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 Post subject: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Sat May 05, 2018 12:03 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 11:35 am
Posts: 15
First off I just want to say I just joined this forum. Secondly, I’m 44 years old and thankfully sailing Hobies since I was 8 thanks to my dad. I have noticed over the past couple decades taking breaks here and there it has become progressively harder to find good spots here in NorCal to sail freshwater. State parks have limited “native beach launching” causing waiting in lines at boat launch’s and odd stares from onlookers who know nothing about sailing Hobies. It saddens me to usually be the only hobie out on the water when I remember my dad and I going weekly to the few local lakes for fun sails or regattas. In my area Breakawsy regatta was the kick off to an amazing season. This was one of the first “green sports” and now seems dead. Is this because Mr. Alter passed away and his family decided to chase the kayak market and fishing. That’s too bad because it seems to have left the sailing market behind like the dinosaurs that sailed them. Speaking of all those old salts, I really appreciate all their knowledge and kinship as I grew up in this amazing social circle. My only wish would have been is to bring up my 5 kids with these same experiences. I’d love to hear your thoughts of the sport and how you got involved.


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2018 7:53 am 
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Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 5:15 am
Posts: 5
I agree, I an in Miami and the same thing. What happened here?
This has got to be on of most enjoyable hobbies out there .. Well doing my
Part to keep hobie alive down here.


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Sun May 06, 2018 11:50 am 
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Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2014 1:30 pm
Posts: 984
Location: Benicia, CA
Age...the market was there for your Dad (a Baby Boomer, I presume) who wanted a less expensive alternative to family sailing plus a little safe excitement. Now, tho, Baby Boomers are not only old, but have disposable income so can afford more (comfort or speed). In my own case (I am a Baby Boomer), I sold my Getaway (a great boat) mostly because it had colorful sails and graphics all over it as well as a float on the top of it...did not match my self-esteem. So I bought a much more expensive trailerable trimaran.

I don't know why the CA state parks are so difficult to beach sail...it could be the overcrowding in the state, the tree huggers, or any other number of reasons why beach cats are falling out of the market in CA.

I started sailing when I joined the Navy in 1977. Learned on a Rhodes 19 in Hawaii (Pearl Harbor). Crewed for a 30 foot monohull friend in beercan races. Got bit by the multihull bug and bought my first boat in 1998 (F24 mk 2). Sold it in 2010 then junked around with a Triak and Getaway and now own a SeaRail 19.

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R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2018 4:30 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2016 2:04 pm
Posts: 74
Location: Central California
Come on down to Central California, Huntington Lake is great for Hobie sailing, there are usually a couple others out there, barely a powerboat in sight, and there is a great beach you can sail right up to, and the winds are consistently good.

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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2018 4:44 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2012 10:59 am
Posts: 69
Several suspected reasons -

1. bad politics/policy/over-regulation
2. over crowding
3. high cost of living
4. storage issues
5. shift in culture in the USA (esp CA beach culture).
6. the smartphone
7. social media
8. the young dont like to work. Hobie Cats are work - then play.
9. the young dont like long rigging time, rigging problems/riddles.
10. changing demographics

Not Hobie Cat Co. fault - they are following the money. The Kaykas are good kayaks, fun/easy toys...great recreation. The market dictates. Nothing lasts forever. Even good things can come to an end. The price of change, the price of progress?


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Mon May 07, 2018 4:56 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15026
Location: Oceanside, California
Quote:
The Kayaks are good kayaks, fun/easy toys...great recreation.


We sell tons of accessory sails for the Hobie Mirage Kayak line. The Hobie Island series are the most popular small sailboats due to easy rigging, simple to sail. Hobie Wave and Getaways are #1 resort boats World Wide.

We are still a sailing company, just making it easier as people change.

Sailing is not dead!

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


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2018 5:31 am 
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Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 2:53 am
Posts: 24
CaliHobie, why dont you start a facebook page for social Hobie sailors in your area and promote it.
I joined this page https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthEa ... ieSailing/ here in Australia about 3 yrs ago.
This page has allowed like minded Hobie sailors to connect and enjoy their sailing together.
Theres a pinned post each thursday where we might be sailing that weekend and plenty of friendly banter and many new friendships have been made.
Steve

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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2018 7:14 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:21 am
Posts: 351
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Where do you live or want to sail?

I'm in Northern California Napa County, if you post where you are at then maybe the forum can pair you up with local sailors.

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Corkguy H18, Tiger, Wildcat


Last edited by Cork Guy on Wed May 09, 2018 7:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2018 5:15 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 11:35 am
Posts: 15
Thank you all for to input. Yep I know all about rigging one of these older cats can be a chore especially when it’s the beginning of a season or you get a new unfamiliar cat. I’m currently in Auburn Ca and about 20 minutes north of Folsom Lake. Yes, the Facebook page would be great to get new/seasoned old/young people to share. My dad and I frequently reminisce about the 80s and 90s all the regattas and fun sails then wonder who is still around and hitting the water. I had told him a few years back that our friend who owned Inland Sailing, Kirk Jeffries had passed on. He was also commodore of our local Fleet 17. Good times. I hope to see some of you on the water maybe at Folsom, Camanche, Rio Vista or even road trip down to Huntington or heck maybe up to Whiskeytown, another great regatta spot.


