FL - ST. PETE SAILING HOBIE CATS?

Hi, I've never owned or sailed a Hobie Cat, but I remember sailing ON one as a kid. I do know how to sail and have been thinking of getting an inexpensive Hobie Cat for some fun. I think my 13yr old daughter would love it too. Question is, I don't know much about sailing Hobie Cats, just sailing in general. Should I take a lesson somewhere or just buy a Hobie Cat and figure it out?

I see lots of Hobie Cats for under $1000 for sale... are they worth buying? I weigh around 200 so I am not sure which size I should be looking for, 14, 16, or 18.

Thanks!
Tom

I suspect you are asking this in the wrong section of the forum. Go over to General Sailing and you will get lots of opinions.

First I will tell you what path I took, see if it makes sense to you.

I would go rent Hobies a few times before I adopted one of my own. You will have fun and learn a bit more each time. Then you can decide to commit. I say adopt because it is not a one time purchase. Not that they are expensive. There are sites to read about how to evaluate those $1000 boats, just Google "buying a Hobie". Most are talking about teh fiberglass models (H16, 18, etc) not the plastic ones (Getaway, Wave).

Plastic ones are fun for several people out having a party. Fiberglass ones are for going faster. If you want the ultimate sports car boats, there are expensive Hobie and NACRA models that should never touch sand (fragile). I have a Hobie 16. I am 210+ lbs and sail single hand most of the time. I find it the perfect single hand boat (2 sails, no dagger boards). But I can take 1-2 others with me.

The main thing I had to learn was how to tack. With 2 hulls it is a pig to tack. But there are techniques - learn the roll tack. Like anything you learn by doing.

When buying a Hobie 16, look at the keels and if they are worn out you are in for a bottom job. That comes from beaching, which I hate to admit I do. I put hard epoxy on the keels to make sure they don't wear out quickly, a messy, stinky, nasty job but not expensive. Also look at the tops of the hulls in front of the tramp for any cracks. Hairline gelcoat cracks are OK but if you can press down hard with the heel of your hand and feel any deflection there I would walk away. That's delamination inside the foam sandwich. Then there are sails, all the steering pieces, tramp, lines, standing rigging... You will replace it all over some years.

Hope that helps

_________________
1989 H16
2009 H16 squaretop

The Clearwater Community Sailing Center offers lessons and access to their fleet. Try before you buy.

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1985 Hobie 14T
2014 Hobie T2

im pretty sure there is a hobie fleet around st pete

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http://youtube.com/optikid16030

1983 Hobie 16 Cat fever #55697
2008 Laser Radial/4.7 #190471
S.S.S.
S.Y.S.P

Sorry I missed this when it was originally posted.

Yes, there is an active fleet in St. Petersburg. Fleet 5 is based at the Gulfport Yacht Club in Gulfport FL, at the southern tip of St. Pete. The club is primarily a beachat multihull sailing club that has two organized "clubraces" a month, on the first and third saturday. There is also Mast-up storage available on site.

The last Club Race of the season is the 15th, so please feel free to come out and check us out, there will be at least 6 or so Hobie 16s setting up to race, and anyone that comes by to check us out is welcome to hope on board the committee boat (Pontoon boat) and watch the races unfold for themselves to see.

Here is the link to the clubs website. http://gulfportyachtclub.com/

Hope to see anyone interested come check us out.

I had sailed only small monohulls and then raced Sunfish one summer. When I got turned on to get a cat, I took one demo ride and got a rigging lesson from the seller. That was it and off I went. They are easy enough to sail if you have some sailing skills.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I agree with Matt, if you have sailed something before, sailing is the same basic concept no matter what the platform. My wife and I never really even sailed before we decided to get into Hobie sailing. So, we went to the keys and got a 1 hour lesson on a getaway, then rented it for another hour and the rest is history. A couple of months later I was coming home with my "new to me" own used 1995 Hobie 16. This was only about 3 years ago.

(Should have seen the look on her face when I told her the H16 did not come with bench seats to sit on, then what her face looked like when I told her she had to get her butt in a bucket and hang off the side )

As for what to look for in a used boat, I strongly suggest coming by the club on a saturday we are their setting up to race, as we can easily show you what to look for in used boats, as there are a number of boats on the grounds that we can point to and use as examples of what to look for and what to avoid.

Hope to see you on the 15th!!