Looking to buy used boat, experienced Hobiers advice needed.

Hey all I am looking to buy a used hobie 16 this year. I have a few questions:
1) what should I look for in used boats that are bad news(bad hulls...etc).
2) I have seen a few boats that I like but the hulls look old/ugly color, can I paint them or do you need to do fiberglass work?
3) Is there anyone who is experienced and I could send a few pictures to of boats im considering and their price etc. Just want to know if Im really getting ripped off or if the things are easily fixable etc...

Thanks in advance for any help.

Here is somthing I found a few years ago when I was looking for a boat. Unfortunately I don't know the source to give proper credit - Good Luck

Hobie 16
Produced from about 1970 on. Large production numbers. Still being manufactured. Class racing is excellent. Boat weights were reduced in 1983 by changing the construction materials. Available in a variety of hull colors. Sails are available in a variety of colors. Mylar sails are now class legal. A comp-tip is required for persons wanting to race. Trampolines are typically made of vinyl.
Items to check on a prospective boat:
· Right and left rear corner castings at trampoline supports often get cracks in them
· Check to see that the mast is straight by sighting up it when the rig is stood. Look up the sail track.
· Rudder cams should be in good working condition. You can test this by locking the rudder in the down position and tapping at the leading edge of the rudder with your foot. The rudder should not release until you give it a solid shot. The rudder should be easily brought in to the up position with the steering mechanism.
· The spring that holds the rudder cam in place when locked down should be in good condition.
· Push on the deck of the hull just in front of the front crossbar. If there is flex in the deck, this is probably not a good boat for you. This area is critical to the boats structure!
· Look underneath the hulls to see if there is a lot of beach wear. If you can see the hull beneath the gelcoat paint, that is okay. If you can see fiberglass coming through the brown hull resin, the boat will need a $300 bottom job soon.
· Check at the back of the boat where the rudders connect to the hull. The metal fastener housings are called gudgeons. If there is cracking around the gudgeons, the boat has probably had some problems when beaching. This can be a severe problem so look carefully at the back of the boat.
· Look for worn wires on the mast. Look at the shrouds (side wires) forestay (front wire) and the trapeze wires for broken strands. Also check the bridle wires (very front, attach to bow) for broken strands. Ask the owner when he replaced the wires last. Most manuals suggest a five year maximum life for wires even if they have not been used.
· Look for broken strands in the halyards (lines that pull up the sails).
· Look at the sails for broken battens (solid pieces of fiberglass) in sail.
· Look for tears in the sails.
· Check the stiffness of the sail material. The newer the material, the stiffer the sail.
· Trampoline condition. Tramp should have no tears or holes.
· Look for areas of discoloration in the hulls. This may indicate a repair of some type.
· Ask if the boat leaks. If so, how much in two hours. A few cups of water are okay, but half a gallon or more is unacceptable.
· Look all around the hulls for gelcoat (paint) cracks. Sometimes this is okay, but if the area around the cracks is soft, walk away and look for another boat! Press on the decks with the palm of your hand and all of your weight.
· Ask the owner of the boat to rig the boat with you the first time to make sure that all of the parts are there. Make sure that you look overhead before you stand the mast to make sure that there are no electrical or telephone wires you may hit. Once you have rigged the boat, actually get on the boat and pretend that you are tacking. Move the sails, the rudders, and anything else you would normally operate when sailing the boat.
· Ask the owner why he is selling the boat. How long has it been on the market? Are you the original owner? When was the last time you were sailing on this boat.
· Ask the owner what model year the boat is. Then go to the back of the boat on the right hull and look on the back of the boat. There will be a hull number that will end something like "M79L". This would indicate that the boat is a 1979 model. Make sure that the title that the owner gives to you has a VIN # (hull #) that matches the number on the boat. Make sure that the person you are speaking to owns the boat. They must own it outright with no "legal owner" listed. If there is a legal owner listed, you must make sure that the lien on the boat has been satisfied. Simply call the lienholder. Make sure that the person selling the boat is the singular owner and that there are not two names listed on the title. If there are two names, then the other person must also sign off and date their interest in the item. To be really sure that this boat is as it appears, contact you local DMV and County Accessors office. Have the Hull numbers for the boat and the VIN # for the trailer ready along with the owners full name and address.
· Taxes and registration. Ask the owner if he has paid his county tax on the boat for the current year. Call DMV and make sure there are no outstanding parking tickets or other citations on the trailer. If the boat and trailer are out of date on registration, it could be very expensive to get the boat and trailer back to current. The certificate of non-operation slips are much more limiting than they used to be so call DMV to confirm you will not have to pay the additional registration fees and back penalties due.
· If the owner no longer has or has misplaced the certificate of title(s), make sure you have them provide you with a "duplicate certificate of title" along with $14 per lost title to cover DMV fees and processing fees. Do not give payment in full for the boat until the title has been cleared with DMV!
· What additional accessories come with the boat? Beach roller, lifejackets, harnesses, wetsuits or sailing gear, spare wires, pins, shackles? Extras are nice, but add no real value to what you should pay for a boat except for a cat box and beach roller. Does the trailer have a spare tire?
· You must also get from the owner a "BILL OF SALE" which is a standard document available at the DMV. A home made version does not do the trick. When you arrive at the DMV with the bill of sale you will be assessed State of California Sales Tax based upon the amount paid for the boat and trailer. You must get separate bills of sale for the boat and trailer showing correct hull and trailer numbers. It is payable at the time of registration.
There are other things to check over and there is no way we can cover them all in this article. If you use this as a fundamental guide and some common sense, you can make a good purchase! Good luck and always wear your lifejacket!
Hobie 16 approximate market values
UPDATED: March 1, 2000
1970-1976- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $500-800
1977-1979- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $700-900
1980-1983- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $750-999
1984-1988- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $800-1300
1989-1993- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $1200-1999
1994-1999- Variable above $1800 but not to exceed $3000.00
take off $200 for boats in less than good condition, then subtract out at retail price the cost of replacing broken or missing gear.

