How fast do I need to be going to fly a hull

Well I've had my 14 turbo since the beginning of the summer and I would really like to fly a hull. What I'm trying to figure out is if the lake where I go just doesn't have enough wind or I have too much weight or I am just not using the wind to my full use. I sail at marsh creek lake http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/marshcreek.aspx#boating Thats the link. Its 535 acres so its not huge but I'm just trying to see if it has enough wind. Usually the top wind will be like 8 mph maybe 10. And I have only sailed with another person which puts the total weight at around 300lbs. So should that be enough wind for that weight to fly a hull or do I need to loose a person and get more wind?

The 14 will almost never fly a hull with two people on it. I managed it once, but my shroud broke a few moments later.

Solo on the 14 it should start flying a hull around 10mph on a reach.

Glad that you had a good summer with the 14, it is a great boat and fun to sail in any winds.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

ok thats good to know thanks

you will definitly have to knock the other person off to fly a hull, unless you wanna go out in 30. I went out last weekend in 10-15 and got out on the trap several times.

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Josh Benge
14 skip
16 skip
20 crew

try sending the 2nd person to the low side, it may help if the hull will still float. I've not spent a lot of time on the H14, but on the wave, getaway, H16, h18, H20 the 2nd person on the low side always raises the windward hulls faster.

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Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

If you do to the low side on the 14.... you sink!

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

Maybe I should upgrade to a 16. Now that I have been sailing quite a few times I get the sense that I should of went with a 16.

It isn't an upgrade, just a different boat. The 14 is a solo boat, while the 16 is a two man boat that can be single hamded.

Just look at my signature, I have two boats, an old Hobie 14 and a Nacra 5.2. The 14 is for the crazy wind days and the 5.2 for most other days.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

yeah but I had to practically like beg my parents for 1 boat they wouldn't let me get 2 lol. If I can find a good 16 that I can get without loosing money and hopefully sell my 14 for more money then they would probably agree too it.

Ah, the dreaded parents. That was why I didn't get into sailing until recently. My dad wouldn't let me get a Hobie because he thought it was a waste of money. As soon as I moved out two years ago I bought the 14 and then took him out on it.

But if they won't let you have two boats then the 16 would probably be the best boat for you if you like to take people out. It can be single handed easily enough, actually much easier than my 5.2.

Where are you located, there are two pretty solid 16's for sell around here that I could put you in touch with.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

There is a good used 16 in the classifieds in the Chicago area.

Yeah if you could give me some information on those 16s I'd appreciate it. We went out this weekend and it was sooo windy. It was over 20mph and we flipped for the first time. We had 3 people on board and I pitchpoled. I couldn't really see the front on the hull because they wouldn't move until it was too late. Then we turtled because we couldn't get it over quick enough. It was pretty interesting. Lol we flipped like right in the middle of a sunfish race too.

The Hobie 14 has a maximum load of 500lb. I would assume that with a crew of more than about 250lb, the leeward hull will dive as the windward hull rises ?
My wife and I have a combined weight of about 300lb. It's pretty easy to get the windward hull up in around 15knots, but not without the other hull diving.
The Hobie 16 has a max load of 800lb that should make it much easier to keep the leeward hull up with a crew of 2. I'm thinking about moving to a 16.

I love the 16. I think it is a really great design. It is comfortable with two on board and I think it really comes to life solo, which is kind of how I prefer to sail her. But, it's nice knowing that I can take out someone with no experience, and don't assume that I have much, and they will be just fine learning the ropes with not too much to worry about. Granted, I've never been on a 14, but those boats just look so small for a person of my size. Plus, having the jib sail (if you don't have a turbo) is really great for both speed and manuvarability( which I still haven't quite mastered in some situations) as well as giving the crew something to do to get them into the whole experience. While I really like soloing the 16, in the few years that I have been sailing I have found it to be a great platform to share with people the joy I find in sailing by letting them experience it first hand.

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James
86' Redline Hobie 16
Sail # 76909