CAT vs V HULL Danger Rating?
#91
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The old Cats in calm water/Vee's in rough water nonsense ended in the early 80's when we figured out that simple plywood was the wrong material to build cats ....or vees....out of. The next fable that needs debunking is that cats can't turn as quickly as vees. Attend one tunnel boat race and you will never utter those words again.
There are two problems with all of this however.....
1. The faster you go in any boat, the higher your skill level needs to be...aside from docking of course.
2. Not all Cats, nor vees for that matter, are created equal. There are any number of cats that I wouldn't be caught dead in....no pun intended. So to say that "Cat's can or can't do this or that." is a mistake. The fact that a Skater or Victory can do such and such is no guarantee that a "Hollywoodcraft" can do the same.
T2x
Last edited by T2x; 01-03-2011 at 02:06 PM.
#92
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The old Cats in calm water/Vee's in rough water nonsense ended in the early 80's when we figured out that simple plywood was the wrong material to build cats ....or vees....out of.
The next fable that needs debunking is that cats can't turn as quickly as vees. Attend one tunnel boat race and you will never utter those words again.
2. Not all Cats, nor vees for that matter, are created equal. There are any number of cats that I wouldn't be caught dead in....no pun intended. So to say that "Cat's can or can't do this or that." is a mistake. The fact that a Skater or Victory can do such and such is no guarantee that a "Hollywoodcraft" can do the same.
T2x
Funny, because I was just coming here to say the same thing about the old vs new cats, and that cats in general aren't all built equally from brand to brand. That's as true as it gets.
#93
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#94
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#95
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There is some very famous race footage that we did back in the day. Small craft warnings went into effect off Ocean City, Maryland during an Offshore race.....BIG SEAS......VERY BIG SEAS. the 47 foot triple engined supercharged Apache "Tweets Revenge"....hooked up with the 40 foot Skater "Spirit of Norway"..... two top teams. The Skater caught and passed the Apache with both boats running airborne contuously.
The old Cats in calm water/Vee's in rough water nonsense ended in the early 80's when we figured out that simple plywood was the wrong material to build cats ....or vees....out of. The next fable that needs debunking is that cats can't turn as quickly as vees. Attend one tunnel boat race and you will never utter those words again.
There are two problems with all of this however.....
1. The faster you go in any boat, the higher your skill level needs to be...aside from docking of course.
2. Not all Cats, nor vees for that matter, are created equal. There are any number of cats that I wouldn't be caught dead in....no pun intended. So to say that "Cat's can or can't do this or that." is a mistake. The fact that a Skater or Victory can do such and such is no guarantee that a "Hollywoodcraft" can do the same.
T2x
The old Cats in calm water/Vee's in rough water nonsense ended in the early 80's when we figured out that simple plywood was the wrong material to build cats ....or vees....out of. The next fable that needs debunking is that cats can't turn as quickly as vees. Attend one tunnel boat race and you will never utter those words again.
There are two problems with all of this however.....
1. The faster you go in any boat, the higher your skill level needs to be...aside from docking of course.
2. Not all Cats, nor vees for that matter, are created equal. There are any number of cats that I wouldn't be caught dead in....no pun intended. So to say that "Cat's can or can't do this or that." is a mistake. The fact that a Skater or Victory can do such and such is no guarantee that a "Hollywoodcraft" can do the same.
T2x
#98
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Great choice in first cat Rick. I have owned one for many years. I have to chime in. Someone said you air it out (Trim positive) when going straight and trim in to turn. THIS IS WRONG! You should absolutely invest in Tres course. Some things sound right but are not and can get you hurt. Stepped cats need the weight on the rear when turning so they need to be neutral to a little positive trim. When the weight shifts forward (by trimming in, negative) the weight shifts forward and you are more likely spin. When straight you should be the opposite (nuetral to a little negative) That being said, your warlock can be set at neutral trim and drive wonderfully all day. It leans out in the corners but you will get used to it. At speed you will find it turns much flatter. You need to learn to resist the urge to get out of the throttle when a big wave comes or you will launch it and can land on the transom (BAD) Tuck the drives in a little if its real big and stay in it or give it a little more. I cant speak highly enough of this hull. I think with your power at Tahoes elevation you are going to have to go mostly all out to get it to where this hull starts to feel really good (80+) Actually, the trickiest opporation I have found is real crossed up wakes at slow speeds especially when coming off plane and decelerating. The bow will go from packing air to not and will follow the waves. I know of a few boats that have taken nearly slow motion flips in these conditions. I dont know of anyone ever wrecking a 31sxt. They are very stable. Call me anytime 1-405-613-3457
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Great choice in first cat Rick. I have owned one for many years. I have to chime in. Someone said you air it out (Trim positive) when going straight and trim in to turn. THIS IS WRONG! You should absolutely invest in Tres course. Some things sound right but are not and can get you hurt. Stepped cats need the weight on the rear when turning so they need to be neutral to a little positive trim. When the weight shifts forward (by trimming in, negative) the weight shifts forward and you are more likely spin. When straight you should be the opposite (nuetral to a little negative) That being said, your warlock can be set at neutral trim and drive wonderfully all day. It leans out in the corners but you will get used to it. At speed you will find it turns much flatter. You need to learn to resist the urge to get out of the throttle when a big wave comes or you will launch it and can land on the transom (BAD) Tuck the drives in a little if its real big and stay in it or give it a little more. I cant speak highly enough of this hull. I think with your power at Tahoes elevation you are going to have to go mostly all out to get it to where this hull starts to feel really good (80+) Actually, the trickiest opporation I have found is real crossed up wakes at slow speeds especially when coming off plane and decelerating. The bow will go from packing air to not and will follow the waves. I know of a few boats that have taken nearly slow motion flips in these conditions. I dont know of anyone ever wrecking a 31sxt. They are very stable. Call me anytime 1-405-613-3457
Thanks for your advice!
Rick
#100
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I am not trying to be a d!ck here, but if you can't afford a safety course like this, you might be shocked at the insurance rates. Also, making the wrong move at "slow" speeds can cause a major incident. I have seen veteran racers flip boats at 1/2 the speed their boats are capable of. What happens to the guy with 1/10th of the experience in a similar situation.
There is no substitute for experience and also proper training from someone who knows what they are doing.
There is no substitute for experience and also proper training from someone who knows what they are doing.
Rick