Help a noob buy a boat

Thanks for reading this. I'm finally ready to buy a cat and think I found something in my price range. The boat I'm looking at can be seen here.
Hobie 16 for sale

I've done a fair bit of research and went to inspect the boat yesterday. I molested the hulls and found no soft-spots or gouges in the keel area. However I read I should wrestle with the tramp a little and see if they feel solid along with looking for damage near front pylons. Well everything felt really solid, no wiggle (I'm no strongman though). I did, however find some small cracks but have no reference point for how serious these are.

The front hull on right side had this crack located just ahead of the pylon, you know, where every post says look here first!


Slightly different angle.


Please see business card for scale. This is the back side of the same pylon.




Finally check out the rear pylon also on the right side.




There were no visible signs of damage on the left hull which the owner admitted had been replaced along the way. While I realize that any crack may be a red flag, everything else seems solid and like I said, it's in my price range and the owner seems firm at $1000. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
--Brynn

the cracks in the photo look like just a little gell coat crack, not bad, what do the bottoms of the hulls look like? Are there any soft spots on the top of the hulls? The sails are tequila sunrise. Looks like it would be a good buy at 1000 bucks.

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Bodhisatfa

i like the republic rc-3 "seabee" in the background!what lake is that? a

I guess that's two for and one against. I posted the same question on catsailor and one person thought just normal gel coat crack and one vote for possible concern, at least for the inch long crack in the front pylon area. The rest of the hulls look good and feel solid, although not perfectly smooth and shiny, I think it was repainted at some point without being properly prepped.

I like the boat and am ready to purchase it except for all the warnings I read online about looking in the front pylon area. I saw the crack but just don't know if it's cause for concern or not. I guess another question would be; If it turns into something more, how hard is the repair?

Nice eye on the plane, I can barely tell a Piper from a Cessna, the seller is an aircraft mechanic.

--Brynn

Brynn

I believe this to be a "loose shoe" problem, that I've seen in two 1981 boats. This problem is associated with the front pylon, but happens where the pylons' base (set in a foam block) attaches near the keel line of the hull. Or (hence the problem) it becomes un-attached, allowing the plyon to press inward, under load, and crack the inside of the hull. Look down low on the inside of this hull for a horizontal crack in the hull, lined up directly below the front pylon.

If a loose shoe is not present, make the vote 3 to 1. Little stress cracks in gelcoat pose no problem.

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

Bryan,

The fractures look like gel coat.

I used to build boats, anything can be repaired, its just whether you want to go to the trouble.

Virtually every older boat I have seen you could find cracks on them if you looked hard enough.

for a grand you could hardly go wrong, even if it needs some work.

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Dale Guthormsen

Where to be, On the Edge
2008 hobie 16

looks like nothing but usual hobie gel coat crack
If you want to feel better get some Git Rot and try to put some in the crack
None will probably get in
I would take it out in the ocean on a rough day and drive it hard with no worry
Gary

Alright, you convinced me. The first boat I have ever owned is sitting in the driveway. Now what?

I got a copy of Catamaran Sailing From Start to Finish but could use more detail on the setup. I guess the first step would be take the Hobie assembly manual and rig the thing in the driveway.

Anybody in Tucson want to go sailing?

Brynn,


congrats on the new boat!! the tucson river is a bit to shallow to use, eh? I have family in tucson (wife's parents) but we have a lot more water up here in canada (1/7th worlds fresh water) os sail on up!!

Joking aside, you will have a blast. If you would like I will send you the hobie video tape on setting up.


dale

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Dale Guthormsen

Where to be, On the Edge
2008 hobie 16

We'll see who's asking to stay at whose house come November when the water is starting to cool off down here and you're retrofitting the hulls with ice skates.

Thank you very much for the offer on the video tape but I don't have a VCR anymore. I can just buy the one from Hobie if it's worth it. I don't mind suffering through the assembly manual and spending several hours figuring it out the first time but if it explains things like why to make certain adjustments and how taught is taught (do I need to really lean into it, or just get rid of slack) for the forestay then I will order a copy today. Thanks.

--Brynn

I had my first Hobie Cat sailing experience yesterday. That was only my second lifetime sailing experience if you count the two-hour booze cruise I took several years ago. Made for quite a day (at least that’s what I was told when I got home; ‘you look like you’ve had quite a day”).

Drive to lake was uneventful, that was a good sign. My friend (zero sailing experience) and me (zero sailing experience, know what I’ve read) began rigging. We had gotten as far as the mast up and the forestay attached the previous day in my driveway before the wind made us rethink just how far we could get. The whole exercise took some time with my truck battery being the first casualty of the day going dead as we listened to the stereo in the make-ready area. A quick jump start later and we were “ready” and went to actually see the boat float for the first time.

