charlizesen1 wrote:
....a newer cat fever sail that is in "very good condition".
That’s a good one. Cat fever sail pattern came out in the late 70’s and continued into the early 80’s. So if the boat is a 1980 model year, then likely it is the original sail and is 40 years old.
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The seller is also claiming that the cat has one of the nicer anodized masts.
Nicer than what? All Hobie 16’s (and every Hobie Cat for that matter) have anodized aluminum masts. Some were clear anodized and others black, but they are all anodized. That being said, later Hobies have a fiberglass tip on the top 8 feet (Comptip) and it could be argued that an all-aluminum mast is better than a comptip mast, but either way, all masts are anodized.
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Can someone give me some pointers on what to look for on a cat of this age? Where do I start on an offer, as it seems Hobie 16s are all over the place.
They are all over the place because price is highly dependent on condition and demand. In general, my opinion, unless the boat is immaculate, been in storage for the past 35 years, no 1980 Hobie 16 would be worth more than about $2k. Many of them are worth much less.
First thing to look at is the condition of the hulls. If there are any significant soft spots, just walk away and find something else. Not worth the hassle on a boat that old. Next look at all the other “big ticket” items like sails, mast, boom, trampoline, rudders, trailer. Are they in good condition? If not, what is it going to take to make them serviceable or replace them? Factor that cost into your budget and you’ll know pretty quick if it makes sense to buy the boat.
If the seller is asking $2k and the boat needs a new set of sails, has a broken rudder, and the tramp is on its last legs, you could easily be looking at $4-5k to be up and running - probably not such a good deal at that point.
sm
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