New to Sailing looking for advice

Hello everyone, Im new to the forum and new to sailing. I have absolutely zero sailing experience but have always wanted to try it. Now I am in a position financially where I can entertain the idea of a boat and I really like the H16. I will primarily use the boat at Lake McConaughy where there is plenty of wind and room. I plan on taking some classes if necessary, but my real question is am I biting off more than I can chew? I would really like to purchase a boat for the long term and from the description from Hobie on the H16 indicates it might be a good choice. Appreciate any thoughts on the matter.

Wade

The Hobie 16 is a great choice.
It is light and easy to trailer and store
You can even roll the boat and trailer into your back yard by hand.
I pull my first 16 with a '81 VW Rabbit for two years is a very hill area.
The mast is light and can be stepped by one person with the right setup.
There are many used 16 available for a reasonable price.
Having a boat that can be soloed gives you the independence to go at your leisure.

But most important is they are fast and a lot of fun too.By far,my favorite boat.

Bill 404 21 SE

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Bill 404 21SE

What's your level of fitness and will you have someone to sail with you? These boats can be somewhat demanding physically, especially if/when you capsize. A Hobie 16 (or 18) is really not a "beginner" boat. That's not to say someone can't learn to sail on one of these boats, it just isn't an ideal learning platform. They are powerful and aren't too forgiving of mistakes, especially when the wind is up.

How much time do you realistically plan to put into learning to sail? If you can get out about once every two weeks during the summer, you'll probably pick up the basics fairly quickly. If you're looking for something that you can use only a couple times per year, then you're going to have a tough time learning and the boat will probably be more trouble than fun.

If you do decide to go for it, two pieces of advice would be 1) be very particular of the days you go out, especially in the very beginning. 5 to 10 mph is the max wind you want and make sure its not an offshore breeze. 2) try to find a Hobie fleet or other sailors and get as much info as you can from them. You'll learn much faster that way than on your own.

Your other option would be to get a dinghy, like a Sunfish or Laser and sail it for a year or so, just so you can learn the basics. Those boats aren't as fast as a Hobie, but they can still be a ton of fun and they're much easier to learn on. After a year, sell the dinghy and get a Hobie (little boats like that can be found used for cheap and be re-sold for very little loss).

sm

Thanks for the replies, and to answer some questions I am 29 years old 6'1" and an athletic 190lbs. Last year I was at the lake house just about every weekend to maintain the property and imagine I will spend about 18-20 weekends there this spring through fall. The main reason I wanted the 16 was to buy a boat that would work now and in the long term.

I am going to look into dinghy option as I can sell it to upgrade later and if I dont loose too much money that would be acceptable.

Looking into a local fleet now. Keep the thoughts coming!

Thanks for the replies, and to answer some questions I am 29 years old 6'1" and an athletic 190lbs. Last year I was at the lake house just about every weekend to maintain the property and imagine I will spend about 18-20 weekends there this spring through fall. The main reason I wanted the 16 was to buy a boat that would work now and in the long term.

I am going to look into dinghy option as I can sell it to upgrade later and if I dont loose too much money that would be acceptable.

Looking into a local fleet now. Keep the thoughts coming!

Howdy i live about 4 hours away in rapid city. If I can help feel free to contact me any time. A hobie 16 is the perfect option, Big Mac is a great lake, start now getting yourself a crew together, you will need crew when the wind is up. There is a very strong fleet out of Denver, fleet 61, they will help you out with anything you need . Our fleet is, 198, we sail at Angostura res in Hot Springs, SD. I have many 16 parts if needed. paul

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Bodhisatfa

That sounds great, I really think I am sold on the 16 as it will be a boat I can sail for many years. I will be looking for used 16's over the next few days weeks until I find a deal I cant resist. Speaking of there is a 80's model for about a 1/4 the cost of a 2005 model near where I live. What are the main differences? Is it worth the money for a newer boat?

Wade

Check your email, I sent you one, with some info on the local Hobie fleets and events in the area.

To answer your question about the differences in Hobie 16 ages:
All knowledgeable Hobie Gods correct me if I am wrong on any of this.
As Hobie's are one design boats, not changed significantly.

