well boys and girls---i bought a 14 foot Hobie Cat today and according to the vin that is etched into the back of the cat it is a 1983......
this was definitely an impulse buy--i moved to florida about a year ago and have been watching these boats ever since----i have been looking in papers and on ebay to get a look at pricing and sizes---that is about it....anyway i was driving to the beach today and there was the boat for sale---asking price $495 with a trailer(new tires, but may need new axle due to serious rust).........anyway i call up the number and a lady in her 40-50's tells me great to learn on, she bought 3 years ago, and it sat last year. I took a look at the sail and it looks in good shape-no tears or signs of fading. Tramp is black and no tears or fading either, but i am just hoping that it is not dried out and ready to rip at the seems where it is connected to the hulls, she said she purchased a new jib or something like that....Hulls do have some patchwork, but i figured that if any problems with leaking or what not would probably be an easy fix......THAT WAS BEFORE DOING RESEARCH LIKE I ALWAYS DO BEFORE A PURCHASE!!!!!!!!! So after looking through this forum i noticed that i should have been looking for soft spots----i am assuming that this is the area that pushed down like it was hollow underneath while i was washing it this afternoon after paying this sweet old lady $440!!! After washing i picked up the front of the trailer to push around to the back of my house and noticed the refreshing sound of water swishing from front to back inside at least one of the hulls....also after further inspection while washing, i noticed that there is some small cracking on the top sides of the hulls where you would stand (area with grip in the middles).....did i just purchase a lemon or am i just freakin out cause i didn't go about purchasing this thing like i would normally and therefore don't have a clue what i am talking about???? Any advice on what to look at and LOOK FOR would be appreciated......Also, how easy is it to find a replacement axle for one of these trailers???? I am wondering if this is gonna be another handyman project----not what i had intended, but since i finished with the polishing of the motorcycle frame and the tile that i have been working on in the house will be done sometime within the next 6 months i guess maybe i will need something else to piss me off!!! thanks for any help!!!
|