Minicat 420 Unboxing, Assembly and First Sail

[@feedingravens]

Thanks for the memory, Joe. That reminds me of the Minicorn 420, that was a miniature Tornado of the same size as the Minicat, constructed by renowned Tornado builder Herbert Glas. When that was new over 40 years ago, they also sold it as kit, and a friend of mine (primarily his father) got one for writing a build report for a sailing magazine (and to report their build experiences as amateurs) I remember, the sides were simply two plywood boards you joined at the keel and stem with copper wire loops, then that was folded up and by presing and glueing in the stern plate and some foam bulkheads you got a rounded hull. Deck on top, fiberglass laminated over the keel and stem edge, that was it - not quite, the Minicorn seems to have had full-blown daggerboards (that was a time many years before I took interest in sailing). Wonderful to remember that.

[@JoyriderTV]

Glad to help bringing back these memories!

[@fenui]

Hello Joe! I was watching quite a few of your videos, quite exhilarating stuff! One thing I noticed and wanted to ask is that it seems to me that the Hobie 16 has a different control layout than a monohull like the Laser or this Minicat. As in, it seems like on the Hobie you have a downhaul in front, a vang/kicker for sheets and the traveler that sets the actual angle of the boom. When you're sheeting in the cat, you're effectively powering it through leech tension, not angle of boom, is that right? As I imagine this Minicat has halyard tension in place of a cunningham. Works either way I'd say.

[@JoyriderTV]

Hi, I'll talk about all of this in this week's Q+A, I think it will make for a very interesting segment (1800 Greek time on Friday)

[@jorgeperez5834]

This is great! Please share as much as you can about your experiences with this boat!

[@JoyriderTV]

Will do!

[@declan8649]

Seems to sail quite nicely! Were you able to pack it back in the same bags? Looks like that big jib pulls pretty hard.

[@JoyriderTV]

I think that big jib could be like a turbo charger once the wind's on! I haven't tried re-packing yet. I'd have to say that i'm not looking forward to it, although i'm sure that it will be fine.

[@juanmateu3020]

Great video. I was sailing the competitor (Happy Cat Neo, also 4,20m) since 2018 and very happy. I think that is an easy way to become a sailing sailor. In the esturary in the town where I spent my augusts there are 2 old Hobie 16 and from time to time we can reach them: the light weight and the dacron sails make miracles with light winds.

[@JoyriderTV]

Thanks for sharing! I think you're right!!

[@robwhitehead3832]

Im 6"2' and have one of these in a smaller size! The 310 packs down into one bag, weighs an incredible 32kg and is alot of fun. I can carry it to the beach with the family and once weve set up the towels and the kids are busy building sancastles, ill pull it out. Ppl come over to look at it whiley im lacing together the trampoline and go "oh man, its a Catamaran, i though you had a paddle board" Oh and for those wondering, it DOES pack back down very easily to fit back into the bag.

[@JoyriderTV]

That's good to know that it's easy to pack - I'm going to try it soon.

[@MikeMPharmaCyclist]

That sounds really cool, do you know how long the bags are when packed down? I am considering getting one of these I found a nice deal on a used one.

[@cakedayy]

superrrrr looking forward to the upcoming review! I have an old trailered Hobie 16 that I've had for a few years and have sailed quite a bit, but with starting a family, I've found the barrier to dropping it in the water to be much higher. I've had my eye on these inflatable ones lately since it seems like setting it up and sailing it from the beach is a lot more convenient, less maintenance, and less mental load than driving the H16 around. Also no need for boat/trailer registration... I've read that speeds for the 420 can get up to around 12-14 knots, which is definitely slower than the H16, but surprisingly for an inflatable, not THAT much it seems. And there are trapezes for the 420! Would love to see this in your future video if you have the setup!

[@JoyriderTV]

Yes, for sure. This cat really feels like there's so much less effort than a conventional one. I'll be fitting the trapeze wires and giving her some juice once the weather improves here.

[@lannyonthewater]

At last, been wanting you to get hold of one of these for years. Can’t wait to see where you venture off to with it. Enjoy!

[@JoyriderTV]

Thanks! I've only had one go so far. Waiting for some good weather to go on my first expedition

[@TomNelson-wp1go]

Joe thanks for doing a Minicat video - I would like to see what you can get out of her - top speed and performance.

[@JoyriderTV]

Yeah for sure, that's on the cards + a full review after I've had it to give a good overview. Cheers

[@Androuzz17]

You are the big boss of youtube

[@JoyriderTV]

Just one of it's minions

[@howardjaffe365]

Hi joe. Great to see you. Aaron just gave me your birthday card. Thanks Howard. Can't wait to rebuild my rudders

[@JoyriderTV]

Happy birthday!

