Old Hobies ....

Old Hobies ..... are there some historians here? I just picked up an old boat that is really in pretty good shape considering it's age.



My original intent was to just use it for spare parts but the hulls are solid with light wear on the bottoms and all the anodized frame and mast in good shape. I will set it up and sail it. All it really needs is a tramp. The sails are solid white with no color panels at all and the hulls with the black strip originally appeared to be from the White Knight design produced in 1977. There is no HID number on either hull and it has the early style main sheet traveler on it that uses the v-jamb cleats each side of the rear cross bar and a simple nylon shimmed slide. Most curious this Main sheet swivel cleat which I though was a Prindle transplant but as you can see has Hobie Cat Del Ray cast into it. I have never seen one of these. It does not seem to be a replacement as there is hardly a scratch on the rear cross bar.



I do not have a photo of the sails unrolled yet but the sail number is 7769 if I remember correctly. I have seen a few early 1970's H-14 and H-16 boats without HID numbers but never one in near this good condition and never with one of these swivel cam offsets.

Just curious .... Anyone else have anything like this?



It has the White Sea Way Block set.



You can see the entire rear cross bar with the old style mainsheet traveler car in this pic. Also note the interesting way of supporting the mast at the back of the boat while trailering. The cross bar with the lights is pinned at the rivet hole on the upper rudder casting holding the rudders securely down while towing and supporting the mast very well.



The decks are heavily oxidized but I started some wet sanding to see how well it would clean up and it does clean up real well.



still unwashed in all these pictures.

The boat is probably older than '78. The hull stripes were added after, since they do not follow the line of factory-applied stripes from the late 70's (which paralleled the deck line).

Another indication is the traveler - by '78, the standard equipment was the Tracker traveler - essentially what comes on the new boats today. There would be no need for the aftermarket traveler clear mount.

Look on the front pylons and see if there's a 4-digit number stamped there. That would indicate that it's a pre-1973 boat.

Yes, I am aware it is not a 1977 boat and expect it to be early 70's and possibly a 1970. The color chart shows a all white boat produced that first year listed on the chart. I have had several old Hobie Cats, several late 70's boats and early 80's boats. This one is just curious as it is an early example with Hobie stamped on that offset plate that I have never come across.

Great find, is the mast in good shape ? Looking forward to more photo's when you have it set up.

greg

_________________
Greg
Vancouver Island
Invitation 16' sold
Hobie 16' 73502 sold
Hobie 16' 102371
Hobie Tiger 1454/2454stx

Off Topic...... Where are you located? I was in Lake Havasu last october and there were alot of neighborhoods that looked just like yours.

I am in Phoenix .... I do get up to Lake Havasu each spring for a few days. I will be there in a few weeks again.

And yes, aside from the mast needing a new cheek block, the mast is perfect too. I have a new line package I will put on it. I will see if I can get a set of sail numbers to match the originals too as the old numbers left some mastic behind and you can clearly see where they were.

Our factory Hobie Historian says about 1975 the Flamer was introduced and the first SE (special edition) boat to have black anodized aluminum. This would have to be after that.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Matt, thanks for your emails ... I have looked at the pylons ... still no sign of a serial number. I do not recall seeing on on my other old 16 either. I will look over that one again too. I have not pulled the cross bars off either boat but I doubt it would be under the casting. None the less, this is a nice old boat! I look forward to rigging it and having it on the water. Doesn't really matter what year it is I guess. Just a lot of interesting things about this one, at least as I see it.

Being black anodized... 75 or later... serial number would be on the transoms.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I did finally find the serial number, etched in the transom as it should have been but vertically right at the rudder pin. I pulled the boat apart and will eventually buff the hulls out. Right now it is just in storage. Serial number places in as a 1973. (CCM-----0873) But it does have the black anodized mast and tramp frame. Still an odd ball!!

The tramp frame could have been replaced at some point in its life.

The tramp frame AND the pylons are all black anodized. Also the rear cross member has that old style traveler without the roller bearing traveler car. I can not imagine anyone returning to that from a later model boat. It is just a neat old Hobie in real good shape. I will get it back on the water one of these days.

Yup............ You got a mystery there..................
Get her in the water!

Funny, I really bought it because the price was right and the spare parts can always come in handy. I have several other boats and this one will be added to the collection. I do not sail much here in AZ but this one will stay here. I recently bought my second 18, this one with wings that I plan on taking up to and sailing in Colorado with friends there and eventually up to the summer house in central MN where I have another 18. Can a guy have TOO many boat?????