New Hobie 16 Sailor

Hello Hobie World,

I just bought a Hobie 16 (I believe its a 70s era) that has been sitting in someone's backyard for 20+ years, he had to cut trees down in order to pull it out...with a chainsaw. I have some experience sailing but mostly on mono hulls (lasers and sunfishes). After a quick inspection the hull does not seem to be delaminated and is in pretty good condition. He told me that I have everything I need, but being new to Hobie cats, I do not know. I want to replace any of the rigging that is rope since it is dry rotted from being outside for 20 years. The tramp is dry rotted as well but seems that it will hold me for a couple of trips out before I replace it. There is a line kit from "West Coast Sailing" (https://westcoastsailing.net/hobie-16-line-kit/) for $110. This does not include the main halyard (I do not have a comptip). I had a couple of questions if anyone can help me. I don't want to put a lot of money into it at the moment since I want to make sure it floats and want to prioritize the things that have to be fixed first.

Does this line kit have everything that I need to get on the water to test it out?
Is there another one that I should be looking at instead?
Do I need to get the main halyard line kit along with it?
Is there something else that needs to be replaced to make it safe for a test drive?

If everything goes according to plan:
What would you focus your money on to get it back to its glory?

Thank You in advanced

On the page you show, the main halyard and jib halyard are options you select. The package is then adjusted along with the price. It does appear to be a complete kit.

Given that you are new, I would suggest you will have a much more success by picking up the phone and calling the dealer to ask your questions. Hobie dealers are in affect subject matter experts on the boats and by picking up the phone you tap into that expertise. Shopping on the internet is fine if you know exactly what you want but in this case you need advise.

If you are nearby West Coast Sailing or any Hobie dealer, why not ask the dealer if they would be willing to go over the entire boat with you in person. Then you can assemble a complete list of items needed.

Thank you! I don’t know why I didn’t think about finding a dealer around me to talk to. Great idea thanks!

Don't mean to sound harsh, but you need to do some serious evaluation before going any further down this road. I would not take the boat you describe for "free" (no such thing really).

The standing rigging (shrouds, forestay, bridles) are probably shot. You need to get the rudders working (see FAQ/Hobie Support pages). Trailer condition? How certain are you regarding the condition of the hulls? If they're even beginning to go bad, the rest will all be for naught. And if you have reservations that it will float, I'd test that first.

You will be spending a lot of cash, time, and effort to move this thing back toward it's "glory," but it's unlikely you will ever get there....it's 40+ years old and probably heavy as heck. Always nice to see older boats resurrected, but in many cases it would have been wiser to spend more up front on (and on new parts for) a better, newer one.

If nothing else, post your location in your signature, and try to find some knowledgeable, in-person help near you.

_________________
Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16