Howdy,
This is a bit of an awkward question for y'all, but I'm wondering if I'd be able to handle a Hobie 16 at my size and weight.
So let me give some backstory...I'm 6'4" and weigh around 300 lbs (I'm a big dude). I'm strong, but not nimble, and I've seen a lot about having to be super nimble to sail a Hobie 16. I already have the boat in the backyard as it was given by a family friend a few years back. I've wanted to sail it ever since it was given to us, but, admittedly, I've been afraid of either being too heavy for the boat, flipping it (which would suck in the lake I live near--it's an agricultural storage lake and swimming strictly isn't allowed), or otherwise not being able to get back onto it if I fall off (This is the biggest worry for me). I've done a bit of sailing with a PDRacer I built, so I'm familiar with the basic concepts of sailing. I'm just not sure if I can handle sailing it alone and at my size. I've been considering selling it and buying something a bit larger and more "family friendly" (slow and steady), but I keep hearing how much fun a Hobie 16 is, so I keep wondering if I'd be missing out on a ton of fun by selling the boat.
Side question: I'm also curious, is there a "slow mode" on a Hobie 16? Like, does anyone just go out on a Sunday afternoon cruise with their boats? I get that to go slow you just don't pull in the mainsheet as hard, but with that much sail and mast, I'd imagine that might not be as easy as it sounds.
Any suggestions or wisdom is highly appreciated. I've been pushing myself to make a post like this for some time, but kept chickening out at the last second.
Thanks!
-Z