Looking for used Hobie 16 - Questions

I'm looking for a used Hobie 16. Probably will be a 80's vintage. I am not experianced and could use some pointers on what to look for. I have been reading thru this forum, and this here are some things that I picked up:

Soft/delaminated hull - do i check just by tapping? How big of an area is acceptable (i.e. how big of an area will GitRot fix?)
rigging hardware - don't know how to check (don't even know how to rigg up).
Sails - if they are not tore up or moldy, are they good?
Trampeze - if it is not tore up, is it good?
What else should I be looking at?

Suppose everything except the hulls needs to be replaced, how much to do this, or should I just pass & find a decent one. What should I expect to pay for an 80's vintage H16? From what I've seen on trader, craigslist, etc., a mid 80's w/ trailer is between $1000 & $1500. Is it cheaper to buy it now (winter), or does this not make much of a difference?

Just to give you an idea of price... I paid just under a grand for an 82 with trailer and decent sails. Tramp was toast, most the rigging was good. I did however, replace a bunch of the lines on it because they were moldy and stuff. Thankfully, my main was in great shape along with all the harken and hobie goodies.

Mine definitely needed some TLC.. I spent a bit on replacement stuff... I bought a brand new hobie mesh tramp, great investment btw...

Here's a good read
http://www.sailingproshop.com/catamaran_guide.aspxpress firmly with the palms of both handsthat's subjective...we could say usabletramp, short for trampoline. Look for rips, grommets pulling out.

Where are you located? More than likely a Hobie Fleet in your area can help you locate a decent boat, and better yet, help you rig and learn how to sail it

_________________
Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

I'm in northern Virginia.

[email protected] He'll have a boat for you or know someone who does in virginia bch.

My 2¢: you want to learn sailing and to enjoy your time on the boat more than fixing it, so find a 16 which doesn't need structural repair nor is missing parts. Look for an older one with all parts intact and ready to sail. Sails are somewhat important since they are the boat's engine and they can be expensive to replace, so you don't want stretched out bed sheets, nor limit yourself to crisp racing one's either.

Parts which are easily and/or somewhat inexpensively replaced include:
- shrouds
- main sheet and jib sheet
- trapeze wires
- main and jib blocks
- trampoline

Parts which can be expensive to replace and difficult to repair include Hobie proprietary parts:
- mast
- tramp frame
- hulls
- rudders and tiller

Contact your nearest Hobie dealer for used boats he may have for sale on consignment. If you bought or are buying a boat from a private party ask the dealer for a safety inspection. A dealer is a valuable source of information.

Properly maintained boats combined with the knowledge and desire to sail safely make for a great experience.

I technically hadn't started looking, when I found mine.. I was just at the thinking about it stage and it came up in conversation and a business associate had it sitting in his backyard.

I wasn't looking to do any hull work, I just wanted to sail.. that said, putting new lines and a new tramp on was nothing... the only other thing I really did was I had to replace the mast base. It was fun to learn how to rivet again, it had been ages since I did airplane riveting. Took like 5 minutes to replace that.