Been There, Done That

Hi all, after extracting so much info on fixing, updating, and getting my 83 H16 into a respectable state, I thought I'd share some of my experiences and bits of knowledge from repairs made over the last 6 years I have had the boat.

Frame Epoxy- I did this about 3 years ago, it definitely made the boat handle better. It has also loosened up a little bit over time, but still a whole lot better than before. I probably had over a foot of play between the hulls, now, a couple inches on one side, and none on the other. It is a bummer to not be able to pull the boat apart now though, so you should weigh this decision carefully. I know I could melt the epoxy out, but not worth it. Also, be sure to re-seal the inside of the pylons (and keep vent hose clear). I didn't do this, and I think this is where most of the water in my hulls is coming from.

Rudder Hum- As part of a recent hull repainting, I took on the old plastic rudders and tried to fair them "un-professionally". I had previously taken down the trailing edge with scissors. Anyway, I used the west system epoxy with graphite powder, and many, many, many layers to fill in concave sections. Then lots of sanding, more epoxy, rinse and repeat. The end product is great. I got some real minor rudder hum last night in 15knots of wind, but much better, and the graphite powder is supposed to lower the resistance through the water. The boat definitely feels better, faster.

Hull Painting & Refairing- The bottoms had been pretty worn down dragging through the sand. I can tell you it is easier to build more up, and sand after, then build up a bit, then sand, then build more. There are other posts on the exact technique. I would also suggest a fairing board, I made a cheap one with some scrap plexi, 80 emory cloth, and spary adhesive. It worked wonders to take the "speed humps" out of the glass job before painting.

For the painting I used the 2 part Interlux Perfection, rolled and tipped. If I was going to do it over, I would find a body shop to spray it on. I had one bad primer coat, and one bad paint coat, both had to be sanded off. the final product came out relatively nice (I also tend to be a perfectionist). If you want to try it yourself primer, primer, primer is probably the most critical step. And sand the primer to make sure it is smooooth before painting. The painting takes a bit of a knack to do by hand, and study carefully all the info you can find on the interlux website.

Beach Wheels- I made some from scratch, with beach wheels from Roleez. Used the 49" wheels, and a 1" diameter 8 ft long aluminum rod from McMaster-Carr as the axle. Cut 1" ID pvc to act as a spacer between the wheels (4 ft), and cut a couple lengths to the outside sections. Drilled a hole through the end of each side of the aluminum to thread rope though, and put some pipe insulation and duct tape on the ends where the hulls sit. Works pretty well, total cost about $300, the aluminum flexes a bit, but ok.

One Piece Gudgeons- I pulled the two piece off, fortunately the screws came out easy enough. I followed the directions that came with them, and drilled out the holes on the gudgeons. When I went to mount them, the holes still didn't line up. SO, I filled the mount holes on one side with epoxy/silica filler, screwed the gudgeon on with screws on the other side, and redrilled the holes to line up (after epoxy cures). Go slowly, and you should have no problem going through the aluminum plate. Then pulled everything out, epoxy/silica the screws, and put them in.

Thought this was super easy, when I actually went to attach the rudders, the pins would not go though gudgeons easily. I cannot figure out if I tightened them too much so that they warped slightly, or that they may have been defective from the factory. SO, check the pin before mounting, and do not over-tighten. I had to use a small circular file to ream out alittle in the gudgeons to get the pins in, and the rudders turning easily. Also, some filing so that the mount screws don't catch the rudder castings. The rudders feel much better even with having to file out the gudgeon alittle, much better than the 2 piece. Just wish it went together better, but the point is, it works.

6:1 Downhaul- Get it, wish I did earlier.

6:1 Low Profile Main Blocks- See above.

Sorry for the long initial post, but just wanted to share some insights I got the hard way, but still without this forum, I probably still have the boat in pieces from years ago.

If anyone wants more info, I'll be happy to share. This has been a labor of love, and although I do lust after some of the newer F-18 boats, there is something great about fixing up a $1000 boat, and making it sail well. I'll probably never sell this thing, even if I do eventually get a "faster" sexier boat. But, hell, nothing sexier than a H16 with the tequila sunrise sails!! Everyone loves those rainbow sails, and I always get wise cracks about them.

Also, I have been racing now for 5 years, and all the fixes, upgrades will not help at all if you don't learn to sail the boat. Money doesn't make it go faster. Every year, I get a little better on the course, and every spring, I work on some aspect of the boat that needs attention. To me, that's what owning/sailing and old H16 is about.

Next spring, I think I am going for the spin. I've read a couple things here, and although its expensive, sure sounds like makes the boat MOVE.

Thanks again for all the great info on the forum. I will post pictures in the near future.

george

_________________
83 Hobie 16

Thanks for all the tips. I was planning on overhauling all the things I didnt like about my 14T this summer, but am not in the same area as it, so I didn't get a chance. I think alot of these are definitely going to be my next projects.

The problem is, I'm only home with my boats during the summer or breaks at best, and those are the times when I want to sail it. So I lack this springtime period to repair and improve it.

I think that one of my personal projects I've found the most benefit out of is "streamlining" my rigging and derigging process. I trailer everywhere, since I can't really afford the beach slips when I'm never there. So minimizing the amount of energy and time spent on getting her ready to go on the water when I'm sitting in that parking lot by the ramp is very important.
Some of those things that I have done in that sense are very simple little things, but they have helped out so much ( I mean everything from strengthening the old trailer frame so that I can actually walk and bounce on it without fear, to making a system with blocks and line so that the mast rake line can be converted to a holding line for keeping the mast vertical once Ive lifted it up, before connecting the bridle.)

I also think something simple and important to do, if you haven't already is to make sure the mast is completely sealed and waterproof. Also, I went through and found a few small little kinks here and there which I took care of, just to make sure not to put too much unnecessary abrasion on the luff rope.

_________________
Peter Scranton
'14 Tandem Island "Awesome"
'03 Windrider Rave "Menage a Trois"