Now I knew not to raise anything until we were in the water but I thought we would be okay to connect the sails to their respective halyards before launch, plus the boat was more or less facing into the wind while on the trailer. Apparently I was way off as a gust of swirling wind took the jib for a ride, giving it a good flogging and breaking the jib hank in the process. No problem since the guy I bought the boat off of included several spare parts (which definitely added to the confusion of the previous day’s test rigging). A short time later the jib was back in business but not before another swirling gust took the main and the boom flying off of the tramp. Back to the parts bin for a leech batten tip, the third casualty of the day.

This led me to the conclusion that maybe on the coast, with a nice consistent offshore wind, you can getaway with this but in Arizona, nothing must be connected until out in the water and then once connected raised and locked in as quickly as possible. Of course this conclusion probably somewhat led to the forth casualty of the day, a broken halyard cleat, I thought these things would be tougher but she is an old boat. I also learned that no one rigging guide, and I have read several, including the assembly manual, included all the steps in the proper way. Oh well, I now know that that thingy (cheek block) has a purpose and along with the knowledge that the halyard should have a block on it as well, I shouldn’t be breaking any more cleats.

Well at some point the main was up (sort of) and we were sailing (also sort of). Speaking of raising the main; there is that stopper thingy on the halyard and I realize that locks the halyard in place, but what of the “other” slug about 18” above it. Initially it was inside the luff track and I thought maybe that helps guide the halyard but when I lowered the sail it stayed on the outside and now I don’t know what it does or which way is correct. Tell you what, even with my half-assed, sort-of sailing, every now and then that thing took off and I was grinning from ear to ear.

Things went pretty well, even making several tacks (I seem much better at making tacks than jibes and was content to do so since we had blown half way across the lake trying to get the sails up), until my first capsize. I was glad it happened for three reasons. One, I learned when the hull flies and you’re not cool with that, turn into the wind, not away from, maybe that’s where “falling off” came from. 2. I am confident I can right a Hobie, at least with two people. And last but not least, seeing my friend cling to the boat and asking me “Did you happen to read the chapter in your book about what to do when this happens?” was priceless. I had read that chapter.

After a good while learning, we made it back to the launch ramp area where we decided to do one more victory lap (because now we had the hang of it). Well just like going for one more run at the ski resort is a bad idea, so was this. We didn’t make it too terrible far (100 yards) before a rapidly swinging boom (maybe in the middle of a gibe, don’t really remember) got me in the head and knocked me overboard. Of course my trusty boat, not wanting to leave its rookie skipper behind, had the wherewithal to loop the mainsheet around my ankle and drag me along with it until some helpful weather helm and not so helpful crew slowed the boat enough for me to free myself and get back on the boat. He explained he would have been more useful had I not taken the tiller with me (fifth casualty, not counting myself). I don’t remember that and apparently they don’t float so I guess I will be upgrading parts sooner that I thought.

Since hadn’t made it too far from the ramp it was a short limp back and since we now new better than to mess with the sails we lowered them both long before we got close to anything. Maybe a little too soon since we had to swim it in to the dock.

All and all a very successful day where I learned a ton and now have a frame of reference for all my hours of reading.

Also can someone tell me if it’s normal for the jib battens to hang-up on the mast during most of the tacks? Did I just not have the jib leech tight enough?

Thanks for the info people have given me to get this far.

WOW first of all try to find some one with experience to help the next time. Second yes the jib battens will hit the mast as it come through,on that note pay attention to the batten ties on the jib as they could untie and the batten will come out and or punch through the luff of the jib.

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Bodhisatfa

Sounds like someone should have had a camera! I would love to have seen that! Things will gradually get easier for you. I am guessing you have an all metal mast the second stopper is for reefing the main sail! chances are you won't be doing that! Do you have access to a beach? it would be much easier to launch from?

Hey, there is a Hobie guy in Tucson that is one of the leaders down there and maybe you can contact him for some help with proper set up and maybe get involved in some of the social/sailing stuff going on in the Southern AZ area. Tony Krauss [email protected]
He's a good guy and can help you get moving a little faster than trying to learn all this on your own.
cw

Thanks again for all the info. I will contact the local fleet and see what they are up to. I'm sure that would help but learning is half the fun and I figure the worst that could happen is I end up swimming a mile or two, not the end of the world.

Why is launching off a beach easier? Because I can just pick the boat up and turn it into the wind while I rig it? I guess I'm just use to the whole power boat thing where you hit the boat ramp and take off.

I will double check all the batten ties for next time, I was just sure I had set something up wrong since the jib was catching every time.

Yes, I have an all metal mast. So the second stopper is for reefing and does not belong inside the luff track.