I am 52 and I want a Cat

Hey Brian,

We do have the same sails. I think I identified mine incorrectly last year. And found out later I was wrong, so I have two names in my head and maybe got confused. I'm gonna check the reference here and remember it properly this time.

Edit to add. I checked the FAQ and it looks like we are both right. For 85 this sail is listed as Nationals and has Prism in parentheses under that. Unlike the 83 Prism sails, however, which are a rainbow, with red on top and violet on bottom. To me that would be a prism. Our sails have a different color scheme yet called prism and nationals. A little confusing.

I'm new to this, but I gotta say I love this old boat.

I'd be happy if the wind would blow. It's been the doldrums here for weeks now and I NEED to sail.

Hey guys! This is a great topic as I'm 60 (might be one of the oldest?) and still have three Hobies (2 x H16 and 1 x H17). Unfortunately, I had to put the H18 'to sleep' this winter--hulls were just too far gone to repair economically. Loved it for all the years we sailed her (my wife likes the H18 over the H16s and I solo the H17). Designed and built a trailer that hauls any combination of two Hobies in my little fleet (the adult kids join us when we're sailing off OBX and we have our own regattas & beer races). Got my little brother (55 yrs) into an H16 and now he owns two and we fleet together in NC--his girls love to trap. Going to find another H18 later this year and make it the winter project, so I'm going to be back on an '18 by next year. BTW (and Matt might not agree) but since I had an H18 rig, I modified the mast base to fit the H16. Mast is a bit heavy (and necessitates a crew reduction) but it sails fast (I beat my brother on his H16, but I've been sailing for almost 50 years) and was fun working out the best way to sail it. None of my boats are anywhere close to class, as I tinker constantly and observe & adapt almost everything. Some things work out better than others, but I'm still sailing either way. Keep up the chatter, old sailors are the best!

I am almost 52 and started with a sunfish in '71 on Biscayne Bay down in Miami ,got my first 16 in '85 and than in '89 I bought a 21 SE and love it,still today.I sail it solo at least half the time.Setting up the wide boat take me an hour but it is so worth it.Sometimes ,I sail my '81 Hobie 16 just for fun but the wings and stability of my 21 SE are so comfortable : ...
Bill 404 21 SE

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Bill 404 21SE

Retiring a H18 for an old time enthusiast like yourself is a luxury you cannot afford. Seriously, we are an old crowd to be sure but there´s got to be some decent hulls out there to keep her moving!!

51 with a 17 and an 18 (and a Prindle 19). Sore this Tuesday after 3 hard days of sailing (pleasure sailing!). Feels good. I say, too early in life for golfing.

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H18, H17 & Various motor boats

Capt Al,

I know what you mean about being an old crowd, but not to worry, there ARE complete H18s out there and I'm going to get one--like I said, for the winter time project--fix 'em up all winter and sail 'em all summer. I salvaged everything off her before she met the sawzall (including the daggerboard wells! as I'm a fair hand at fiberglass--which is why I knew when it was time . . .) Still have & ride (though not the waves I grew up on) the first surfboard I ever built (circa 1963) and a pair of windsurfers just for variety. Totally love the H'cats (in whatever size & shape) and won't take up golf until I'm too old to ski & sail.

Fair winds & following seas, to all!

Thank you all. Now I should say I am 52 and I need a cat. I am in tyhe SE and cannot find a decent one. Any suggestion would be appreciated. Thanks,

My wife & I raced 16' back in the late 70's & early 80"s, I tried a couple of bigger type cabin sailboats but found that only 30 mph winds made them any fun.

At 56 & 100# heavier than my racing days, I am debateing a tigar or a wildcat incase I do want to race the flat bellies.

Does anyone have any openions on what boat is the best for the money or would an old 18 do. I have been looking at a 17 with wings under a tree for 5 years just drulling it could be pickup for a song.

Cheers, Bob in TX

I am 53 and just bought an H18, 35 years after my first H16! Have sailed & owned all manner of small (Sunfish, Lasers, F5, ODay 17, Typhoon), & larger boats (mostly multis: Wharram Tannenui 28, F27, Simpson 12M), over the years in New England & Belize. Now I am landlocked in Florence, SC and am looking for places to sail and maybe a sailing buddy(ies) as well. I would love to have a place to leave my boat (with someone?), on/near a beach somewhere within a couple of hours drive.... We could share use of the boat as well. Also I am looking for wings and cat trax. Anyone out there with suggestions? Thanks!

Hello bocatura and welcome.. You may want to contact Sail and Ski Connection in Myrtle Beach. He is the Hobie Dealer there and has a lot across the street from his shop where used boats for sale are stored -- some of them may be stored for personal us but I dont know for sure. If you want to sail off the beach this may be a solution for you.

Good Luck!

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1984 Hobie 18

Thanks very much for that tip! I will definitely check out the Myrtle Beach location- to the guy looking for a H18 in the SE yes it is tough and you may have to travel to find a good one, but there are plenty out there in the price range of $1200 (complete with trailer), and up. Just take a look on Ebay Motors right now...
Can someone enlighten us a bit regarding the hull delamination problems that H18s seem prone to? I'd like to know more...

I am 60 and have a 16 and an 18....the 16 is ok for two. I usually just sail it when I am going out solo and what to do a lot of single hand trapeze hull flying. ... I solo my 18M too, but since I put the wings on it, it works much better as a unit to carry the wife and kids. My buddys and I will still take it out and double trap off the wings, but they usually just want to take their own 16's out solo, to fly hulls.
I often have four out on the 18. My wife and I and two little kids ...one hanging on the trap on one side and the other trapping out on the opposite side. They do this on our lake that usually doesn't have more than 10 mph of wind, where it is easy and safe for them to be playing like that. My 18 actually has the SX wings on it and it really changes it from a lake racer into a huge family platform.. The kids can sit on the forward wing sections and be completely out of the way of the jib sheets and boom, they can lay down, and they don't have to move when I tack. If the wind kicks up, we usually end up with my wife and the kids on the wing and me braced against it in the waves. My local dealer has an 18 with wings for $2500 right now, that as far as I know is in pretty good condition....the 18m sounds like just what you want..

Where are you and who is your local Hobie dealer? I'd be interested in the H18 w/wings- that sure sounds like the way to go and it also sounds as if they don't come up for sale separately very often...

"White Prisms" ....

They made several different "Prisms" .... Blue Prisms .... Double Prisms .....

The "White Prisms" were a good series of sails ... they all seem to have been fast ... and didn't have any construction issues ....

If I remember correctly ... so many different patterns to remember ....

Oh, I'm 53 yrs old this year ... and have had my H18Mag since 1986 .... when I switched over from a H16 ....

And I have a fellow sailing/racing member at Rock Hall Yacht Club (Rock Hall Md) whom is looking for a H18Mag since I let him sail/race mine .... so if you know of one in good condition please contact me .... and yes he will travel to obtain one ....

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

Can anyone tell me if H18 wings are transferable from boat to boat? Is there any modification to the hulls required and do they quick-release for trailering (fold up or in)? There aren't any locally that I can examine... Thanks!