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New to old Hobie 14 Turbo
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=51009		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  paragon1970 [ Thu Apr 17, 2014 2:16 pm ]
Post subject:  New to old Hobie 14 Turbo
Just wanted to say Howdy H14 Folks!

I have been hanging around in the Hobie 16 room for a while as I own one of these beauty's , but today I purchased my first Hobie 14 Turbo (ebay UK).
The H14T seems to be pretty rare here in the UK, indeed I have only ever seen two come up for sale in the last three years. So I went for it!
It appears that the hulls have had some work done on them for example one can see that ports have been added.
I confess I did not see the picture that shows the front port but was aware of the rear ones this I was informed was due to a repair to the transoms.
The seller did mention that the hulls were refurbished professionally in 2012.
I only intend to day sail and weigh in at 11st wet (154lb) I mention this as I am of the understanding the H14 can be a little precarious with regards to weight and wot not.

Please find below some pictures, would like to hear your thoughts, Do you envisage any issues or problems?

Image

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Thanks,
SRG
Author:  sunvista [ Fri Apr 18, 2014 7:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New to old Hobie 14 Turbo
At 154 lbs. you may or may not be able to solo right the 14. If not, get a baby bob to improve your angle and leverage. You might want to practice righting in shallow water first. In gusty winds travel out a little bit and keep your weight back. The 14T gives you virtually no warning before it dumps.
Author:  rattle 'n hum [ Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: New to old Hobie 14 Turbo
I wouldn't worry about the ports if the hulls are otherwise solid.

I don't see a jib furler (which is the standard setup, I believe)? Also, you may already know this but, unless you have some other custom rigging, the H-14T does not have a separate forestay (like the H16)......the luff wire in the jib IS the (only) forestay. This means you have to step the mast each time you sail or leave the jib up. (The 14 mast is much lighter than the 16 and can be easily raised solo using the cheater rope method.) With a furler and snorkle (cover), leaving the jib up is a reasonable alternative. (This is what I do most of the time.) There are other, more complicated alternative ways to set it up with a zippered jib luff or a separate forestay, but those would involve additional rigging.

I race a good bit and that gives me my fill of trying to sail as high and low as possible, so I like to fly around on a beam reach when daysailing. A ~10 inch long strip of ~2 inch wide non-skid tape placed along the outer deck lip back by those rear ports will aid that effort if you are inclined to do the same.

Sail the heck out of it, and, if you enjoy it, you'll get your money's worth out of it fairly quickly. Otherwise, it sounds like you can resell it, and the learning experience will not have been too expensive. :)
Author:  John from Tampa [ Fri Apr 18, 2014 5:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New to old Hobie 14 Turbo
What I've learned in the first six months of sailing a 14T is that you must pay attention at all times. I am constantly adjusting the mainsail trim, and moving between the main shroud and the tiller to keep the nose from plowing under. The times I capsized I was unable to right the boat by myself was because I hadn't completely released the main (sheet and traveler). I made my first successful tack only Wednesday - it's a finesse skill that comes with experience. I also recommend you join a club where you can have their support, and store the boat with the mast up. Not having to step and lower the mast saves a lot of time and effort. I have also sailed the wave and getaway - the 14T is an entirely different experience and a much better upper-body workout. Enjoy.
Author:  turbofan [ Sat Apr 19, 2014 5:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: New to old Hobie 14 Turbo
14's are fun boats! I've been sailing them since my teens (late 50's now) and they never get old. They're as noted a little touchy to weight positioning, especially in higher winds. On the trap, I'm often mostly behind the aft cross bar. Still have to watch the lee hull- pitchpole at speed really sucks! At 154, I'd think you'd have little trouble righting her. Definitely do your damnedest to keep from turtling should you flip. I'm around 160 and don't have trouble righting a 14. When I started as a kid, I was 125 or 130 and could with a little patience and finesse!
14's can be a little tricky to tack. Turbo's are an improvement over the unirig. If you master tacking on a 14, the bigger boats are a piece of cake.
One thing I'd check is for front pylon repair or delam in the foredecks- those are a couple things to watch with ports at the front.

Enjoy! Dave
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