Not sure if anyone is even interested in hearing any more about this but if there is anyone out there who will be looking for a small, recreational sail boat that gets you out in the water with as little effort as possible, then here are my impressions after a few weeks with the Bravo. A friend in Ontario wanted a summary of my thoughts on it as they are looking for a boat for their lakeside cottage, so I'm actually just sharing what I wrote for them.
What makes this perfect for my particular needs...
-- You don't need to 'plan' to take this boat out. It's always ready to sail in under 10 minutes.
One of the biggest advantages of this boat is that unlike other beach boats that can take 30 to 60 minutes to get rigged and launched, you can get this in the water, by yourself, in 5 to 10 minutes.
Just because I can, I keep the mast and sail in my garage. When the sail is already furled around the mast, then you simply place the base of the mast on the mounting ball, straighten it, lock it into the a-frame base and your done. I also take the rudder/till assembly up to my house when I'm done but it takes less than 30 seconds to remove or attach. Connect the main sheet to the sail and you are ready to put it in the water.
It is light enough that one person can drag it short distances into the water and with the poly hull, you can drag it through the sand guilt free.
-- Adjustable sail size, on the fly
Once you're in the water, pull out the sail via the rotating mast and your under way. If there is more wind than you are comfortable with, you can wind the sail back in to a smaller, more manageable size just by pulling on a line on the rotating mast. This can be done on the fly, no need to go back to shore to change sails or make adjustments.
-- No center board = no need for deep water.
The asymmetrical, double hulls keep it going straight without the need for a center board or dagger boards. It floats nicely in just 9 inches of water and the rudder can be raised by lifting the tiller handle to accommodate a shallow spot or a beach landing. Perfect for getting near my shore that is shallow for a very large area.
-- Beaching it is a good thing.
With the light weight and the tough poly hull, you can literally sail it right up onto the sand. As you approach the shore, pull the line that wraps the sail in around the rotating mast and you are powered down with no sail flapping in the wind to worry about.
-- Race or Relax
When all the way out, the sail is large enough vs. the boat's size to go stupid fast and get that adrenaline rush. I've had one hull flying in the air a couple of times now. Although, admittedly only for short periods of times as I'm still getting used to controlling it at that pace.
This leads me to another positive. Like any small & fast sail boat, if you do decide to have fun and push the limit's, you can flip it. The positive is that it can easily be righted again by just one person. A bob on the top of the mast keeps it from turtling, which helps a lot and protects the mast from being bent in shallow waters.
Alternatively, the big sail vs. weight lets you also have the option go out in very little wind and relax at a slower pace.
--It's very easy to sail.
Sharon has never sailed before but this boat is perfect for beginners. I think she will be comfortable at the helm a lot faster in this than if we had gone for the more complicated 16.
It's also very forgiving. The square top mast with no head-banging boom required (can be bought as an option) will dump the wind out of the top if you get a sudden gust. Also, if you are 'flying a hull'... because the rudder is in the center (not two rudders, one on each hull,) if it starts to tip to far, the rudder comes out of the water, it naturally turns back into the wind and you come back down. All that being said, you can definitely still tip it. I have not pushed my luck that far yet, but the risk is part of the thrill.
-- A built in cooler and cup holders built into the hull.
Nuff said.
The negatives....
-- Learning to Tack a Catamaran.
This is actually easy once you get some practice. With the double hull, it doesn't turn on a dime like a single hulled boat and you can run out of steam if you try to turn too sharp and then you are stuck there with your sail flapping. Easy to just try again but very embarrassing, if nothing else. The correct technique just takes practice.
-- Small size
The only real drawback of this boat is that it is not a boat you can take all your friends out on. Two people truly max it out. Maybe a third if they are a small child.
I think for Sharon and I, who mainly just wanted a new leisure activity for the summer evenings, and a faster way to get to the beach across our bay... the ease and versatility of the Bravo is absolutely perfect for us. For others, it will simply be too small.
Anywhooo,
I've pretty much lived on the water all my life in both motorized and self powered boats and so I just wanted to share my impressions in case anyone else is ever interested in a boat for a similar scenario. I think this is truly the perfect, easy to sail, low maintenance, fast when you want it to be, sail boat for a cottage or someone who wants to go from trailer to water in a jiffy.
For someone who doesn't mind trading just a little more set up time for being able to get 4 people on board, then the next model up, The Wave, is a very similar design.
I didn't realize the true value of the quick set up time until now. It is so much easier to make that choice to go sailing when it is so little effort to get ready.
I am very impressed, as you can tell.
