Question About Buying a 1984 H16 That Leaks

I am close to buying a 1984 H16 where the current owner reports that the the hulls "take on about a gallon each from humidity during the year." Should I walk away or does this sound "normal?" My H14T leaks a bit too but no where near a gallon! I am just a bit concerned about this before I seal a deal. Everything else looks really good. I am weighing this against a 1988 that takes on about 8 oz on the port hull as reported by the owner but the mast is slightly bent about 1/3 of the way up. Looking for any advise on which way to go and possible explanations for the water issue. Thanks in advance!

Leaks are easy to fix and he said?



Over a year... that is nothing.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

A gallon of water from humidity??

I'd be more concerned about the fact that he only drains / pops the plugs on his hulls one time per year.

Anyway, leaks are not that big of a deal. Usually, they can be found and corrected if needed. The much bigger consideration is the structural condition of the hulls. If they've sat with water in them for the past 30 years, I'd inspect them closely for soft spots/delam.

All else being equal, I'd take the boat with a slightly leaky hull over the one with a bent mast any day. Hull leaks can be fixed. Bent masts are questionable.

sm

gallon of water from the air is that a gallon in each hull or 1/2 gallon seems like a lot of loose moisture
how much does it leak sailing does it sink in a hour or so
Be very careful and check the boat very carefully most H16 leaks are very easy to find there are really only a few places that water can get in
I second the opinion about solid hulls check all the tops and all the sides check the bottom for ware mast boom blocks should be in sailable condition
Never walk or stand on the hulls they are not walkboards
Hope this helps
Former Hobie Admiral Gary

I'd go with the one that takes on less water and find a used/replacement mast.

Of concern to me are the leaks. If there is leakage, and I'm no pro there, doesn't that mean water not only gets to the hollow interior of the hull but if the leakage is from cracks, is there not also water in the foam core of the hull? That likely presnets a whole seperate issue that includes soft spots.

My two cents, and likely not worth even that.

Dido on the warning flag of only draining once per year. That seems hard to believe, but if it is, and the boat is in a freeze area, there could be hidden problems.