I am a novice looking for a small cat around 18ft as a price I can afford. I have a few options and the latest and cheapest is a P-Cat 2/18. I can find very little about this boat. I know it is supposed to be sailable not a fixer and it has a hard deck not a tramp. Other than that not much. it also isa ways away from home to get about 6hr drive.

I have 2 other options one also same distance sailable a Sol cat 18 cost a bit more but has some extras like trap rigging and mast float etc...

And the last is closer to home and priced between the 2 others but the owner is as much a novice as I am has nvr had it in the water. He says all is good but the Tramp may need to be replaced. It is a Prindle 18. trailer probably needs new tires.

I would like any help or sugestions with any of these boats. Thanks much in advance.

As long as the Prindle 18 is in OK shape, its a no-brainer. They're a great boat, not the most modern but still fun to sail, simple and pretty fast. Pretty much perfect for a novice.

The P-Cat might be reasonable if you were planning to leave it at a Yacht Club or marina, but it's HEAVY and slow. Might as well get a monohull.

The Sol Cat wouldn't be terrible but there's bound to better things for sale in your area if you wait. Like a Prindle 18, Nacra 5.7 or even Hobie 18.

YOu should search through this forum... there are MANY threads on suggested cats for new sailors.... boats pro's and cons

Your best be would be the Prindle 18; probably one of the best beachcats ever made, with parts being easy to get. The tires can be had at any trailer supply store, and there may be a used tramp or two somewhere.

PRINDLE 18 for you my friend!

I had a P-cat from about 1995 to 98 or 99.

It was heavy, but that also means quit stable. While goofing off, I even made a motor mount and attached a 35 hp outboard.

Boy did that make the boat go when there was no wind.

In addition to beach-cat-like sailing I even drug it down to Mexico and used it as a sailing / scuba diving platform, with four divers, tanks, weightbelts, equipment and a large cooler for drinks and lunch.

What a blast that boat was.

I didn't like the very large and heavy metal daggerboards.

I never capsized the boat but always worried about what would happen to the daggerboards.

I also felt I'd never be able to right the boat....with it's non-sealed mast it was sure to turtle.

I did like the hard deck, for lunch use and as a dive platform.

I didn't like the funky internal main halyard and halyard winch system. The internal winch thing was a pain.

I did like the extra storage space in the boat's aft section.

I didn't like the hatch cover, held down with a bungy cord.

As a mater of fact, one time when we were drifting after I blew out the main, we went beam to seas and a somewhat mild boarding sea lifted the hatch and immediately swamped the boat....starting with filling the rear compartment.

The boat has enough flotation so it would be hard to actually sink the boat.

If we hadn't have had four divers, equipment, lunch ans so on, on board, we probably wouldn't have swamped.

Oh ya, and that 35 hp outboard, probably wasn't in the designer's mind, when figuring out the hatch thing...or the sufficiency of the boat's floatation

There was another guy in Utah who had a beautiful tricked out P-cat.

What a boat...!

He would sail that thing in a gale and make it sing.

For what it was, I really liked it...but it is definitely not like a modern beachcat with tramp.

On the other hand, there is a time, season and purpose for each kind of cat

Right.....

I still have a couple of different kinds of beachcats...and still like each one for different reasons....and purposes....

I finally donated my P-cat to a great Brigham Young University sailing club in Provo, Utah.

There are a number of P-cats still around and they’re great boats, though not like a trampoline beach cat....but then again...how many 19 foot trampoline beach cats can you load six people and a big cooler on and still sail almost as good as if it was less loaded.

Mine is hull number 54.

Last time I checked in about 2000, Pacific Catamaran still even produces boats on a custom order basis...though the business itself, doesn’t have someone there very often.

I’ve seen P-cats, in “beater” condition, but complete with trailer for sale in the $200 range.

A few years ago I saw a 1981 for $625 and a 1990 in beautiful condition for $1500

Pacific Catamran's address (at least last time I check in 2000 or so) was:

Pacific Catamaran
447 N. New Port Beach Blvd.
New Port Beach, California
92663-4201
tel. (714) 645-4520

There’s usually no one answering the phone...but I think the “owner” checks the answering machine and he was good enough to return my phone call when I was curious about this or that.... I think he spent a lot of time out of state.

If it would help, I’ve got some copies of owner’s manuals, articles about them in sailing magazines and some other printed stuff.

Good luck to you...

Tom H.

Just an addendum....

I also had a Solcat.

I got it along with 23 other catamarans in a package deal...that I couldn't resist....

Boy, you should have heard what my wife said when I sprung that on her....

