New to Hobie Cat's - Bunch of questions

Hello, new to these forums, picked up a used hobie 16 last year. I live on a lake approximately 8km long with many islands and about 2/3 of the lake is a wide open area. My experience is limited to 2 trips to the Caribbean and using Hobie Waves at the resort.

1. I plan on anchoring my cat near my dock where it can rotate 360 degrees depending on the wind. Is it ok (or advisable) to leave the sail up for the Summer (July-Aug)?

2. The Hobie Wave that I used previously only had the horizontal bar for steering. My cat has an extension stick, that allows me to steer from almost anywhere on the trampoline. I removed mine as I felt it got in the way when I had to switch sides to change direction (is there a word for this maneuver?). Is this only personal choice or are there reasons for me to reattach this bar.

3. I had drained the water from the pontoons in the Fall (at least I thought I did), but found that there was water still in them. Should these be empty of water when using the cat.

I'll start with that, thanks in advance for answers.

See what others say as well:

1. Hobie's are not designed to be 'parked' in the lake/river/ocean. They will degrade and leak. Pull the boat up on the beach, moor it on land. Store it on the dock. Build a boat lift. Do a search of this topic on this Forum. And when it is moored, make sure it is tied down just in case a strong wind comes up.....so it won't blow over and get damaged.

2. You are referring to a a Tiller Bar extension. They are extremely useful when you hike out or when you move to the front cross bar. Try it, you might like it. You will find that the H16 is particularly sensitive to 'boat trim'. That is, the fore or aft placement of your body weight. We move around a great deal when we are sailing, depending on the conditions.

3. Never store the Hobie with the plugs 'secured and tightened' in the hulls, leave them loose and let the hulls 'breathe'. Also, after you've sailed, drain the Hobie. This is critical for winter storage if you live in an area subject to frost or snow.

Hope this helps - have fun out there, and keep safe.

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

Hi!

Enjoy your Hobie 16.

Don't leave it moored on the lake, its designed to bee kept on land when not in use. Either get cat trax to help pulling it out and moving it about, or make a slipway if you are able to and its allowed.

Definitely remove the sail after each use. Leaving it on the boat will mean it is subjected to sun, wind and rain 24/7 and your sail will be destroyed in no time.

The rudder extension pole allows you to steer from further forward and this will be necessary depending on te wind conditions. You will also need it to steer when you get around to trapezing.

To get a really good idea on learning about Hobie 16 sailing, I'd suggest watching these Joyrider TV videos. They explain the techniques, and how the different parts of the boat work. They are also fun, and will give you plenty of encouragement! The guys accent may seem a little strange at first but I'm sure you will get used to it LOL.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... N5EzhciXa5

I have recently bought a Hobie too, and TBH I'm simply giving you the same advice I got from friends at the sailing club. Its really worked for me.

JEZ!

Adding to what others have said-

1) Best not to store your boat on a mooring. Search this forum about it, you will find several reasons why this is a bad idea. Leaving the sails up all summer on the mooring- that would be a really bad idea. One strong gust and your boat is likely to capsize, drag its mooring, or otherwise cause damage to itself or other nearby boats/objects.

2) You should learn to sail with the hiking stick. The main problem with not using it (even if you don’t trapeze) is that you will be locked in to sitting at the back of the boat. This is a bad place to sit in most conditions because you will be dragging the sterns which is really inefficient. Being able to sit just a few in front of the rear crossbar will make the boat handle and sail better.

3) You should drain the water out of the hulls after each time you sail, and if you let the boat sit a while, drain it again before you sail. Small leaks in the pylons and other fittings can allow water to accumulate over time. You want the hulls to be as empty as possible while sailing. If you are getting more than about a half gallon of water in the hulls after a sail, you need to try to find and fix the leaks.

sm

If @srm wanted to leave the sail up, maybe it is because the mainsail is a pain to hoist...
This article may be of help.
https://www.hobie.com/articles/sail-hoisting-and-halyard-locks,89/

My own "solution" would be to use a sail cover, on the lowered sail, with the cat either on the beach, or, sparingly, overnight on water. Probably just any tarp will do.
Opinions?

Thanks everybody

I'm shocked that I can't leave the cat in the water for the summer. I'll have to figure something out, but my only beach (not really a beach, but a roadway along the water's edge with a low hydro wire) would also require me to lower the mast each time, and that is not for the faint of heart.

The challenge with hoisting the sail each time is that it is a 2 person job and I hate asking for help all the time. But I do understand about the effects of sun, rain, wind 24/7 on a fully exposed sail. I did read the article by @TwoTailDog and will head its advice.

I'm having a blast with it so far, I'm near Ottawa, sort of between Toronto and Montreal and we've had no (or very little) wind over the last 2 months. Hoping for more blustery conditions.

No one here said that you “can’t” leave your boat in the water. However everyone advised that it is not a good idea to do so. Certainly others have done this, but in the long run, it will cause damage your boat. The hulls will absorb water and the rigging will take a beating from constant motion.



With proper technique, preparation, and some practice, raising the sails can be done solo. With poor technique, it can be difficult, even with two people.

Leaving the sails up 24/7 is a bad idea not just because of the environmental degradation on the sails themselves, but because one errant gust could easily cause the boat to become “powered up” causing damage to you boat or anything else near it. It would essentially be like leaving your car sitting in the driveway 24/7 with the engine running and the transmission in gear.

sm

Where are you in Ottawa?
We sail out of Nepean SC, and we have friends at Lac Deschenes SC, Kanata SC and the Gatineau Club.
You are welcome to join us or visit with us any time.

The lack of wind has been awful.

We race Cats + Skiffs every Weds at 6.00 pm out of Nepean.

cheers

_________________
2015 H16, with spin,
SOLD 1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947 "In Theory..."
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

Fibreglass osmosis is the issue. Here's a pic of an extreme case on a yacht hull.



This wouldn't happen to your Hobie 16 straight away; but over time the water seeping into the fibreglass and becoming lodged under the gelcoat does create serious trouble. Its fixable -but alot of work! I bet its easier to find a way of hoisting and dropping the mast than it is to sort out the blisters...

Can you install a boat lift in the shallows and lift the boat out of the water? That protects the gelcoat from water absorption and the standing rigging from banging around.
It absolutely should not be a 2 person job to raise your sail. Look in the Hobie 16 forum for a couple of threads on that very topic.

_________________
Yet another Bob!
"Firefly" - 2012 Hobie Getaway with wings and spinnaker
"Sparky" - 1978 Sunfish (OK, it's not a Hobie, but it's a fun little craft)
Too many canoes and kayaks

Carpet placed under pontoons will keep it from scratching hulls when you beach it..