Might buy a 18.. Few questions

Hi,
Im looking to buy an 18, I want to ask if it is possible to mount wings on a standard 18? Does the standard set from the magnum fit? or does it have holes in the hull like the 21 SC?


Thanks

The wings on the Hobie 18 bolt to the cross beams. So you can retro fit any of them.

You can mount any Hobie 18 wings to any version of the Hobie 18, you just need the mounting hardware which is out of production... so make sure any wings you get come with the mounting hardware. Also, wings can be a little difficult to find, but there's always a pair or two somewhere that someone is selling. If you can find a boat that already has them mounted, all the better!

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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 your replies.
The problem is that there are very few boats for sale in Denmark, but I have found 2 defect ones that can be assembled into one.

Oh boy! Well the Hobie 18 is a great boat, and if you can get the hulls, mast & crossbars from the two boats in question, everything else is still available for replacement parts (though to build a boat from parts alone would get very expensive!)

I'm not sure about availability of wings in Denmark. There's usually a pair or two that can be found for sale in the US (right now there's a pair for sale in Texas for $750, as far as I've seen), but usually they're local pickup only. Due to their size, shipping them would be both a hassle and extremely expensive, so rarely do people ship them... they usually look in their area for a set.

But hey, best of luck with assembling a boat together from the two! It shouldn't be too difficult, so long as you've got at least one good set of parts. Let us know if you have any questions along the way!

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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

Also worth keeping in mind that the 18 without wings is still a lot of fun to sail (many would argue more fun). For surf sailing, I would definitely skip the wings. With or without wings, the 18 is a great boat.

sm

Thanks a lot for the replies, this is how I remember being part of the Hobie community back in the 80íes. Im still a little doubtful which cat I should get, I always loved the 18 but never owned one.

I was actually decided on a 17 since there is one for sale over here but reading through the forum here I get the feeling that it might be too fragile, I dont know if you guys have any experience with that?. One guy who sails in heavy seas says that he changes his front crossbars every year. That seem to be unacceptable bad quality to me.

I have had a 16, Tiger and 21, especially the 16 and 21 seemed to be almost indestructible to me and I am looking for a boat with some ruggedness. Which is why I might not buy the 17 and go towards restoring two 18 into one that works.

I believe the 17 is built lighter to be more of a racer, and isn't as indestructible as the 18 by a long shot, but I don't believe that under normal use & sailing you should need to worry about the integrity of the hulls or crossbars. Replacing a crossbar every year seems excessive to me, unless they had an unusually severe problem with corrosion. I've seen a few well maintained 17's sailing on the Great Lakes, and they seemed like pretty solid boats to me. I would think the 17 would certainly be no more "fragile" than a Hobie tiger, but probably somewhere between a Tiger and a 16 in terms of durability. Perhaps someone who's owned/sailed on can chime in?

As srm said, The Hobie 18 is a blast even without wings. I have a set, but I have yet to mount them to the boat, because I've gotten used to sailing the boat and how it handles without them. I like to push the boat hard, and I feel like sailing with wings is a little bit like sailing with training wheels... you've got to be careful not to dig in the leeward wing, and probably would want to avoid pushing it, for fear of falling into the opposite wing in a capsize. That said, there are definitely times that the added room and comfort of the wings would certainly be welcome! It just seems to be a completely different style of sailing the Hobie 18.

I can't imagine you'd be disappointed with either choice really, cat sailing is a blast either way! The Hobie 18 is better suited to you if you're a little heavier, sailing in the surf and/or want to sail with crew, the 17 is better for single handed sailing.

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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

I think you´re spot on and I have decide to pursue the 18 restoration project, I have to go to Germany for one boat and to the other end of Denmark for the second. But its going to be worth it I´m sure, I have really missed the spirit of the Hobie community it is not as "whole" in Europe as in the US nevertheless its quite cool and laid back. I sailed the Worlds in Pensacola back in 84 as a teenager and that Hobie event was outstanding but I think that was the glory days of Hobie too. I have had a Tiger and a 21 since the 80íes, the Tiger died in a storm on the beach and the 21 I have regretted selling for a long time.

At the moment I´m involved in a quite serious Starboat team, which is one of the reasons I want wings for comfort, there is enough monkeying around on that boat for a lifetime. Also, I expect to singlehand it quite a lot so getting the carcass as far leeward as possible is probably not a bad idea.

I really appreciate all your help and good advice and look very much forward to picking up these boats in the following weeks.

/cheers

For wing-mounting hardware, call Murrays Marine in CA, they've always helped me out.

Enjoy your 18!

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Troy Szabo
Hobie Tiger, Getaway and Wave
Fleet 2
https://hobie-fleet2.com/

Might be because Im not native english however the mounting hardware is that tools for mounting the wings or are you alright if you have one boat with wings and just move them to another? (special tools)?

Mounting hardware is the bits that connect the wings to the H18

No special tools are required

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H18 Newbie, Too heavy for the 14

If you can find them the SX wings are the way to go. They extend further aft, which improves downwind sailing. The extension also makes solo sailing easier, as you can sit further aft, allowing you to easily use your feet to steer the boat while your hands handle the sheets.

For 2up (2 man crew) sailing I would guess the wingless boat would be faster in most conditions. For solo sailing it is hard to beat flying a hull while trapped out off the wing.

When flying a hull unnecessarily high the leeward wing will drag, slowing you down even more. Under ideal heeling conditions the wings stay clear of most waves. Steeper waves, like surf and wakes from large power boats will hit the wings. Although it can be a bit of a drag, it is not a huge deal.

As far as capsizing while on the wing, it can be quite scary. Without the wings you can fall 5' onto the boom, or 9' into the lake. With the wings the boom is 7' down and the water is 11' down with the other wing just below the surface. If I am out on the wing I always try climb over and bail towards the dagger board side. That said, wings are worth it. Wings make the boat more comfortable, spacious and add a level of excitement when trapped out.