hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

[jinx]

I am interested in a sailboat for my eleven year old and my wife to use on the lower Rappahannock near the Chesapeake Bay. <br /><br />I have looked at the Hunter Xcite, but have heard not great things about them.<br /><br />I also looked at the Laser Radial.<br /><br />Someone suggested the Bravo might be a better option. Any opinions?<br /><br />As a power boater (one of those guys from the dark side) what I know about sailing you can put in a fleas navel.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Jinx

 

[tommays]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

there compleatly different sailboats<br /><br />The hobie is a small cat so it will be a LOT more stable UNTIL you make a mistake and turn it over <br /><br />Then it will really hard for a small person to right it again.<br /><br />The other boats are really raceing dingys and are a LOT easery to turn over but a LOT easery to righty again.<br /><br />AT his age he will LEARN THE MOST and have the most fun getting involved with the junior raceing program at a local club.<br /><br />If you go that way then the type of boat they use becomes the best pick.<br /><br />i worked in a junior program and the kids really love it <br /><br />tommays

 

[jinx]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

Thanks for your reply.<br /><br />Jinx

 

[bayman]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

I would probably start him out on something like a small laser. The Hobie is nice but, as already mentioned...you flip a cat over and you usually need some help to flip them back over. Running a float down the mast of a flipped Hobie cat isn't something I would expect a boy to do...but good to know anyhow.

 

[captainmack]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

I would recommend beginning in a Sabot. An old cruising type and not a racing one. They are more durable and less tippy....They are 8' long easy to rig and transport. Can usually be had for 100- 300 dollars. I was sailing one solo at age 3! (Supervised, of course) The thing about sailing a really small boat is that one really can tell when one is doing things correctly or not. If the sails aren't trimmed well, the boat doesn't go! Sit too far aft, it goes really slow! Just make sure you have him make and take with him, a bailer out of an old plastic milk jug, by cutting a section of it away, leaving the handle, of course. Sabots can hold a lot of water Tie a line from it to the boat so it doesn't get away...Life jacket and <br />sunblock.....<br />-Capt. Mack<br /> Mariner Sailing Charters, LLC

 

[jinx]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

Thanks for your replies.<br /><br />I'm currently leaning against the Hobie, if for no other reason than the amount of tacking to get down to the river where the real open water is.<br /><br />Currently I'm thinking about a Laser variant, but am going to have the wife and him do a rental or two first.<br /><br />Thanks again,<br /><br />Jinx

 

[sloopy]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

Stay away from the hobies, I the love the boats but they are not good to learn on. The bravo also tacks worth sh!t, I would be looking at lasers because they are easy to learn on and he can go ahead and race on them. The bravo racing class is full of old 40 year old men and they only race in certain locations. Tons of young sailors start out in lasers (including me)

 

[jinx]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

Well the deal is done and he took his boat out yesterday. The little varmint is a natural.<br /><br />I got him a second hand Byte that fairly flies with him and he had a blast.<br /><br />thanks for your help.<br /><br />Jinx

 

[swist]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

Cats handle so differently from monohulls. I think it is easier to learn sailing on a monohull - you will be able to use you knowledge on a large variety of designs, whereas the converse is not true.<br /><br />As an example small cats like Hobies are more easily gybed than tacked in certain conditions where gybing a monohull would be a disaster.

 

[sloopy]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

Originally posted by swist:<br /> Cats handle so differently from monohulls. I think it is easier to learn sailing on a monohull - you will be able to use you knowledge on a large variety of designs, whereas the converse is not true.<br /><br />As an example small cats like Hobies are more easily gybed than tacked in certain conditions where gybing a monohull would be a disaster.

I agree..

 

[jinx]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

A follow up to an old post.

Mark loves his Byte, and now a couple down the creek has given him a Hobie 16 that they didn't want anymore.

That will be a handful for the crew we have around here.

He might put some spit and polish on it this winter and sell it in the spring.

Again, thanks for your replies.

Jinx

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

i learn on a hobie 16 when i was 20. now at 58 i've bought a hobie 18, with wings. boy, talk about fun.

 

[jinx]

Re: hobie bravo. Is it good boat for boy 11 to learn with?

another follow up to an old post.

Thought you guys would like to see how it all turned out, now that I know how to post pictures.

Jinx