Anyway, that Solcat was very old, mistreated, neglected before I got it.

We fixed it up and it was a great sail and we had lots of fun on it.

It sailed good, but was always a very wet ride with its minimal freeboard that always caused the front beam to catch water when we were hull flying and trapped out

The hulls were so soft, it finnally folded a hull just in front of the front beam.

We figured that boat was down for the count.

However, try as we may, with it's form core construction, it just wouldn't sink...and go to a fitting watery grave.

Wwe had to finally salvage it from the lake.

It broke my heart when my son took a skill saw to it so it would fit in the trash truck that took it to it's final resting place.

Thanks a bunch guys I loved all the advice. The hard deck on the P-Cat was interesting I had visions of mounting a couple deck chairs on each side aft for some comfortable sailing on my part. As a Family Boat is sounded nice. It is for Sail in Boise ID on Craigslist for $750 if anyone is interested. That's about a 6 hr drive for me so that adds to the price a bit in Gas. The Solcat 18 is also listed in Boise for $1200 is anyone is interested there.

I took you advice and bought the Prindle 18 for $800. It was listed for $1000. So now your all on the hook to help me get it in the water. Bought a set of submersible lights for the trailer as Wal-Mart for 30 bucks to get it home safely.

I will make a new post for all the help I'll need and get some pictures. Heres what I do know.

The Tramp is shot
one rudder casting is broken (it has been kinda fixed and is probably usable on a temporary basis).
Rudders look useable but are starting to split apart a little bit on the bottoms.
Also entire rudder assembly was not on the boat
I have a box of MISC junk that is Rigging parts. I have no idea what most of it is.
Hulls look good to my untrained eye. A little chipping on the bows. Bottoms may need to be built up a bit soon(When looking into hull I can see light coming through the bottoms were is has been worn by beaching.)
Mast looks sound, connector as bottom a little loose maybe. I have a bunch of coils of cables that I assume is Mast rigging lines.
I was told sails were in good shape I have not had a chance to look at them yet.

If there is anyone in Utah who knows how to rig one of these and wants to come out to my house some evening. I'd gladly feed em.

Thanks Again

Congrats on your purchase...

I would recommend you do a bottom job and make sure the hulls are sound before you get in water you cant stand in...

Also at the least, fill in the rudders so they cant absorb water.

Give this guy a call he should be able to hook ya up with parts Pete 909-800-5237

"Hulls look good to my untrained eye. A little chipping on the bows. Bottoms may need to be built up a bit soon(When looking into hull I can see light coming through the bottoms were is has been worn by beaching."

This is normal, if you don't see any threads coming through you should be OK for a while.

Great boat! I have one- Check the hulls at the rear beam where the deck is bonded to the hull bottom- Some of the early 18's had a tendency to fail there- if caught when fairly new (as my boat was) Prindle supplied new hulls- don't know what happened to the old ones. Mast is quite heavy but quite strong- beware heavy air downwind as the original rudders are just too small for these long hulls downwind in a blow IMO- been there and the hulls just sink down and rudders rise up (even with 3 guys on the stern!) and you are going wherever you were pointed at the time! Make sure you can right it with your crew before you go out - ie "flip" it on it's side in a protected area with your crew and make sure you are capable of righting it- as mentioned it's a long, tall, fairly heavy mast. If you cannot then invest in a righting bag, system or pole (I know Rick has the pole). Would also suggest investing in trailer winch to assist in raising mast.
Great boat and actually, surprisingly, sails decent with just the mainsail-

Kirt

Ok the main thing I know I will need is a tramp. would love info on any used ones that have a little life left in em before I shell out 300 for a new one.

If you want a bit of help, I sail a lot and have had lots of different cats.

I live in Farmington, Utah, just north of SLC and my wife and I spend most weekends at Bear Lake sailing and / or goofing off.

If either of those locations are close to you, contact me.

It would be fun to see your boat.

Bear Lake would be a great place to get it wet and the water finally warmed up.

Tom

Great to know I am actually in Magna. Just a few min from GSL Marina. I love bear lake if I can afford the gas to get there but usually only make a couple times a year. I also plan to hit Utah Lake a fair bit as well.

I would love all the help you can give I am still figuring out what is what I hope to try to put the Mast Assembly together tonight. Really want to get the boat in the water in the next couple of weeks because I am going to West Yellowstone on the 20th and I really hope to take the boat with.

Do you have any photos of the 35hp mounted on the P-Cat?
Also I am trying to gather as much info, Stories and photos of P-Cats so I can make a webpage about these original beach Cats. Thanks Roy