Buying a Hobie - Questions

So I'm looking at buying a H16 and went to view the boat today, but came away with more questions than answers. Hopefully some of ye will be able to help me out:

The fork at the top of the mast that locks the halyard is set at a slight angle, not straight down the mast. Is this a problem? As far as I can see, it just means that to lock the halyard, you'd pull slightly to the side as opposed to straight down the front of the mast.

The main fitting that holds all the shrouds and trapeze lines is not attached. The mast is second hand and I would need to attach this fitting if i were to buy the boat. Is there a lot of work in doing this? I don't mind doing a bit of work, but my main concern is whether or not the holes in the fitting and the holes in the mast will line up.

The hulls seem to wobble around a bit at the joint where the vertical struts holding up the trampoline exit the tops of the pylons on the hulls. The mast and sails were down so there was no tension on the shrouds or forestay, I feel that maybe once the forestay is tensioned, (when the jib is up) maybe some of this wobble in the hulls will be removed. Is this normal, or is it something i should worry about?

The gel coat on the bottoms of the hulls is kinda worn through and a more yellow colour (the fibre glass?) is visible. Something to worry about? an easy repair?

Aside from the above problems, the hardware, hulls, tramp and sails are all in very good condition.

Any feedback would be much appreciated - even any ideas with regards to a new mast or comments as to how i would go about repairing the current one.

Thanks in advance,
David.

also, i want to know what year the boat was built. I'm in Ireland so it's a european boat. the Number on the transom is: FR.HCE413F000

Thanks again

http://www.sailingproshop.com/catamaran_guide.aspx

enjoy

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Hobie Cat 16 1987
Pringle 16 1979 (sold)
Hobie Cat 14 Turbo (sold)
Subaru Outback 2008 BlackPearl

At what angle is the hook? I can't imagine a slight angle being much of a problem.



I can't help a lot in this as I have never replaced one. I would say even if the holes do not line up, as long as the tang is in the correct position, you should be able to install it without too much difficulty. Just be sure to seal any unused holes. Use the correct rivets with sleeves.



Being fully rigged will tension the boat some. Maybe the tramp needs to be retightened. This will help tension also. Be sure there is not a lot of wear wher the pylons enter the hulls. They should be snug and sealed



One of my hulls is the same way. Sounds like maybe just a bottom job is needed and there are good write-ups in this forum about the process. Not too difficult for a decent handyman. Mine has been that way for several years and one day I will get around to doing a bottom job



Close up photos might be more helpful in others on here making an assessment if possible. Good luck.

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'88 Nationals Blue
Hobie Alter Signature Model
Sail #11

Hobie Mirage Classic

If the pylon sticking out of the hull is loose it could be a major repair, do the hulls have any soft spots? This could also be a potential problem especially if they around the front pylon area, lots of old Hobie's have lost the entire front of the hull due to structural failure in this area. Do a search for these problems and you will find pertinent information. Bottom refinishing is not a major job, If the mast has all the original holes for the shroud holder at the top and the original piece wasn't ripped out then you could purchase the original part and the proper rivets and simply reinstall it. The tang at the front of the mast as far as I know is supposed to point up at the end, at least all the 16's I had were like that. Anyway good luck with your project.

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06 getaway -- always remember, man with both feet in mouth have no leg to stand on.

As said above, if the pylon is loose where it goes through the hull, this would be an indication that the pylon has broken free inside the hull. The boat should not be sailed like this and would require a fairly involved repair (instructions are available in the Hotline archives). If the hull is loose where the pylons connect to the corner castings, then this is pretty common for older boats. It can be stiffened up by tightening the trampoline, placing shims between the pylon and corner casting, or by epoxyting the corner castings to the pylons. Increasing rig tension will not have a noticable effect on hull/frame stiffness.

Regarding the halyard fork, the question would be how much of an angle is it? If it's much more than about 10 degrees, I could see it making latching the halyard quite difficult.

As far as the mast tang goes, installing them isn't too tough. To install the tang, you just need the tang, the stainless steel rivets, rivet sleeves, and a rivet gun.

Wear on the hull bottoms is also common. If it's pretty thin, then you'll want to flip the boat over and laminate several layers of fiberglass tape to build the bottoms back up. It's not too tough, but it'll take at least the better part of an afternoon.

sm