hobie 16 year

I bought an older hobie 16. Has Tequilla Sunrise sails. Hulls are white, but as I took off parts, I found several coats of paint covering yellow jell coat. Looking at the sail guide on here would make the boat 78. I tried lite sanding where the hull numbers should be but found that they have been refiberglassed. Are there any other ways to determine year of the boat?

Carbon dating. I have a lab in Tijuana that will do it for 100 pesos.

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

The sail pattern is not always a good indication of age. A lot of the patterns were sold for more than just a year, some several years. Also, it might not be the original sails.

Closest you might get (aside from carbon testing), is era it is from.

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Marc...
1978 Hobie 16 Keoke, sail# 36 84

Thanks for the info. I think I'll save the hundred peso's for now.

There are some other clues, like if you have adjustor plates on top of your rudder castings, all Aluminum mast or composite tip, aluminum finish rails or black anonodized rails/mast, etc. but for the most part there have been so few changes, and none of them major, that it is hard to tell and doesn't seem to matter much if it is solid and well maintained.

Also, so many folks have retrofited newer parts on older boats that even the clues are misleading at times.

Enjoy it! Post a picture and we can tell roughly the era asuming it hasn't been modified much.

Welcome to the Forum! There is a ton of info here.

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Steve
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795
1985 & 1973? Hobie 14 "Sea & Ski"

Thanks I purchased my first Hobie this year turbo 14, Bought the 16 2 weeks ago. Just trying to figure what year parts will interchange on the 16's.