Sunfish vs Hobie Wave

barnmom

Member
Just got back from Kezar lake in Maine where I learned to sail a sunfish 20 years ago. It was cold and rainy the whole time. Husband and I both got bronchitis. But we did manage to sail a bit. He won’t step foot in my sunfish but really enjoyed the Hobie. We live on a calm bay and have a beach to launch. so I’m wondering how fool hardy it would be to buy a used Hobie and try to wheel it down to the water on a dolly. Hobbies weigh 245 pounds. We wonder how people manage. (Note please that we are 70 years old) Does anyone have experience with them?
 
Perhaps you should try the Hobie forum. They should be more familiar with Hobies there Hobie Forums • Index page

I'd have to imagine rolling a 130 lb Sunfish would be easier than rolling a 245 lb boat regardless of your age.
Great suggestion. Thank you. I didn’t know there was a Hobie forum. Took amuck look and found that it’s very hard to move boat on beach and winter storage is a big issue. Will enjoy my fish on my bay and Hobies on vacation.
 
Great suggestion. Thank you. I didn’t know there was a Hobie forum. Took amuck look and found that it’s very hard to move boat on beach and winter storage is a big issue. Will enjoy my fish on my bay and Hobies on vacation.
I've got a Hobie Getaway and a Sunfish. The Wave isn't bad to move, you just need beach wheels and it's pretty easy. Winter storage? Take down the mast, put the sail inside, and tarp over the boat. Pretty much what you would do with a Sunfish.
I'm not as big as your husband, so I understand his not liking the Sunfish. It's pretty small and cramped up. I find it a fun little boat, but small. That said, I'm about to embark on 4 days of sailing it, so we'll see what I think after that! I solo sail my Getaway, the big brother to the Wave, with no problems at age 68.
One nice thing is the both of you could sail on the Wave, and there's a jib kit available for it.
 
Thanks—you sound very confident. And strong. We will passively keep our eyes open for a good deal on a used Wave but I think the impulse has passed. Too many advised against it.
 
My eye doctor has both (long-time Sunfish owner and recent Wave). He prefers the Wave.
 
Well, thanks, I am confident, if not particularly strong.
I confess that I launch my 400 pound Getaway from a trailer. But I often launched my 340 pound Hobie 17 off the beach. Look up “cat trax”. Big inflatable wheels that easily roll over sand. You roll the boat onto the wheels in the water and then roll up the beach. They aren’t cheap, about $500, but people handle 500+ pound Hobie 18s with them.
I actually find my Getaway is easier to sail than my Sunfish. It has a much more neutral helm than the wicked weather helm the Sunfish has. And the direct mainsheet on the Sunnie is more tiring than the 5:1 main block on the Hobie.
 
Fremont what position is your gooseneck when the lower boom is measured not including the black cap? Do you have a gooseneck adjuster?
 
Fremont what position is your gooseneck when the lower boom is measured not including the black cap? Do you have a gooseneck adjuster?
Oh, my sail is way up and way back. I know I need to move it forward and down. No adjuster, just a socket wrench
 

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