[@CarloFreund]

Hi Joe, super video, I ride one of these minicats since more than two years. And I‘m still inspired. Esspecially in terms of transportation in an RV and sailing where ever you might end up. But on your video I realized that there was clearly not enough pressure on the hulls! The boat will sail much more stable and tack much easier if you will fill it up with 4.4 PSI/ or 0,3 bar. Even if there is a little less in the recommendation ! However have fun - looking forward to your next experience on minicat 😎 Cheers, Carlo(Düsseldorf, Germany)

[@JoyriderTV]

Hi Carlo, thanks for the tip - I stuck to the recommendation of 3.5psi I'll try a bit more next time. Thanks

[@carstensteinkamper5772]

yes agreed ! We have a big Minicat sailing community here, and we all sail the boat with minimum 4,4 PSI pressure. It sails much more stable ( and even faster) with good pressure in the hulls! And it can deal with waves even better then

[@dennox1]

Have you tried a tiwal? I looked at one of these but the low wind tacking is always a bit painful on cats. Looks a lovely bit of kit though.

[@JoyriderTV]

Never tried one. Once the tacking process has been practiced, it's not painful at all.

[@schmidtfjs]

Very nice. What do you figure top speed will be on that little puppy?

[@cvanscho]

I maxed out at 12 knots, which is respectable for such a craft. However, as noted elsewhere here, I warn against dealing with this maker.

[@lannyls]

My max so far is 18 knots on a Minicat 420 LD. It was when I was rather new to it, and it probably has a little more in it, as I was letting the sail out in the the big gusts to save myself from icy winter capsize. And the 460 version I have now has a little more speed again coz of size of hulls and larger sail. But it’s so light, rather easy to get overpowered in big winds when sailing a 460 solo.

[@JoyriderTV]

I've got the Velocitek charged ready for a speed run! I think anything above 16 knots will be cooking.

[@cvanscho]

@@lannyls I really wonder about this reading of yours. I have a "normal" cat, and 18 knots is fast. Certainly not possible with a Minicat.

[@lannyls]

@@cvanscho Tracking speed of 18knot peak was recorded on my iphone and Apple Watch. But over 5s it averaged 13knots, so no certainty for it to be properly accurate but I have the whole sail saved in Waterspeed app and probable till I panicked and let sail out to survive!!. It was on my 420 for sure, and in the heaviest winds I’ve sailed. Wind was more than forecast had planned… a general Bft4 became Bft5 with gusts of Bft7. I went out anyway. Flat water lake, but with waves that day! Totally doable with luck and right conditions. I’m light at 70kg, and had to hike right out to my max to keep from capsizing, my body weight hanging as far back of stern as can possibly get to prevent some of the bow resistance / dipping / mad spray that builds at the very front.

[@Konfliktloeser]

Hey Joe looking forward to hear your Opinion... had an inflatable Happy cat for three years - great fun on a broad reach in 15 kn of Wind but hard to go upwind in the same windstrength when flying a hull it startet slipping sidewise but it gave me certainly some funtime on the water... Have a good one🎉

[@JoyriderTV]

In the wind I had for my first outing - in this video, probably around 12 knots in the gusts - she performed well upwind. I'm not sure how she'd fair against solid hulled catamarans though.

[@bradwright4515]

Great to see you getting involved Joe. As a late starter to sailing, I really enjoyed your videos and they have helped me greatly. I bought a 420 LD six months ago and its been fantastic fun. I really hope you enjoy the boat. I don't think anyone expects them to have solid hull performance(!) but they are great fun and very easy to right on your own !@@JoyriderTV

[@gepetotube]

I have one of these and the quality is quite good. I had no need to deal with warranty. It runs quite well on low winds which is perfect for me because i use it excluively on lakes. A solid hull is better but for storage and maneuvrability in low winds beats anything else. My only bad experience with the company was that I ordered a red one and I got an orange one. Not a big issue for me but they should have sent what I ordered.

[@JoyriderTV]

Shame that you didn't get the colour that you ordered. Great boat though with fantastic build quality - so i've seen so far.

[@daniellange2093]

I think its easier to put in the frame and the keels into the hulls pockets if the hulls are slightly inflated. Also, maybe you already did, but its recommended to inflate the hulls more than whats written in the user guide. Again, super exited to see what you can do with one of these, cheers!

