Aquarius Sail Owners

I learned something new yesterday while stepping the mast on my SC17. If you don’t use your sailboat for a couple years, you forget stuff. I had to step the mast and got all set up and then released both shroud extenders. On the 17 these are short pieces of extra shroud cable that lengthen each shro...

Hi folks - A friend who has been on my catamaran sent me this link. We all know how fast cats are; and most of us know some of the science behind why our boats are so fast. Here is a GREAT story about a guy who built a land vehicle, with wheels, in an attempt to "sail" dead downwind faster...

I would recommend a tramp from Aquarius for two reasons. One is that two years ago, I had a tramp that finally died and I got a new mesh tramp from Aquarius. It fit perfectly, didn't require any fixes or adjustments from me, and has held up well. The second reason I would recommend an Aquarius tramp...

I am more impressed with the fact that you stopped mowing your grass just to set this up and photograph it.

In looking at your picture more closely - it appears you have installed your righting line into your rear crossbar. How do you right the boat from that far back?

I came to Supercats from Hobies. Many of those sailing days were a perfect storm of a boat that pitchpoled easily, a rookie skipper, too much wind, and usually, beer. I tipped a lot and became a fan of the bungee-powered snap back righting systems that you often see on Hobies. We could tip the boat ...

My small piece of advice is to raise the mast while the boat is on the ground, not on the trailer. There is usually too much motion from the tramp, wheel springs, and tires and you end up wallowing all over the place while lifting a heavy mast - not good.

Depending on the state you are in, local laws (and common sense) may require PFDs for all persons on board and a throwable. A paddle is a good idea. With a new (used) boat it is a good idea to string together some shackles and pins in case of a problem, along with a combo screwdriver and maybe a nee...

Matt and/or Tom I have an older SC17 that is in great shape but I could use new sails. I know there are some new options and was wondering if you could give me a quick summary of the new materials, shapes, and relative benefits of each. I posted this instead of calling as I bet there are other folks...

There are some comments in the Technical Section under the title "gin pole raising", I think.

I have raised Hobie 16 masts and my SC 17 mast many times alone with this technique. You are raising the mast past vertical so gravity (and the shrouds) will hold it while you hop down and fasten the forestay. Release the shroud extenders Position all rigging and trap lines so they do not catch on a...

While sailing in windy conditions this last weekend, I noticed that while on a port tack, my SC 17 had a neutral helm. I could even let go of the tiller. On a starboard tack, it had a rather pronounced weather helm. If I let go of the tiller, the boat would round up quite sharply. I think I should h...

This is a band-aid, and not a fix - but give the main halyard to a friend standing astern of the boat. Have them walk backwards to raise the sail - it will be a lot easier using that person's legs than your arms - and you can guide the sail up the track.

Well, I guess ignorance was bliss, and we got lucky for a day... We took the Hobie 16 out one day in winds and waves so strong they canceled the race were trying to sail in. We didn't think we could stay in the traps so we had three guys all hiking out. We hit a big wave and bang, the windward shrou...

One windy day a couple of years ago, we got the idea to pull one of the trap wires to the other side of the boat to make three. We put Doug, our heaviest guy, up front, and convinced Charlie to climb out on our shoulders. We hooked up kind of high because I was afraid with that much weight we would ...