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PostPosted: Wed Jun 17, 2015 8:21 pm 
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Hello, I've sailed a Hobie Cat a few times and various boats as a kid, but I've never purchased one. There's a 1984 Hobie 16 in my area that I'm interested in, but I must admit I'm a little nervous about getting a lemon.

I found some info on the forum about what to look for, but wonder if there's anything else;

Quote:
1. Check condition including bottom of hull. Look for dents or deep scratches.
2. Check the Ama knuckles and where they bolt to the hull for corrosion.
3. Check the rivets which hold the Ama arms to the knuckles that they are tight.
4. Check the mast step down the hole for corrosion.
5. Check the mast step top surface, it shouldn't show signs of wear.
6. Check the mast step via the forward hatch that the supports are not loose.
7. Check the sail by unfurling, for damage.
8. Check all sheets (ropes) for signs of wear.
9. Check all fittings are there against the parts lists from Hobie
10. Check that all fittings are well secured. Just grab everything and see if it wobbles.
11. Carefully check the scupper tubes that they have no holes in the sides.
12. Be wary of modifications from standard (unless done by FusionEng 8) .
13. Particular attention to the rudder mounting that it is not loose.
14. Look at the lines from the hull to the rudder. Poor condition may indicate internal problems.
15. Take the craft for a test sail and try everything.
16. On return from the test sail, check how much water is in the hull.
17. Take an acquaintance who knows the model you are looking at. Your location may help.
18. Check new upgraded later model for advantages, including warranty that may outweigh the difference in cost.
19. Above all, trust your gut feel. Why is he selling. Does it seem right. If not walk away.


How do you check the hulls to see if there is water in them? How much is too much?

Here's the boat I'm considering (1984), haven't been to see it yet.
http://comoxvalley.craigslist.ca/boa/5032062846.html
Lots of Pictures https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sifcovqf4a5j ... 0aIla?dl=0



Anything I should be watching for?

Thanks!
Jim


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 2:26 pm 
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Location: Huntsville, AL
That list looks to be from a sailing kayak, like the adventure island, but somewhat relates. As you know, the 16 is quite a different breed.

That particular Craigslist ad isn't very detailed and is asking for top dollar, in my opinion, so it better be pretty crisp at $3500. Maybe the CA market is wildly different than the Southeast and Mideast for sale ads that I'm used to looking at though. Unfortunately, I can't see the pictures from my work computer, so I can't offer specific advise. I'll check on them tonight from home and edit my post.

You should have a sense if it was recently restored and has been recently sailed, or if it's sat for a long time. If it sat for a long time, be prepared to invest $500-$1000 for new Hobie/aftermarket parts. I've restored two 16s... a '76 for $450 and an '84 for $650. I put over a $1000 into each of those to get them up to my standards. Some of that money went into the trailers, which is just as important if you plan on trailering more than a few miles. Both of my restorations hadn't been sailed in 10+ years and although they were complete boats (no missing parts) and most of the equipment was functional, I just don't trust old components over one I know the history of and know that I installed correctly. The sun and weather just destroys things and those old weathered parts will fail in time. For $3500, you should be expecting top notch new/upgraded hardware. I'm selling my restored '76 at $1900 and getting little to no interest as a benchmark.

There should be many threads on these forums on things to check on, below are a few of my thoughts.

Hulls. Visual inspect and press with the palm of your hand to check for any soft spots, especially just in front of the front pylons. Look for waviness along the sides of the hulls. Knock on the hulls to check for any dead "thuds". Check the bottoms for wear. A bottom job sounds scary, but isn't too complicated if you are generally crafty. If there are soft spots, walk away.

Sails. Ad says "newer than boat". Guess that doesn't matter, I would be curious as to why. Check for fading, holes, and general crisp-ness. Inspect the batten pockets, luff rope on the main, all stitching, battens and caps are all there. Ideally, you would hoist all the sails to verify working condition. If the sails are crap. Walk away that price.

Mast. Is it straight, is the halyard there?

Frame. Nothing major here, other than visual conditions. Check if a neoprene or carpet rail kit is installed. I bought another Hobie 16 that sat by the ocean for years and the Aluminum was severely corroded. I scrapped that boat. If there is massive corrosion, walk away.

Trampoline. Unless new within 5-10 years, probably replace. Aftermarket mesh tramps look great and can be had for $200.

Standing Rigging. Check for kinks and frays. Unless new within 5-10 years, will want to replace. A complete set of aftermarket wires can be had for around $150. He says he has a "spare set" of shrouds... unless they're new and unused, who cares... they are probably the old ones before they were replaced. Are any trapeze wires included? Ideally, you'd have a dual trap setup with new bungee and J&H handles at $3500.

Running Rigging. Mainsheet good? New/upgraded blocks to low-profile 6:1 or old Seaway 5:1? Again, at this price, I'd expect a newer low-profile Harken 6:1. Is the jib sheet good? Inspect the jib cars... ideally, they are the newer low profile lift-up-to-release cars. Is there a jib traveler trim system installed?

Rudders. Stock plastic or EPO? I'd expect upgraded EPO rudders at this price. Are they chipped? Are the rudder locks functional? Are the tiller arm connections solid? Is there a tiller extension?

Trailer. Wheels/tires good? Bearings serviced? Rollers good? Lights work? Mast support in good condition?

There's probably more. But that's all I could think of in my head about checking out a used boat.

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Bradley M. Davis - Hobie High Life YouTube Videos
2012 H16 (with 2018 Cayman Main) #115139
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:49 pm 
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Thanks Bradley, that is an awesome answer! I'll make a note of all those points and check them out. About the price, yes I feel it's high too, compared to similar Hobies in Washington going for about $2k and less.
Oh I should say that with our dollar where it is now, this CA$3500 price is US$2800, but still high I think...

It's nicely presented in the pictures, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's not worn.

Thanks again, I'll have to go check it out.
Jim


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 12:31 am 
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Location: Huntsville, AL
I looked at the dropbox pictures and it visually looks like a legit, clean, good condition boat. Personally, I'm not seeing $3500 of Hobie 16 there (again, I don't know that specific market... maybe a good restored Hobie 16 sells all day for $3500 in CA). I'd probably be convinced if he had ALL the upgrades, but I'm just seeing a clean, restored stock '84. No 6:1 main blocks, no 6:1 downhaul, no low profile jib cars and traveler trim kit, no EPO rudders, no modern trap harness, can't tell what trap system is installed. The fresh sails is definitely a nice bonus. Maybe I'm just cheap, but I'd think the $2500-3000 range is the VERY top end for a boat like that, assuming there are none of the issues/warning signs I pointed out. You'd have to shop around for a good feel on "normal" prices in the quality spectrum of used Hobies in your market. Negotiate and see what kind of deal you can get. Good luck with the Hobie search and purchase!

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Bradley M. Davis - Hobie High Life YouTube Videos
2012 H16 (with 2018 Cayman Main) #115139
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:29 am 
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Location: Huntsville, AL
Oh.... Guess I should have researched better. I thought CA was California. Lol. No idea about canada or currency conversion. All my numbers were USD.


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