Quote:
I'm curious why you want a boat to sail solo if you already have an AI for that. Or is the AI too slow?
The reason I ask is that we love our Getaway as a family boat, but I'm considering adding an AI for those times I want to sail solo. It's certainly do-able in a Getaway, but just a bit too much work to rig, launch, sail, put back on the trailer and de-rig all alone.
We're picking up a Revolution next week, so we'll first see how the kids and I like the pedal-kayak thing.
Great question! I LOVE my AI, and there isn't really any problem with it. It's slow by Cat standards, but when people ask me, I always say that it's fast enough to have a LOT of fun.
I live in Canada, and our summers are short. I'm able to sail several times a week, but since I only have an AI right now, sailing is an individual sport in my household.
My primary reason for looking at the Getaway is so that I can take more people. The reason I'm asking so many questions about sailing solo is because I'm confident in it's sailing abilities with a crew, but there are a lot of days where the weather is perfect for sailing, but I know that I won't be able to take my family. My wife and I have a newborn now, and we're planning on a couple more. The fact of my life is that I won't always be able to take someone with me. I know what conditions the AI can go out in, so if I have a better understanding of what the Getaway can do with me, I'll know if it's a good boat for me.
We had initially considered the wave because we knew that up to half of my sailing could be done alone. If the Getaway can be sailed solo in, say, up to 20 knot winds, then it's a far better boat for us. I'll be able to go solo, almost whenever I want, but we'll be able to turn sailing from an individual sport, into a family sport.
The AI is a great boat, and I'll probably end up keeping it, I use it on Lake Ontario all the time, but I see it being relegated to more of a smaller lake boat if I get the Getaway.
The few things that I won't miss when comparing the AI, to the Getaway. Being up a little higher off the water (especially with the wing seats) means that I won't get soaked with every medium sized wave that I hit. The speed means that I'll be able to go a little further with each trip, and I'd also like to learn to sail a more traditional boat with a jib and mainsail. Plus, how can you not look forward to the potential of flying a hull. (Although I do like the stability if I'm going to take my family)
Finally... the rigging. The AI is certainly easy to rig, and it can be done in minutes, but... call me weird, I look at rigging a boat as part of the fun. Sort of like when I was a kid, I'd make toys out of lego, then play with them. Then when I was done, I'd take them apart, and put them back together the next time I wanted to play with them. I don't want something that's complicated to rig, but if it takes some time, that's ok with me.