for solo or for 2. its very light and easy to move around. I've sailed her hard and flipped it countless times. She has yet to break anything. I did my research and have not experienced anything that backs up the nay sayers on this forum or anywhere else. For 4K you can't go wrong. Thats the going rate. You will not likely find many others around with the same ride. It appears to be a dead boat society in the US. Thats alright with me, we have a great time on her and thats what its all about after all. send me a PM and i can fill you in on whatever questions you have.

What am i smokin? 4K is a steal! thats about half of its worth. hell, the mast is worth 2K on its own. I wouldn't wait too long on this one. imho

Dave:

You mentioned to me that racing was not the priority of the boat. It was just to have fun and be able to sail it one up or two up. If that is still true the F18HT at $4000 should be in your driveway now!

Later,
Dan

I have 2 HT's very durable, sails great one or two up.

Dont think too hard... go buy it.

Only 2k!?!?!? The I20 masts are bringing like 5k right now!! The M20 mast is like 8k.

Well, maybe 2k was a conservative figure.. and I would argue it is a better mast than an I20! Anyone know of an HT mast that broke from anything other than land accidents?
great buy for 4k... go get the thing.

Yeah, they're nice masts, light and well built. If I remember right Riba makes carbon parts for Ferrari.

"It appears to be a dead boat society in the US."
No...Just ahead of it's time.

Regards,
Bob

I'd say that the service it was forced into (Worrell) caused it's early demise. It was not well suited for that task.

I would also say... that after the Worrel... the 20 or so boats were spread up and down the east coast. The buoy racing scene... which should be where this boat is perfect... did not and (to this day) does not exist to support the boat outside the class on the east coast. The class organized a year of succesful one design regattas BUT the travel, costs and time meant that the circuit got old for the owners ...

When that fell apart... you did not have a critical mass in any LOCAL area to keep the interest up in the boat as a class of sailors and build from.

Since open class races are often distance type events... the weapon of choice would not be the HT.

The F18 class got a great start at this time with the Tiger's coming into upstate New York... and the Nacra F18's going into Michigan and then the South.. The domestic builders and dealers sold F18's... The HT's lost their price advantage (dollar crashed), US importer (family issues) and marketing advantage (Worrel... was a disaster that slimed the boat class as well)

In the end... Neither the F18 or the HT class has really taken off on the east coast with a regional regatta schedule that draws 10 boats or so on the line. Other regions are much more succesful with the F18...

In the end... Class growth usually doesn't have that much to do with the boat itself.... IMO... its all the other stuff that makes or breaks the class.

How can there not be a market for an 18 thats one up or two up what is theyre sailing weight and are there any in Australia
regards

If you have the budget, buy it for a 2nd or 3rd boat. Even if just to fix/flip.

BTW - What's the price of one new?

If I remember right (don't quote me) they were 15-16k, but that was before carbon went through the roof.