by Hal Kelly
By now, everyone who digs boating has heard of the Hobie Cat, the sleek little catamaran that burst on the scene and captured the attention of all the fast-action sailors. Marked by asymmetrical hulls and special trampoline supports, the Hobie can reach speeds above 20 mph and perform with a rare agility. But it has one drawback. It costs mucho dinero. Thus, we introduce our Hobby Kat a build-it-yourself version of the Hobie that should cost from half to a third of the commercial version. If you have the moola, of course, go for a Hobie and have the time of your life on the water. If not, try our Hobby. The homebuilt is not quite the same. But she sails sweetly and fast—qualities which have made the Hobie popular. We clocked her informally at above 20 mph. Even in a light air she’ll slip through the water at a fast clip. She has no centerboards, leeboards or keel, and needs none. The inside of each hull has built-in lift, like an airplane wing, so that as the boat heels and one hull digs in the boat is pulled back to windward. She can run in very shallow water and the rudders kick up for beaching. You can carry her on a trailer or even disassemble her. Hobby Kat is not hard to build. Just don’t hurry. And understand what you’re doing and why before you do it. For best performance, the Kat must be light. The complete boat, minus sail, boom and mast, weighs 165 lbs.
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