[@JoyriderTV]

Yes, I would imagine that doing that would make it easier. I've had a lot of suggestions for more pressure - Just going by the book on this first time out!

[@carlosanich3164]

Super easy going CAT !!

[@flankengott134]

Great to hear you planning a review. In fact, I was thinking about getting one of these several times (taking especially into consideration the big advantage of storage flexibility) but still hesitant on it cause of the Can-this-be-taken-seriously?-feeling. Maybe your review will change everything😂

[@JoyriderTV]

So far, if it was me, 3 reasons why i'd buy one: Storage You can sail properly on a smaller area Price

[@robwhitehead3832]

I have one of these and I bought one for storage and price and as an entry into Catamaran ownership. It's been amazing and I've not regretted it. I have a 310 a that packs into ONE bag. Its stable, light and fast for its size. Mine is not really a 2 person boat although I have sailed with a friend who wanted to learn to sail.

[@jasonandrewismail2029]

does the hc 16 come in similar size and quantity of boxes ?

[@JoyriderTV]

you can check it out here kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIuVdICkgKlpmbs (a bit bigger)

[@daniellange2093]

Thats so cool, got a minicat 420 Instinct! Exited to see what you think about it! I was sailing on lago maggiore, same time you where on lake como for the tornado worlds, neighboor lakes ^^

[@JoyriderTV]

Nice, such a great area to sail.

[@jillkrepp2259]

I’ve been curious about getting one for travel! Nice video!!

[@JoyriderTV]

So far it seems like a very practical solution

[@DownToEarthMind]

I wonder how long the inflatable parts will last...

[@JoyriderTV]

I will keep you posted.

[@CMSgtSanders]

Sweet I have been thinking about buying one next year ty for doing a review.

[@JoyriderTV]

There will be a review coming in the next weeks

[@ouralbox]

Minicat 420 or Hobie 16?

[@JoyriderTV]

If you have storage and transporting with a trailer is ok then the Hobie 16 - performance + better technique required. Minicat for convenience and user friendly-ness

[@peterfuzz3887]

how many knots of wind ?

[@JoyriderTV]

14 knots in the strongest gusts

[@maxdoble61]

what kind of speed can the minicat get up to...?

[@JoyriderTV]

On the official sticker it says bft4

[@cvanscho]

12 knots with a 420.

[@JoyriderTV]

I'll use that as a target speed.@@cvanscho

[@cvanscho]

You Sir, are a master in diplomacy! Always a perfect answer in the comments!

[@neophobiagarage1845]

Thank you for this video, interesting concept, fits on every car roof.

[@JoyriderTV]

Inside many cars as well!

[@cvanscho]

I have had one of these 420's, and also their Guppy. I would urge potential buyers to seriously investigate the Minicat factories' "warranty" reputation. (Hint: it's terrible.) I would never get involved with this make again.

[@lannyls]

I’ve had 3 of their boats, and whenever there has been anything to resolve, whether my fault or warranty, the Minicat team have been absolutely fantastic. Quickly and painlessly resolved without fuss. To the extent that I personally rate their service very highly. Shame not your experience, but you’re clearly unlucky.

[@JoyriderTV]

Thanks for the heads up.

[@cvanscho]

@@lannyls Not only me I'm afraid. Friends and others have had truly dire experiences (in fact way worse than mine). Unfortunately, when a company starts out with an extremely poor relationship with the truth ("30 minutes to assemble a 420"!) it poisons the entire organisation.. Are you perhaps a Dealer for them?

[@lannyls]

@@cvanscho Nope, not a dealer entirely impartial viewpoint. (As you know, though, I do happen to be denoted on the FB Minicat forum as a so called “Minicat expert” , but that’s just because , as Minicat put it to me, they valued my ‘independent, honest and helpful contributions’ to others during my years of experience owning various Minicats. In that way, I’m also familiar with your own experiences as you relayed on the group, when you mentioned crashing into the concrete slipway and being disappointed on the damage being outside warranty, even though Minicat did try to offer you (IMHO a good a solution). So each to their own.

[@lannyls]

I do agree however, that I’m yet to set up entirely in 30 mins though 😂, although I do know of some that have. HappyCat make the same over promise.

[@Brian-Fitz]

The idea of a carbon rudder on an inflatable boat bothers me somewhat

[@lannyls]

They offer various versions of this boat, from no carbon to full carbon inc. the mast. Inflatables aren’t what they were. You get great performance out of high end iSUPs, foils and cats now. Marginal gains over standard, but worth it if you can feel the difference / justify it.

[@JoyriderTV]

I know what you're saying. Carbon pole as well!