Greenhorn buys a boat!

O.K. guys (and gals) I have finally found a Hobie 18SX.

Its a 91 model year and I purchased it from Vancouver Sail club (they got it as a donation).

It is a little rough around the edges, but some of the questions that I have are as follows....

Best way to clean up the mold, mildew and yuck off of the boat? It was stored outside (in the Pacific Northwest = constant rain)

What is the reality of the mylar sails? They looked to be on the downward slide.

What are the standard things to look for as I replace the standing rigging (and/or anything else I should replace?)

Thanks in advance - I hope you are a patient lot.

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Double Take
91 H18SX

To clean the boat, I use a product called Bartenders friend (or something around that name) which is a countertop cleaner. Its gritty and gets rid of a lot of oxidation and dirt off the boat very well.

As for mylar sails, I have never owned any, but Iv heard they can delaminate if not stored properly and overall have a shorter life then Dacron sails. Having an SX, however, you could purchase a used Tiger main. I know theres a few people on this forum that have bought Tiger mains for sx.

When checking for the rigging, check the shroud anchor pins. This is what the shroud adjusters/toggels attach to on the hull. If they are bent, thats a must to replace.

If you have a white hull boat than carefully mist your hulls only with a bleach solution on a non wind day.Be very careful not to get bleach on anything else.If your boat is striped down to hulls only the cleaning will go smoother.The bleach will kill all the mold and loosen it up.Leave it on for a short time(two beers is about right) and do this a sunny day is best.Than wash and rinse it off.Buy some Barkeepers Friend and get some Chore Boy Golden Fleece scrubbing cloths(just like my mom used),put on some gloves and scrub off all that crap.Use a short bristle scrub brush to remove the dirt in between the checks on the non slip deck.Your boat will come back to life.Now wax and rewax and rig for the lake.
I like 3M marine ultra performance paste wax for that wet look.

Your boat will look great,Bill 404 21SE

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Bill 404 21SE

Thanks for the advice, I am getting out of my church clothes and heading out to start washing.

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Double Take
91 H18SX

The bleach solution worked wonders, I got one hull sparkling clean (the other hull will have to wait for next weekend).

The mylar sails are definitely iffy. The jib is probably toast, there is a section about 18" up from the sheet corner that is separated at the stitching.

I am assuming the jib for the SX is the same as a standard H18?!?

Anybody know of any matching sails for a SX?

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Double Take
91 H18SX

For cleaning the boat I like the Hobie cleaner and protectant.

Change all the standing rigging and the anchor pins for the shrouds. One of my 18 pins snapped and it cost over $500 to fix everything it broke.

Sails well then your looking at a Stock Hobie or a Aftermarket. Chip at Whirlwind makes a nice one or you can change the head plate on a used Tiger Main.

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Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/