Gelcoat cracking

Hi, I'm new and am an inexperienced sailor. All my time has been in mono hulls but I have a chance to purchase a race ready H16. Her rudders have been reworked, complete with bronze bushings. The blocks are Harken 7:1, I think. She has won several championships but the owner has moved to a non-sailing part of the US.

I've looked her over very well, checking for hull delaminations, rigging, sail quality, etc. The tramp is new, and mesh. Rigging is good, trailer is good but she has numerous small longitudinal cracks along the rolling edge of the port pontoon, possibly looking like stress cracks from people climbing aboard.

She is an 87' model and the owner is selling it to me for $1,200.00.

I'm concerned about the cracks but not necessarily the price. Anyway, your expert opinions are more than welcome to this novice.

Stress cracks are no big deal. Sounds lke a fairly nice boat and decent price, but the devil is in the details as they say. You have some very knowledgable hobie sailors in your area. See if you can get in touch with them....contact info at:

http://www.hca-na.org/

I'm bettin' they'd be glad to help you evaluate the boat.

Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi

Thanks, they have been very helpful, even inviting me to join the club--which I will. Most I've met volunteered to coach. Most know the boat and gave me the history but most didn't want to speculate on the gel-coat cracks.

I'm looking forward in getting involved.

It sounds like you got a good deal. About the cracks, and this is just a guess, but it sounds like cracks that sometimes form from the boat being over-tightened down to the trailer, especially if they are located near the pylons. I think I just caused some of them to my newer hulls by doing the same thing. My old hulls had them to. But, again, that is just a guess.

_________________
James
86' Redline Hobie 16
Sail # 76909