Getting a small boat to San Francisco area.

[harrier]

So it turns out a family member has a Hobie H20 sitting around in Arizona. Found out I was learning and live right near the delta and offered to let me use it. Though I doubt the delta is the right place for it, there are several lakes off the delta that may work.

I have to first find a way to get it here, and then find a place to keep it. I guess it has to be dry docked. I have a large driveway but he is not sure it would be safe in a driveway (plus no truck means tough to move to and from the delta). I need to buy a car and have been debating an old beater (since that is all I can afford anyway) to move stuff around like a truck.

Anyway, I'm just starting to brainstorm. I really want it here! I will probably have to rent a truck to haul it here. I think the hardest thing will be finding a place to keep it dry when not in use. I'm sure you guys have a boat load (HA!) more experience than I do with this. Any ideas?

Of course, if anyone has the ability to help me, I'm sure something could be worked out.

[imagine2frolic]

Is it possible to break the boat down to smaller pieces, and then ship it?

[David M]

I used to own a Hobie 18. Buy a trailer for your boat. You can buy a used trailer meant for Hobies for a few hundred dollars. You can then store the boat at your house. You will then have the option of taking your boat on the road to whatever destinations you want to sail. Its boring to always have to sail out of the same place. Since you need a trailer anyways, I would drive to Arizona and trailer it back. A used Hobie trailer will probably cost you less than the cost of having the boat taken apart and shipped by truck. Just make sure you buy new wheel bearings, bearing seals, Bearing Buddies, two new tires and a spare tire before hitting the road for Arizona. You may need new trailer lights and of course you will need registration.

Feel free to PM me or ask me in this thread if you need more specifics about your trailer or boat.

There are lots of lakes and reservoirs in California that are relatively safe to practice sailing your boat. When you get better you can sail the SF Bay and sail out of places like Monterey Bay.

Have fun with it! Hobies are a blast!

[harrier]

Originally Posted by David M

I used to own a Hobie 18. Buy a trailer for the boat.

It's already trailered (I invented a word!) so that shouldn't be an issue.The problem is getting it from my house to the water if I store it at home. And the safety of our neighborhood remains in question. I will check the trailer and make sure it's safe before I drive it out. There is really no way to secure the boat in our driveway that I know of. Granted, many of our neighbors have boats but the bf is petrified of it getting looted.

The getting it here is the easier part. The what to do with it here is the hard part. The convincing my bf it's all worth it is the impossible part.

[David M]

Buy a tongue lock for your trailer. Remove one of the trailer wheels if you have to. Don't leave blocks, sheets etc connected to the boat overnight. Take your sails, boom etc inside. Get one of those U-shaped bike locks and connect your mast to your cross beam.

Definitely make sure your trailer is road safe and legal.

Once you get your boyfriend out on a lake on a warm day blasting along at 20 knots, he will be hooked. If not, forget him! Take your best girlfriend sailing.

[starbolin]

There are oodles of places to sail in the delta and the low draft and good pointing of a cat would be ideal. You would want to install a motor mount for a small kicker so you could explore the numerous leads and bays. There is a delta sailing club and regular races include an annual race from sacramento to stockton (or visa-versa, I don't remember which.) There are slips on the water but they are typically smaller places and you will have to poke around to find some of them. A slip for a cat might be harder though.

I used to camp out in the delta when I lived down there and it was quite a shock each time I came upon the wide expanse of water at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Juaquin rivers. Much of the delta is wider than most people think and it is possible to beat in 'wrong' direction and make your destination especially if the current is with you. What you want to avoid is the situation where both the wind and the current is against you as that tends to make a one-way trip.

I would rent a truck and have that cat in my side yard in and instant. Good luck.

[gnelson]

Seems like a lot of logistics when the payoff is use of an H20. Doing the $$$ numbers, you might find it both cheaper and more convenient to purchase something locally.