Should I sell my 16 for an 18?

Hi all, I've owned my hobie 16 for about 3 years now and only have the house highest praise for it. It's fun fast and exhilarating but I've been recently thinking is there more out there? Over the years I've been on and off about the hobie 18. Throughout the years my only grievence with the boat is the dagger boards would get caught up on seaweed. Now that I don't sail in the bay anymore, my primary focus is open Lake Ontario sailing so I'm thinking that a boat that's faster, can point better, and can handle more wind would be a better option. Please feel free voice your opinion I'd really appreciate it.



-Brendan Harris

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1981 hobie 16 with carumba sails
http://youtu.be/IRqA38nn7aI

I like the Hobie 18 much better. That said, it is not much faster than the 16 and it doesn't sail any higher. There are many advantages though. It does not pitch pole as easy (stuff the bows) Is larger and more forgiving in heavier air. Tacking is easier with the boards. The boat comes around a lot easier than the 16 which requires more actual sailing ability.

Since you have plenty of experience on the 16 you will find the 18 easier to sail and control and able to handle more crew weight. (As folks get heavier with age).

The 18 takes a little more time and effort rigging and launching as it is a little bigger. They are very similar otherwise. I have no interest in going back to a Hobie 16 if that tells you anything.

Good Luck and continue having fun on a Hobie either way.
Cheers

Thank you for the quick reply, I guess all it comes down to is what boat is more fun to sail because isn't that what sailing is all about? By what you're describing it sounds like the 18 is a more forgiving boat to sail?

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1981 hobie 16 with carumba sails
http://youtu.be/IRqA38nn7aI

There is not much difference in sail-size, but there's more volume in the hulls of the 18, and the lateral-plan is easyer to master (boards up or down). In combination this gives you a faster ride on a boat that doesn't pitchpole all the time. But the best part is sitting on the hulls; no bum-pain from that alu-bar ... never again!

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information is not knowledge
Hobie 18 Formula, Hobie DuraGlide 10'10

Things to consider:
Will you be sailing solo? (I sail solo allot at fleet fun sails but not as the only boat on the water. I weigh 250 and can right my H18SX solo with a water bag)
Will you be taking out new sailors? (the 18 has more room on the tramp and is easier to get under the boom when tacking)
Will you be taking out more than one passenger? (The 18 can handle 4 adults for a causal sail)
I my opinion if conditions change when your on the water the H18 can be de-powered with more options than the H16.

It really comes down to how you plan to use it.

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Corkguy H18, Tiger, Wildcat

I love my 18! More buoyancy for an occasional 3rd or 4rth person to sail, and the bows have so much buoyancy that you very rarely have to worry about pitchpoling. On a bigger lake that is known to get rough, I wouldn't hesitate to take an 18 out, but a 16 would make me nervous - too easy to stuff the bows. I've been on Lake Erie in 4-6' waves and my 18 handles it better than my family's 27' Grady White! Plus the expandability for wings, the in hull storage, and the increased tunability of the rig makes for an overall more accommodating and faster boat to sail. I raced in the madcatter as one of two 18's, and I was overtaking 16's despite their 5 minute head start! And I'm no expert, either

I would say that the 18 does point higher than the 16, though not drastically. There are more options to power up or de-power the sails, depending on your needs. The 18 is more challenging to right, and much more time consuming to rig and de-rig. From strapped down on the trailer to sailing away from the dock, fastest I've managed was 45 minutes, and it's even longer to tear down at the end of the day (or so it seems). I think it really comes down to what are you looking to get out of it? I think the 16 and the 18 are pretty comparable in the "fun" column, so consider that to be a wash. 18's are heavy to get around the beach, and a bit more work to set up, but you kinda make up for it in tunability and versatility. The mast is a PITA to step thanks to the diamond wires, but two people can make quick work of it. Like I said before, the 18 was MADE for rough water, the 16 is perhaps a little less suited towards it. Most 16 sailors I've talked to complain/worry about the daggerboards, and I honestly don't understand it. It takes me all of 10 seconds to raise the daggerboards when I need to, they're not that hard to cope with, and they allow the boat to have a faster symmetrical hull form, tack better and point higher. Seems like a no-brainer.

All that said, after 3-4 years with my 18, the constant setup & teardown is starting to be a drain, and has left me without a dedicated crew, with less sailing time this last year as an unfortunate consequence.

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Mike

'79 H18 standard 'Rocketman II' sail #14921 RIP
'78 H18 (unnamed) sail #14921
'08 H16 sail #114312
'97 H21SC sail #238

Thanks for all the feedback! I really appreciate it, from what I've gathered is that the 18 is a more capable and slightly faster boat but it takes much longer to rig and is harder to handle on shore, correct?

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1981 hobie 16 with carumba sails
http://youtu.be/IRqA38nn7aI

I moved from a 16 to an 18 four seasons ago and have not looked back. In pull disclosure, I managed to get an 18SX which has the bigger wings and taller mast rig. The wings are key to my happiness! Such a key addition and having only sailed an 18 with them, I'm going to be biased. The 18 is a more technically sophisticated boat in that there are more ways to fine tune it them a 16. So yes, it takes a little longer to rig but not much longer. If your racing yes, it will take more time to dial it in and fine tune standing and running rigging but there's also default settings for most lines where you can set it and forget it. Personally, I find the ability to fine tune the gears more fun but you do have to remember to pull up those daggerboards if your in shallow water! Also, make sure you know if your looking for a standard 18, Magnum 18 or an 18sx - differences are basically wings/no wings and mast height.

In short:

Pros of an 18 over 16:
- Greater ability to tune the boat and rigging
- More stable overall boat (more people = more fun!)
- Can handle stronger winds
- Less inclined to pitchpole

Cons of an 18 over 16:
- Heaver boat on the dry so if your hauling up and down the beach something to consider
- More controls so more 'stuff' to look after. I have not found it to be much more expensive to upkeep though.
- Smaller fleet so less racing opportunities if that's your bag.
- Smaller fleet so less available parts at least on the 2nd hand market. Most of the dealers can get you anything though.
- More expensive to initially buy but solid resell market too it seams.

Hope thats helpful! Glad to answer any specific questions too!
Phil

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'89 18SX