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pillars · 09-06-2017, 10:21

Hey guys - looking for advice

sailing experience
I am fairly new to sailing, started last year with a local CL16 course, then got ASA certified 101, 103, 104 and 114. A couple of weeks ago I bareboat chartered in the Bahamas on a 38' lagoon for 10 days and it went well.

goal
Because I am landlocked I want to get more cat and general sailing experience in the summer. One option is to get a Hobie 16 for a couple thousand bucks (I have a truck to tow it around).

questions
- is a hobie 16 strictly just bombing around for a couple of people or can you put 2 adults and 3 small kids and some stuff on it, to say go for picnic?
- how intense it is to tow it to a lake, setup the mast & sails and launch it? how much time and how many people are needed?
- I would be buying a 80s boat, so what are the typical failure points to look at?

Sailmonkey · 09-06-2017, 10:40

The hobie 16 is a great boat!! You can load it up and load along for a booze cruise, but it will feel like it's loaded. No biggie but you'll only want to do this in light air.

Once you know what you're doing you can raise and lower the mast with the help of someone and be on the water in 10 minutes (if you're mechanical about your method). You can even rig the trailer to assist raising the mast solo if you want to.

The 80's hobies had deck and hull delamination problems in the earlier half of the decade. However if it hasn't suffered from delamination already it should be fine. Check the hull sides and the foredeck for soft spots. Another part that is failure prone are the shrouds. They're vinyl covered wire and decay cannot be seen. I stripped the vinyl off of mine in about 20 minutes.

donradcliffe · 09-06-2017, 10:51

You can put a family on it, but recognize that is a high performance catamaran and you can and will flip it until you build up your skill level. Best start with two adults and get comfortable handling it, including how to right it after it capsizes. One the first things to learn is that popping the mainsheet loose before you fly a hull too high will prevent most capsizes.

The boat was designed to be easily trailered and launched. It will take about an hour to put it together the first time, and less than half an hour to rig and launch it after you get some practice. Raising the mast is much easier with two people, and only takes a couple of minutes. The boat can be carried by 4 adults.

Look at the bottom of the hulls--they can get quite worn by dragging them over the beach. Push down on the top of the hulls--if they have been out in the sun for 20 years they will get soft. Inspect the hull to deck joint for leaks. Inspect the trampoline for rips. Lift the front of one hull up and see how much play there is in the castings before the other hull moves. Check the rudder gudgeons to see if they have been damaged.

Sailmonkey · 09-06-2017, 11:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

but recognize that is a high performance catamaran and you can and will flip it until you build up your skill level.

This made me laugh

It was a high performance catamaran, 35-40 years ago. Now it's just a beachcat!!

thomm225 · 09-06-2017, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

This made me laugh

It was a high performance catamaran, 35-40 years ago. Now it's just a beachcat!!

Pretty much but the Hobie 16's can still hit 26 knots or so.

They are using the Nacra F-17's these days in the Olympics

They are really raking the mast way back these days when they race them (see video in post above) plus other stuff like making the mast hold at a certain rotation etc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39YCsV1o49o

keepondancin · 09-06-2017, 10:56

Raced Hobie 16's for a few years. It really isn't suited for just cruising around. Weight sensitive. Two trim adults is max for performance sailing, adding a child for a sail would be ok, certainly not 3 kids and stuff. They are a bit unique to sail. To tack, you need to fall off the wind a bit, build up speed, put the rudders over, keep the jib back winded until the bows get blown around, release the jib, sheet in the main, then jib, and take off. They are really great to sail in 15 knots of wind, be prepared to hang in the trapezes as you fly a hull. You will be about 12 feet off the water. They tend to pitch pole, so as you gain speed, and hanging in the trapezes, you walk your weight back of the tramp, close to the rudders to keep the bow up. If you bury the leward bow, the boat can actually cart wheel, and rocket you right off the boat. They are a blast to sail though. Takes two to step the mast, set up is about 20 minutes. Check for hull damage overall, where the pylons go into the hull, and the corner castings for the tramp, that's what takes the abuse. Quite often inspection ports get cut in, so if that is the case, you can figure ways to inspect the inside of the hull. I have never sailed a cruising catamaran, but a Beach Cat I believe is a completely different animal. They don't point very high, and you need to tack (jibe) going down wind, but I think all cats are like that.

