I acquired 4 hobie 18 hulls a few months ago, and In the process of cutting the hull cap off one in order to make it into a trimaran found that there was no foam whatsoever on the hull, or bulkheads. The construction is a very thin sandwich of foam and glass. I also found that the transom was 1/8 in ply, and had been attacked by termites. If anyone is considering buying an 18 you should know that the hulls are very thin, and to check for damage to the transom, which could also be rotted out. There is water intrusion in all the hulls I bought, which could be a reason for all the issues with lighter hulls and soft decks/ soft sides of the bows. The hull cap was built very well and secured with a large amount of putty, which is great.
My plan for the trimaran is to raise the stern 11 ft up 20 inches and install bulkheads, which would give the hull much more rigidity, and have a solid deck across to two hobie 16 hulls on the outside. It will be a power boat for fishing, and have a cab on the front.
Sorry for bringing back an old thread, but it is still very popular for people who want to know The weight carrying capacity of their boat.
Aloha, Kawika
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