I
really appreciate all of the replies! I had been so set on getting the Wave as my next boat, so it's hard for me to wrap my head around the Getaway. It really is a different boat to me.
I'm one of those purists, or minimalists who is completely against putting any kind of motor on a sailboat, but once you own an Adventure Island, you view sailing very differently. I almost always pedal out, and pedal in from various launch spots, and the ability to get to and from a launch site without any fuss is a huge reason why I get out on the water as much as I do.
wxup wrote:
I have an electric motor on my Getaway and can't imagine sailing without it. You can find a Minn Kota trolling motor ... Instead of going with a big bulky marine battery, I used a 17 amp/hour battery used for emergency lighting. It's about 1/4 the size of a marine battery ... I mounted a small box where the Cheata motor mount fastens to the crossbar to hold the battery. This setup gives me more options as to where I can launch, and how far I can go...
wxup - That is EXACTLY what I'm thinking of. I don't really want a motor to help me when I'm out in the middle of the open lake, I just would like to launch from, and return to, a few boat launch sites in my area that are on smaller rivers, or in Marina's with plenty of expensive boats that I'd rather not brush up against. The ability to get out, and back in with a small electric motor is perfect. I would just need about 10 minutes of battery life for 99% of what I plan on doing. The ability to mount everything together on the Cheata mount is
perfect! I'd love to see a picture if you have one!
ScottR wrote:
How far will you have to paddle... I have found that it actually paddles quite easily...
My wife goes sailing with me but is not a sailor. She enjoys laying on the tramp or net while I do the sailing. I have given up asking her to move to the high side when we tack. The boat handles the weight well.
I singlehand quite a bit (gusts up to 20mph is my limit by myself). As long as you always have a hand on the traveler or main sheet and are prepared dump wind, the boat is very forgiving. That being said 8- 15 mph is the sweet spot for me when I go out alone...
As far as paddling. I just don't think that I could paddle the boat effectively if I were single handing it. I'd like to think that my wife would come, or some other family member or friend, every time that I wanted to go out, but I need to get a boat that I can rig, sail, and launch without any extra help from others. The fact that I can take people is what makes me want the Getaway over the Wave now. However, what you describe is exactly my situation. If my wife can come along, not have to be hyper alert to which side of the boat that she has to be on, and when, then I think she'd come out more often. Of course, I expect times where she'll want to come out in bigger winds, where she'll actively participate in the sailing process, but I know that she'd love to just sit and watch the scenery and chat with me. I think the Wave would require her to be much more active no matter what the wind conditions are.
I'd definitely want the Wing seats, and I believe it now comes standard with the forward tramp. If I could mount a small electric motor with battery all off the back of the boat, and not have to run wires up the hulls, that would be perfect! The only concern that I still have is how hard it would be to right on my own. But I guess if it could be done reasonably well with a righting bag, then the one disadvantage that the Getaway has over the Wave would be taken care of.
The only other thing that I think would be disappointing would be the ability to sail up to a beach, and pull it in off of the water. I'd have to assume that this is possible with the wave, but MUCH more difficult, or even impossible to do single handed with the Getaway. I think I could work around that though!
Thanks for the input so far, if anyone had anything to add, I'm all ears! Also, if anyone has a small electric motor and battery mounted, I'd love to see pictures. It still makes me cringe to think about an engine on a boat like this, but I can't see how I'd sail without it, and frankly, it's a small part of the attraction to the Getaway for me.