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2018 6:53 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3058
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
Yea most of us baby boomers are all older and retired now, (gazillians of us) we are all alive and well in Florida still living the Hobie dream on our Tandem Islands and the Hobie mirage sailing kayaks. I’m handicapped so no way I could handle an h16 these days, but have great fun with my TI. I don’t think I’m alone. Thanks Hobie
FE


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2018 7:57 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:21 am
Posts: 351
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Hello CaliHobie,
You are in the middle fleet 2 country. Last weekend the fleet did a picnic at Lake Natoma.

This weekend there is a Hobie fleet 20 fun sail at Woodward res. Following weekend is the Wet n Wild regatta at Woodward one of the best Northern California camp next to your boat regattas! NOR http://div3.hobieclass.com/wp-content/u ... R-2018.pdf

Weekend after Fleet 2 fun sail at Black Butte (RSVP needed).

First Saturday in June the Delta Ditch Run (Not for beginners IMHO) 70 miles Point Richmond to Stocktonhttp://www.regattanetwork.com/event/15900#_docs or the San Diego Classic.

Additional 2018 Div 3 regattas http://div3.hobieclass.com/regattas/

What size Hobie do you have?

Are you looking to fun sail, race or both???

The Hobie Youth, Ladies, H18 & H20 North Americans are all this summer at Huntington!

The photo below is me sailing the Folsom Camellia Cup March 27 2018
Image

"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." - Mark Twain

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Corkguy H18, Tiger, Wildcat


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Wed May 09, 2018 8:14 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 05, 2018 11:35 am
Posts: 15
Last year we found a great deal on a 200? Hobie 18SX 50 yr anniversary. She’s much faster than the 16s I’ve sailed for the last 30+ years. All those events sounds great so we’ll look at our schedule and hit the site to see when we’ll attend. Thank you!


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 7:50 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 11, 2012 3:07 pm
Posts: 224
I do think Hobie is loosing to NACRA when it comes to sport boats, which reflects their business acumen. The market for personal recreational sail boats is small and the money is in resorts. As Matt expressed the Adventure Island great option for the casual sailor / weekend, good times boat. Its not much of a sail boat. (I owned one for a season) However it is super easy to rig and sail; someone with no sailing experience can have fun on it. The Wave, Getaway and AI hit all the big markets, whats left are the hard core sailors, looking for performance boats, not many of those people to sell boats too. So Hobie and NACRA have split the market.

I've owned 5 different Hobie's and loved them all, but I can Honestly say that the Getaway is a much better fit for a family boat then the 14, 16 17 or 18. I'm not sure you could combine a performance boat with a family boat. The Hobie Getaway is that boat, but once you want to gain real performance, you need to reduce weight, add dagger boards and sail area.

I decided to sell my Getaway this winter and try out a H21SC for a season. If I don't like it I don't know what I'll do. I'd consider a NACRA 5.7 but that still isn't' the perfect boat. Just for fun, Hobie this is the boat you can build for me.

Lets start with the Hobie Pearl / Tiger
- 18 to 20 feet
- Add retractable dagger boards or skeggs
- Fiberglass please
- Remove the boom
- Square top sail
- All aluminium mast
- Front tramp and cooler
- Furling genneker option
- Wings

Basically I want you to reissue the 21SC and add a bit of sail area and ditch the boom.


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Tue May 15, 2018 2:12 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 2:15 pm
Posts: 78
Zombies are 'cool' these days... so I'm fine sailing Zombie boats. :p That said, I agree with the Corkguy/Twain -- these death reports are greatly exaggerated. Sailing as a whole may not have kept pace with population growth, but that leaves a TON of great used boats out there for very modest prices, and box-rule racing keeps infusing newer boats into the purchase pool every year. I also appreciate that Hobie's support of class-racing blunts the arms race to a significant extent, and keeps even more choices in the mix... and I appreciate that the resort community, roto-mold paddlers, and lifestyle buyers are keeping Hobie profitable enough to keep making parts for older boats for us all.

KB, you've nailed the perennial question... how to compromise weight/features/robustness to offer the best balance of speed, capacity, and complexity. There's no single right answer, IMHO... even if we're all willing to build Franken-boats (I am!), each modification affects another strength. If the 21SC doesn't wind up being too much boat-weight for you, you could try a square-top, or look at a 21SE (look terrific to me, but too much boat-weight to easily singlehand/trailer).

I'd love to see the Pearl here stateside, but I need someone else to own it for a decade before it gets into my price range as a water toy. For now, I'm sailing the hulls off my winged 1983 H18 with an older all-aluminum stick, a squaretop Whirlwind main, and cascading downhaul... and trying to make time to sail the 2005 Tiger F18 that recently wound up in my driveway. The best boat for me might be somewhere between them -- Corkguy's H18 with Tiger mainsail, H18 genny, and F18 spin looks pretty great. Sure, the Tiger hulls are faster, but the H18 is a bullet-proof TANK in comparison... and my solo-sailing has meant taking some bumps and grinds on the H18 that scare me a bit for the F18.

I haven't played with the F18 spinnaker yet... but I am looking forward to it! :D That said, another furling foresail for the H18 might be fun, as well. This summer, though, I'm trying to spend more time sailing and less time thinking/tinkering. :p

Randii (bring on the Zombie-cats!)


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 Post subject: Re: Hobie sailing dead?
PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2018 6:33 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:21 am
Posts: 351
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Randii,
I have a furling Hooter / Screacher if you want to give it a try on your H18.

It's a big sail!

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Corkguy H18, Tiger, Wildcat


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