Hobie 16 - a couple of questions

[sailray]

I bought a Hobie 16 the first year they were made. Also a wet suit so I could sail on Lake Michigan in Nov snow flurries. N.N. Nothing more fun than Pitchpoling. Not a family boat.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by sailray

I bought a Hobie 16 the first year they were made. Also a wet suit so I could sail on Lake Michigan in Nov snow flurries. N.N. Nothing more fun than Pitchpoling. Not a family boat.

I'll disagree about the family boat part. You sail it like a fool and it can capsize. Sail it conservatively and it's perfect to putt around on with the kids, speed up when needed.

[rcscoggin]

Hobie 18 – International Hobie Class Association

Owned one for 10 years learning to sail. Holds 4 adults easily. Not much difference in used price.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Tingum

I would suggest you look for an 18'. Not that much heavier, still easy to rig, but would perform better with your family. Adults on the wings, kids on the tramp.

NO!

Hobie 18's are history.

Hobie 16's still live and are raced regularly plus there is lots of parts supports etc

Hobie 16 – International Hobie Class Association

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VC4QNSfcGk

Website for cat sailors.

https://www.catsailor.com/

[bongo]

Keepondancin had some really good advice. If two people are really slim, then a Hobie 16 is OK. But for larger people or a family, you definitely want a Hobie 18, (preferably with wings), or a Prindle 18. They don't tend to pitchpole near as easily as a Hobie 16. I've had a Pringle 18 for 36 years, and it is a Great Boat. Very low maintenance and Exhilarating! Adding to what Keepondancin was saying, when tacking I do everything the same, adding that we the boat ease the cat into the wind after first falling off a bit to gain speed, as sudden movements of rudder or bodies tends to kill momentum; and we physically stay on the side of the original tack for a few extra moments as the boat comes through the eye of the wind, (unless really windy), (more water drag on the hull will help it turn), and when I tighten the main sheet I don't overtighten, and I initially push the boom a bit to leeward, so as not to get too much weather helm before getting a little speed. I also have a 2hp 2stroke Yamaha on the Prindle, as I don't like getting caught 10-20 miles from where I started and watch the wind die, (I learned this twice)

[thericksster]

If you really want a fast 16 ft cat look at the Prindle 16. I owned Jeff Prindles original cat#13 for 6 years. They beat the Hobies year after year. Their tramp is not extended but the hulls are much taller. Their hulls are asymetrical making them very fast.exes

[LarsJ]

Lots of great advice in the previous replies. I had a Hobie 14 then a 16 back in the 70s. Sailing the Hobies was probably the most FUN I've had sailing. We would sail all day with 4 young adults on board with PFDs and a paddle and tow a small inflatable (in light air) that was just big enough to hold a standard size cooler. I could go on and on about how much fun we had.

You will occasionally, maybe every 12 to 18 months, get leaks around the pylons. The remedy back in the day was to put some silicon sealant around the pylon were it joined the deck then hold a vacuum cleaner hose to the drain hole. The suction would pull the silicon in to where ever it was needed to seal the leak.

Good luck, play hard, and be safe!

[ScarletO]

We own a 16 and a Getaway. We have (recently) owned an 18 and a couple of 14s.

Three people on an 18 is not comfortable for very long, five would not be fun at all. The boom is low by the mast which would make scrambling over kids uncomfortable, especially if you are getting off wings to do so (good luck finding one with wings). The daggerboards make it harder to put people on the pontoons. We did not have problems finding parts as another poster suggested.

I have sailed Hobie 16s with four adults, it is a squeeze. It involves a lot of moving around which would be tough with small kids. It also rides pretty low with that many people on. You could have a cooler rack for a picnic if you can find one (I picked one up on ebay) because otherwise it is not going to be fun to climb over all that and three kids every time you gybe (and you will gybe a lot because Hobie's are more finicky about tacking, especially in lower wind conditions)

I strongly recommend a Getaway if you want to do a beach cat. It is specifically built for this sort of thing. The kids can lay on the front trampoline when you launch so they are out of the way. There is plenty of space for picnics etc. We've had six adults on ours. There is no boom so it is safer for little kids and they are very very easy to sail... we had a six year old skipper with some help.

