How stupid can one be?

My wife an I took the H16 out to a local lake for the first time in over 6 months this past weekend. I know, I know. I have just been too busy with my other hobbies and chores over the winter.

Anyway, we get to the lake and I flubb almost every part of the rigging process and have to back up and punt several times. Finally get the damn thing rigged and get on the water. After several minutes, I wonder why its sailing like a slug and then notice tornadoes coming off the rudder tips under water. I look down the tiller and see its toed out on both sides. DANG! Put the rudders on the wrong sides. We sail over to an island and flop the rudders and take off after a short lunch. Since I dropped the pins from the bottom when I switched the rudders, I removed the drain plugs so they would be out of the way. We took off to head back to the launch area and (don't get ahead of me, don't get ahead of me) I realized the lee hull was almost under water. That's when I smacked my forehead and said "I left the plug out of the starboard hull!" Sure enough, we get back to the ramp and the hull is probably almost half full of water. Yikes, BOY! Did I really have my head up my bum this day!?!?

We still had a good time and lessons learned, next time will be better experience. I promised my wife........hell, she's scared of my sailing ability anyway and I didn't help the cause this past weekend.

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'88 Nationals Blue
Hobie Alter Signature Model
Sail #11

Hobie Mirage Classic

No.... no you didn't. But you gave me a good laugh!

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Almost did the rudder flop but caught it before going down the boat ramp. What I didn't catch were the plugs being out on both sides. Well, those hulls sucked in water like crazy before I even got it to the beach just about 100 yds from the ramp. Those plugs are now the first thing I check when rigging. Glad you had a good time anyway.

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'95 H16 sail #101148
'89 H18 SX/ sail #1053 w/ Yellow hulls

Good News! Most people who leave thier plug out once never forget again and often check other peoples plugs before they will sail with them.

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Floyd
00 Tiger
http://www.HobieFleet33.com
10 Mile Surfside, Texas
Join us on our Facebook group: Surfside Sailing

I was very surprised that we sailed over 3 miles with the plug out of the starboard hull and it didn't take on more water than it did. It was on the lee side so the hole was definately underwater. I suppose its hard for the water to go into the hole when sailing along at a decent clip.

I think it sailed better with a bunch of water in one hull than it did with the rudders on the wrong side.

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'88 Nationals Blue
Hobie Alter Signature Model
Sail #11

Hobie Mirage Classic

Many years ago i had left a plug loose when sailing Lake Mojave in Nevada. It was blowing 30+ so was hard to notice until pulling the boat up on shore. Happens to most everyone at least once!

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UK Wildcats have 8 now!

1976 H16 27640
1985 H16 89112

I'm so happy my boat doesn't have drain plugs.

No harm, no foul. Nothing like the school of hard knocks.

The really good lesson here that may not be obvious is the fact that the reserve buoyancy of the hulls really does work. If you do experience a catastrophic hull failure at least you know it will not sink under you.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

Amen to that! I have forgotten exactly ONE time!

The Hobies can go quite a ways without the plugs in. Not so with a motor boat, it will sink right on the trailer. Experience with both more than once!

I get in a hurry and it is the first thing I will forget to check.