There are alot of really nice older boats out there, many of them in good shape... but there are also alot of rotten eggs out there that will cost you alot of money.

First of all just check and see if the boat looks good, basically see if it has been cared for, because a boat that was cared for is alot more likely to be in good shape than a boat that was treated badly.

One of the things that you have to check for are soft spots or delamination of the outer hull and the foam core. These are easy to identify if you know what to look for. Just press your hands against the hull and see if there is a crunching sound, if it sounds like potato chips run away. The problem is that most sellers won't let you go pushing down on their boat, so be careful, it doesn't take alot of pressure to find a soft spot.
Check for water in the hulls, if there is any...get away. Water will delaminate the hulls quickly! How was it stored, with the bows up... or just setting there, those are important questions.
Look for any signs of repair or damage, this may seem obvious but a repair could mean problem down the road.

Check all the hardware, sails can get expensive fast if they are not in good shape, a replacement pair could easily cost as much as a used boat. The tramp needs to be in good shape but it isn't critical. Check for upgrades like Harken blocks and other hardware, this could mean that the boat was taken better care of. Also they add to the value of the boat. A new set of Harken blocks can run $200 easily so if they are there that really can sweeten the deal.

Ask the owner why he is selling, and watch for cover ups in his story.

Last but not least just go with your gut... if you think something is wrong it probably is. Post some pictures of the boat on here before you buy it and let us have a look at it, we might be able to spot problems early.

_________________
Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

Cool, thanks guys. There is one I like especially but the owner wants 1400 for it. There is a second boat at around 800, which is nice because I could get the sails and a new trampolene in the color I want. I havent seen either yet but if anyone could take a look at their pictures just send me a message. Thanks all.

Remember, no matter what. If the owner can't tell you when the standing rigging was replaced last, or if he can and it was more than a couple of years. Set a couple of hundred bucks aside, and just replace it-- including anchor pins. This will save you trouble down the line.
Our local fleet just put our boats back on the beach and I did the annual "rigging survey". Needless to say a few older boats failed.


If you have an old, bent anchor pin, put it on the ground, hold it with a pair of pliers, and whack it with a hammer. I have broken a few this way right through the threads. Usually they have rust almost half way through. I think the newer pins are macined differently. I've never seen one break from a boat built after about 1990.

It's like changing the oil on your car---a little maintenance goes a long way! Good luck finding a 16. Sailing Hobies is an awesome sport to get into!

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Sail Revolution
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My 85' sixteen didn't take on water hardly at all. It had to spend a significant amount of time on its side, or upside down to take on much water, even then it wasn't much. My 06' takes on water like crazy. Food for thought. I've been told to run a bead of silicone around the pylons, haven't gotten around to it yet.

On my old 14 I took a tube of silicon caulk and put a tiny bead around EVERYTHING that went in and out of the hulls. After that I would hardly have any water in it at the end of the day.

_________________
Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

Hey Karl,
Pressurize it with a vacuum on reverse and duct taped to the open drain plug. Then, get some soapy water apply it all over the hull with a sponge. Find the bubbles and fix as nec...
You can use an air compressor too, BUT it has to be very low pressure, like 1 lbs. it can blow out the seams.
Here at the shop we have a modified drain plug that we attach to the compressor. It just looks "professional". The shop vac will give you the same results.

Here's a super secret trick that the pros use. If you find a leak in the rail let's say. Mix some resin, put the vacuum on suck and it will suck the resin into the crack and fill it. I saw our glass guy use that trick on a leaky dagger board trunk that he couldnt get to for a proper repair without taking the deck off. He uses a vacuum pump so he can regulate the pressure more easily.

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So how many pounds of pressure do you think a 16 hull would take?

I'll give that a try, my local dealer figured it was coming in through the vent tubes. I haven't seen my boats since Oct of last year. I was hoping to dig em out and go for a sail this weekend but now they're talking snow again. I hate Mn. Just when there is light at the end of the tunnel......