Just bought a Hobie 16

Hey, just bought my first Hobie . Done alot of monohaul sailing but this boat will be the first Cat for me. Anything I should know before I take it out?

Has anyone here sailed it on the Great lakes. What kinda weather can they handle?

CONGRATULATIONS! I sail in the warm water and calm bays in Delaware.

I hear the Great Lakes can get rowdy. I know there are a few Great Lake sailors here or check out

www.catsailor.com

www.thebeachcats.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beachcats/

www.sitnsail.com

I've heard the great lakes can be Great! They can be nasty too. One major difference between a mono and a hobie is coming about. I have always had to backwind the jib untill the main starts to fill before letting the jib come around. Does that make sense? You really need that jib backwinded halfway through the turn because the boat looses so much speed and momentum.

I just bought an older hobie too. I left my old one in California when I moved to Indiana about ten years ago. Had I known how easy it was to take the old boat apart, I would have brought it with me. Make sure your hulls are free of soft spots (delaminations) or you could find yourself in trouble in rough seas on the great lakes. There are a bunch of posts and repairs on this site.
Good Luck!

Thanks for the input. This appears to be a great forum for information. I'll be checking it often!

I sail a H20 on Lake Erie, Port Dover.
There a generally never any weather surprises.
Listen to a radio that has the marine weather or go to the government marine weather web site at http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/marine/index_e.html
The weather reports seem to be very accurate and also give current wind and wave conditions.
Pick and choose the weather you fell comfortable in.

_________________
Hobie 16 Sail #5213
Hobie 20 Sail # 530

Another quick question. When flying solo, can it be sailed without the Jib or is it fairly easy to work the Jib and the main while solo?

The jib is a tremendous help when tacking - probably indespensible for someone new to catamaran sailing. I have never experienced any problem handling both the main & the jib. When you complete your tack, your main should already be unsheeted. Unsheet your jib & sheet in on the other (leeward) side. Then sheet in your main. Before you tack be certain that you are clear of obstructions & other boats because you'll lose concentration for about 10-15 seconds.
Your jib is your friend. The only problem you might have is it may obstruct your view of other boats on the leeward side.
Don't worry about your jib, but be cautious with your main.
Good luck & enjoy your new boat.
Rich

You really never want to sail without the jib. 16's need the help getting around the turn. I went out without my jib once in 15 plus winds and was miserable. No control and it just wants to be in irons. I rarely even backwind my jib now, just because I've improved my momentum and smoothness in turns and not slamming the rudders. One thing that you need to remember is when backwinding the jib is to let the main loose otherwise, the triangular effect of a tightly sheeted main and a backwinded jib just promotes being ironed. Unsheeting the main allows the pivot effect and promotes the turn. If you are completely stopped or even going backward, reverse your rudders to accentuate the pivot and getting out of irons. Experiment with this and you will understand. I think of setting the jib after coming across the wind as setting your boat in first gear and sheeting in the main as stepping on the gas. Welcome to having a blast!!

Had a monohaul that was tough to navigate without the jib but I have sailed others that were ok. Thanks for the info.