Whad'ya Think?

Hi,
I bought a '93 Hobie 14T this past Spring in great shape, and we had a blast with it. We just had it out again last Sunday on an unusually warm (& windy!) day here in Michigan. We sailed it on Lake Michigan, Grand Traverse Bay, and on inland lakes. It was our first catamaran, and I wanted to start small. But I realize that with two adults on board we really sit pretty low when the speed picks up, and when we jibe, the aft end of the tramp goes under the water. My crew/passengers must be constantly shifting around. I am sure it's a terrific solo boat, but sailing all alone does not really appeal to me.

There is a Hobie 16 for sale pretty cheap on Craigslist. Here is the link: http://annarbor.craigslist.org/boa/451576071.html

The owner says he thinks everything is solid, but it's been stored outside (under apple trees) for the past 3 or 4 years. A trip out to look at this boat would be over an hour's drive. There's no way to know, of course, but am I probably going to waste my time going out to look at this? Is it likely to need a new tramp and have soft hulls? It looks like an '81 or '82 based on the sail pattern.

Whad'ya Think??

I'd say for $700 bucks you can't go wrong.

If you get there and theres a little delam or something work done the $. Most of the stuff is an easy fix.

thats my $0.02 worth.

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Division 10, Fleet 185
Hobie 17 and Hobie 14

Hey, a hour drive is nothing- I went WAAAYYYYY farther to get my '86 H16!! The sails are nice looking- looks like the beautiful "Cat Fever" pattern which I prefer over "Tequila Sunrise". Mast will likely be pre-comptip. That blue on the hull likely means it was "repainted" so take a lot of time checking out the hull. Looks like trailer and boat have registration so should be easy, relatively safe transfer if there are titles too.

Although he says new tires and wheels, I'd take a small jack, lift the trailer, and spin the wheels to make sure the wheel bearings will make the trip home. He doesn't say anything about the trailer lights- most don't work but can be easily fixed, but looks like a galvanized trailer in good shape.

Bottom line, I'd go for it.

The seller removed the ad. Did you get it? We bought a 1981 H16 and LOVE IT!!! Got it for $500, replaced the rigging and tramp and have been having a blast with it.
Cat Fever is a 1981 color according to the chart. This is ours!!

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S

Very nice. The boat looks good, too.

We didn't get the 16 here . . . someone else bought it. Stick with the 14 for now.

Half the fun is the thrill of the hunt! Keep looking!

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1981 H16.
1993 Macgregor 26S