My 6 year old son is now sailing his optimist dinghy confidently but is keen to sail cats like his dad. I'm thinking of building him a hitia 14 over the winter, ready for next year. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be may beach cats that will suit his needs and ability. He sails with me mostly but has a burning desire to be the master of his own craft which in the right conditions and under careful supervision I'm happy to encourage.
Can anyone tell me what the designed sail area for the Hitia 14 is and what do you think of its suitability for children to sail in sheltered conditions on carefully selected days? I'd be interested in your views on this.
Thanks
Simon
T21 "Tiki Sunrise"
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Mon, 06/09/2010 - 00:09
#1
Hitia 14 Sail Area?
Mon, 06/09/2010 - 10:56
#2
Re: Hitia 14 Sail Area?
Designed sail area for the Hitia 14 is around 10 square meters (see http://www.multihull-maven.com/Boats/Hitia_14), although my (Jeckells made) sails were officially measured to be only 9 square meters.
In my opinion, sailing a Hitia 14 for a 6 yrs old should be possible in a force 2-3 .. but assembling/launching/retrieving it requires some physical power (I'm all in a sweat after it), so maybe a simpler, lighter choice (and also one with only one sail to handle) would be a Melanesia.
- Ralf