Hobiecat between the Hawaiian Islands??

[FiremedicSailor]

Hello All!

I'm new here but have been sailing off/on since my youth. I'm a married 49 y/o firefighter/paramedic. My son, brother in law and I are looking at Hobiecats in Hawaii. My son, 21, and BIL, 53, live in Kona and we want a Hobiecat here.

We've found some in other islands and wondered how practical would it be to buy one and sail it back from there... I found a sweet one on Craigslist located in Kauai North Shore. Would it be doable? How about a few boats sailing together?

Of course radios, etc., would be an absolute prerequisite... Hand-held VHS and Garmin GPS, etc.

I'd LOVE to have any and all of your ideas.

Dean

[Lodesman]

Dean,

I wouldn't do it without a "support boat" accompanying me. I would think Hobie sailing is quite a workout, and if the wind and waves turn on you, you'll be exhausted. With another boat there, at least you have the option of towing the hobie.

[Gator81]

Aren't you talking about something like 300 miles?

If things were calm enough to be relatively comfortable, you'd have many days of sailing with nothing but the tramp to sit on. Think 5 knots for 60 hours.

If there were enough wind to make speed, you'd be doing the rock'n'roll out there, hanging off the trap wire with the uncleated mainsheet in one hand and the hiking stick in the other, on the ragged edge of a knockdown the whole time. That's a lot of fun from time to time, but hours on end? Think 20 knots for 15 hours. No thanks!

Take a Hobie out in big wind and big water, see what it's like to take a knockdown, and figure out how to swim it around 180 degrees so you can point the mast into the wind and get the wind to help you right the boat, followed by a lightning-fast jibe to regain your original heading. Now think about doing that over and over again... and in the DARK?!?!? Sell this idea to one of those extreme sports shows, and have them trail you with a camera boat. It might save your life!

[Pura Vida]

I'm about you age and years ago learned to sail on a beach cat. Back then, maybe. Now, no way. With that said the fiirst boat to SAIL the NW passage was a Hobie 18.

[tsmwebb]

It could be done, but it would be an adventure. The trip is all to weather. The channels can be horrible for weeks on end. You may not get any favorable weather in the summer. It is unlikely that you will be able to complete the long passages (eg. Kauai to Oahu) in daylight. If you start to take water into one of the hulls the boat may become difficult or impossible to sail and you will not be able to fix the problem while in the water... You could easily die or require rescue. On the other hand, I suspect that if one of the three of you flew to Kauai, disassembled the boat and had it shipped to Hawaii it would cost less than it would to sail the boat home on its own bottom. If the boat has a trailer you'll want to ship that anyway... So, if you want a serious, death defying (assuming it doesn't kill you) adventure then sail it home otherwise ship it.

-- Tom.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Dean,
Don't do it. It is just way too easy to have Young Bros. ship it on a barge. You'll be taking your life in your hands sailing it in the channels and it won't be fun. It is no fun on a 30ft monohull. There is a Hobie 16 in today's Tribune Herald (Hilo Paper) for $1200 with a trailer.
Good luck in whatever you do.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[schoonerdog]

My inlaws are on the big island, northern most part. I never see pleasure boats out because it's so rough, only an occasional tanker or barge getting the snot kicked out of it.

[R&B]

Hey firemedicsailor welcome,
I dont know the distance your looking to sail on a hobie but I do know that I spent 11hrs on a tramp and around 8 hrs I started praying for sharks to take me away. Look I know that you are always up for a challange just by the job you do (I do the same on the east coast) its in our blood.. But I would pass on this one my brother...There must be a better option...Good Luck

[mikereed100]

Hi Dean,

I have to echo the general sentiment here. Many years ago when I was 20 I and an equally young and hopefull friend took my Hobie 16 from Gaviota on the S. Cal. coast out to Santa Rosa Island, a distance of about 30 miles across a rough channel with small craft warnings up. It was a wild ride and we made it but if we had stuffed it there is no way we could have righted the boat in those conditions. Better to take the thing apart and ship it, but you do get points for even considering the trip! (Just don't DO it)

Mike

[dennisail]

I have sailed from Recliffe to Moreton Island and back in the same day on a Nacra 5.8, Hobie 16 and Hobie 14. Would be about 30 miles return. Its fun. I wouln't want to do 300!!!! No way its too dangerous. We had hulls filling with water on the H16.