thomm225 · 09-06-2017, 11:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by pillars

questions
- is a hobie 16 strictly just bombing around for a couple of people or can you put 2 adults and 3 small kids and some stuff on it, to say go for picnic?
- how intense it is to tow it to a lake, setup the mast & sails and launch it? how much time and how many people are needed?
- I would be buying a 80s boat, so what are the typical failure points to look at?

You can pretty much do anything you want with a Hobie 16 but you need to know the boat in different conditions before loading the whole family on it.

You need to know when it will flip, when it will pitchpole etc. You need to know how to right the boat.

My son and his friends used to sail one of our Hobie 16's across Pensacola Bay to Pensacola Beach back in the 90's to "pick up chicks" when they were around 15 years old or so. By then my son had 4 -5 years experience on Hobie 16's from racing with me and 2 years sailing as skipper in Mississippi TVA Lakes

It's simple to tow and erect them and you can devise methods to raise and low the mast alone

Hobie 16's are tough but the old ones develop soft spot many times just ahead of the front beam which is where they can break. Try to find one that doesn't have spot hulls on top and isn't worn down to the fiberglass on the bottom. Parts for Hobie 16's are ready available since by 2013 they had sold 135.000 of them

They used to race Hobie 16's in the Worrell 1000 which is a race in the Atlantic Ocean from South Beach, Florida and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

They are tough boats

Very nice Hobie 16 Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO0LkUDALNk

15 year old Hobie skipper in photo

Tetepare · 09-06-2017, 11:49

Two adults and three kids is going to be tight. The boat will ride low, which will make it more uncomfortable when wake washes over the trampoline. There is nowhere to get out of the sun. You WILL be wet, which often means cold.

For that amount of money you can get a Catalina 22 which is a much better solution for a family and still can be trailered.

thomm225 · 09-06-2017, 17:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tetepare

For that amount of money you can get a Catalina 22 which is a much better solution for a family and still can be trailered.

Maybe but the kids are going to get bored sailing around at 5 knots rather than 10-20 knots. Plus they can trap out etc for fun.........

You can take the family on a Hobie 16 but try to do it on a day when the winds aren't too high at least until everyone is used to the boat....

Like I said, 135,000 built. Folks do all sorts of things on H16's. Also the kids can take the boat alone at around age 12-13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL-DMABWbBA

AndyEss · 09-06-2017, 11:52

2 adults (depending on weight), 3 little kids and stuff seems like overloading a Hobie 16 to me. Consider also that poor experiences will turn off non-sailing spouses and little kids from enjoying sailing in the future.
If you rig up the trailer, one stronger person can raise the mast by themselves reasonably easily. This is the hardest part of the setup. Have at least two people for this when you are beginning.
A Hobie 16 is a gas with two reasonably confident, even just moderately experienced small boat sailors - experience will come as you do it.

FutureStories · 09-06-2017, 18:05

Get 2! You can stack them on a trailer pretty easily. My friends made a double rig for their trailer and interchange 14s and 16s. 16s are more fun with 2 ppl. Take boat with your family and get a 2nd helmsman

belizesailor · 09-06-2017, 18:33

As others have pointed out, yes you can load up a Hobie 16 but it will be sluggish, but if you are just out for fun...who cares.

A boom tent is also a cool accessory a Hobie...turn your day sail into a camping trip. Sleeping on the tramp is pretty comfy.

You could sail out to a camping spot with more crew/weight aboard. Set up camp and then take the Hobie out for short fast runs with less weight aboard.

Tingum · 10-06-2017, 08:34

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.

thomm225 · 10-06-2017, 13:18

Quote:

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