Hello!

I'm coming from never having sailed a cat before. Looks like fun. See my other post for my experience detail.

The pictures look really cool, one hull up in the air with a dude riding it. But when the wind isn't so strong, you'd be sitting on the tramp, right? Seen pics of that too. I know it's not a cruising yacht, but sitting without a back support looks uncomfortable. I got into a canoe a few years ago and my back started giving me hell after just a few minutes. Seems I don't do well without my knees bent some.

My Force 5 is like sitting on the fairly broad edge of a large bathtub. Even keeps my feet wet with water sloshing up throught the daggerboard slot. But it's fairly comfortable sitting. Don't have a wire, so I just lean out more when heeled. Still comfortable.

Proof will be in the pudding when I get a cat demo ride, but it won't be before you folks tell me what it's like. So how long of an outing do you go on and how often are you on the wire, sitting, or whatever?

Thanks again,
Danno

everything of course depends on the wind. But with a good harness, the most comfortable place on a cat is without a doubt, on the wire. I haven't had alot of strouble with my back, I'm young (22), but I'm also tall, so my back has always been bad. I actually have the most trouble with the occasional leg cramp. And If I hit my knees on anything i'm in for a bad day. Cats do require quick movents and sometimes minor acrobatics to get under the boom/sail. It sounds like maybe you should try it out a little before you get all hell bent on buying your own boat. Hmm, i would say though that if you have no gtrouble on your force 5, you should be fine, you can always bend your knees up a litte if you need too.

Yeah, the F5 does okay for me. Hard to get it one hull in the air though. I'll have to find time to go down to Seattle of up to Vancouver to demo one.

Ciao,
Danno

Per your prior post, the Hobie 14 does not come with trapeze, so you will always be sitting on the tramp or hiking out. Most of us "lay" on the tramp, resting on an elbow or prone with our weight appropriately placed for the type of boat, near the front beam on the Hobie 14. I think it is comfortable. Hiking out is no different than the F5, hiking straps on the tramp.

Les,

You're correct that the 14 doesn't come with a trapeze, but they are class legal on all models of the 14 now (14 / 14T).

Matt

Danno,

I spent 41 hours on a 20' catamaran in 6 days sailing up the eastern coast in the Tybee 500 earlier this year. About 70% of this time, I spent in the trapeze and the other 30% on the trampoline. I do have a bad back and it did get to bother me some early into the event and after numerous consecutive hours in the trapeze my rump was numb and painfull. However, you'll find that the flexible trampoline provides pretty good support and for the 'normal' 30 minutes or so you spend in the trapeze that it's all quite comfortable.

You sound like you are also hinting about wings. In lightish air, you wouldn't be able to use the wings either but in the moderate stuff, when you can use them, they're very very comfortable. Secondly, when the wind is even stronger, they allow you to trapeze Waaaaaaay out there off the wing for more leverage. The downside is that they will drag in the water if you fly a hull too high (and not very high at all).