Otherwise as others have suggested, you could find a little pocket cruiser for a similar price and trailer that.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by thericksster

If you really want a fast 16 ft cat look at the Prindle 16. I owned Jeff Prindles original cat#13 for 6 years. They beat the Hobies year after year. Their tramp is not extended but the hulls are much taller. Their hulls are asymetrical making them very fast.exes

They are both considered very slow non-pointing beach cats these days but the thing is there are many Hobie Fleets still out there where you can sail boat for boat against other Hobie 16's

There were 9000 Prindle 16's built and 135,000 Hobie 16's built by 2013

Prindles are good boat though

[ScarletO]

Oh, and I got much wetter on the 18 than on the 16 because the tramp is raised on the 16. However, with five people on the 16 you will get wet. Kids may get cold depending on where you are and when you are sailing. I get wet in general when on our Hobies but got much wetter on the 18.

[ScarletO]

Where are you that an old Hobie 16 will cost a couple of thousand? We've picked most of our older boats up for hundreds.

[Bean Counter]

Have sailed and raced all kinds of Hobies, 14,16,18, F18, Wave, Getaway. For what you want to do with family, picnics etc, IMHO one of the rotor-molded ones would be a better fit (Getaway or Wave). They are easier to handle, will not invert (with mast float), pretty indestructible hulls, storage space in the hulls, safer for the inexperienced than a flighty, easily capsized 16 in anything over 12 knots. Can also put on adapter for a small outboard on the rear cross beam (2 HP or electric), furling jib is nice too for convenience. You can add trapeze etc later if you want to play in stronger winds. All these boats tow easily behind even a small sedan.

[Tingum]

After thinking on this a bit more why not look for a monohull like a Catalina 22 or one of the Percisions. Just as easy to trailer and rig and far more family friendly

[Bean Counter]

Originally Posted by thericksster

If you really want a fast 16 ft cat look at the Prindle 16. I owned Jeff Prindles original cat#13 for 6 years. They beat the Hobies year after year. Their tramp is not extended but the hulls are much taller. Their hulls are asymetrical making them very fast.exes

Maybe a Prindle 16 could beat a standard Hobie 14, but the handicap yardsticks tell a different story

H16 1.193
P16 1.230
H Getaway 1.242
The lower the number the faster (F18 = 1.0)

So you must have been an exceptional sailor as opposed to having a faster boat!

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

Maybe a Prindle 16 could beat a standard Hobie 14, but the handicap yardsticks tell a different story

H16 1.193
P16 1.230
H Getaway 1.242
The lower the number the faster (F18 = 1.0)

So you must have been an exceptional sailor as opposed to having a faster boat!

It's always about the competition.

I was " King of the Hill " in Tennessee by 1997. My 15 year old son and I won a regatta against 17 other Hobie 16's.

We had 4 first place finishes and 1 second. (we sailed wide angles for speed not close to the wind but in clear air and alone) We had been sailing 4 years by then and were racing against folks with 20 years experience, but I had been in Pensacola racing for one year against the competition there. The regatta I speak of was in 1997

When we moved to Pensacola/Gulf Coast I had to start over almost against better sailors plus my new boat (a 1996 Nacra 6.0) had spreaders and diamond wires on the mast which I knew nothing about

But later even when you do win it sometimes is about getting a good start and by chance have a downwind start and a flatter spinnaker than the competition. I had a Nacra 17 with spinnaker by this point (and my spinnaker was new and very flat for the wind that was rotating around almost to beam by the time we got to that mark 10 miles downwind)

Ft Walton Beach Race Last Weekend - Aquarius Sail Owners