Early 70's -84 boats will have heavier hulls and have a less adjustable rudder system.
84-97 will have close to minimum weight hulls, Have a comp-tip (6-8ft fiberglass portion on the top of the mast), and have the newer style rudder castings.
98-present will have integrated traveler tracks built into the crossbars, a newer cut on the jib and a longer forestay.
All of these upgrades can be done to older boats but can be expensive.

The newer the boat the stiffer it will be, but that wont be an issue until you really get into racing. Also the comp tip is technically required for racing, but until you start winning a lot we generally look the other way.

If I were you, I would look for an 1985 or newer Hobie 16. When looking, check the hulls for any soft spots, by pressing on the hulls with your palm in various locations. Deflection of 1/2" is bad. Check the shrouds and forestay for any kinks or frayed/broken wires. If they are kinked or frayed, it is week spot and needs to be replaced, sooner than later.

Welcome and Happy Hobie Sailing!
Tom Machette



Edited: for bad grammar, and spelling.

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1992 Hobie Cat 18 #16943
Hobie Fleet 198, Rapid City, SD

Welcome Wade!

adding to Tom's post

some '83's had adjustable upper rudder castings (a must +1)
'84 & up are lighter boats (+2)
'86 & up are comp-tip masts (+3)
'94 integral jib traveler track in front cross bar
'95 integral main traveler track rear cross bar
'00 jib sail cut changed to allow more rake (+4)

a '95 or newer will get you all the bells and whistles, and with a fresh jib you're good to go

As far as getting a dinghie and then upgrading to a Hobie 16?
I was in your same position, very limited sailing experience, pondered getting a Laser to "learn on". I didn't and am so glad I skipped that step, sailed my first regatta the sixth time out on that Hobie 16 ('81) and never looked back

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

In our family we solved it by doing both. When our kids were younger, we got a Flying Scot, which we still race and daysail. The boat has a big cockpit and holds lots of people, but is a very competitive fleet in our area with a crew of two.

We also got a Sunfish as a boat for the kids to learn to steer on, that was easier for them to manage than dad's Scot. Then, when they got to be teens, and they got a taste of Hobie sailing on a friends 16, the "let's get a Hobie Cat" bug set in. I recently found an old 1983 H16 for them to blast around on.

Have fun, if you are out on the water, with your family,it beats being at home not sailing!

Phil

and what year did fiberglass rudders become standard equipment?
Find a boat with white glass or EPO rudders, it's like having power steering

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate all the thoughts and information. I looked at two boats this weekend a 1986 in decent shape and a 2005 in great shape. I had a concern with the 1986 model, there were no soft spots but there were two holes about 8" in diameter drilled in the front portion of the hulls with a dry screw lid installed. The guy thought they might have been put there to add storage (I have seen threads on this site about this type of modification). What are your thoughts on this type of modification to the hulls?

Probably not 8" diameter ports- the deck probably isn't much more than 8" wide in that area. Common access port sizes are 4", 5" and 6". But regardless, port holes in front of the front pylon (or in front of the front crossbar) are generally considered to be a no-no. That's not to say it hasn't been done, but there is a lot of load in that area, so ideally, you would be better off putting the port behind the pylon.

If the price was right, it might not be a deal breaker, but it would definitely be a concern.



The main difference between a newer boat and a 25 year old boat is going to be the overall condition of the boat. Think 25 year old car vs. new car. Now it's possible that the older boat has been sitting unused for a while and was well taken care of and that the 2005 boat was beaten on. But statistically speaking, the odds are that the new boat is simply in much better condition.
Otherwise, the general design of the Hobie 16 has been unchanged. Some of the systems have been refined to work a little better, but overall, there won't be any significant design differences between the boats (especially for someone with zero sailing experience).

By the way, I would still recommend that you seriously consider getting a dinghy to start out with (or possibly a Hobie Wave / Bravo if you're set on getting a cat). You'll have a lot to learn and those types of boats are specifically geared towards beginners. They're much more forgiving.

sm

Well I am the proud new owner of a 2005 H16!!! I got a great deal and the guy I bought if from offered to take me out a few times on it to get familiarized with everything. Thank you everyone for your advise and answers to my questions. Hopefully I will be able to meet some of you this season!

Congratulations!

We'll see you on the water sometime this summer. Don't be shy!

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1992 Hobie Cat 18 #16943
Hobie Fleet 198, Rapid City, SD