17 vs 14T

I currently have a 14T, if I was looking at another 1 man boat is the 17 worth getting into or should I just stick with what I have. What are the pluses and minuses.
Thanks

The 17 Sport with jib will badly smoke the 14 turbo. Might be hard to find a really good one, though.

The Hobie 17 is an AWESOME boat and so much more powerful that the Hobie 14. DO IT!!

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

Do the 17's have any common problems that one should look out for?

Not really, but they are low volume boats. I think the recommended weight is only about 175 pounds, so if you're a big guy or plan on sailing with crew, the rear of the hulls tend to submerge.

The entry tubes for the wings can be easily damaged if they're not inserted all the way. The center of the tubes weren't designed to take any load. I've recently fixed one that had damage to those tubes. Just make sure the hulls aren't taking on water and you're probably fine.

The original 17 "Singleman" was best with 185 to 200+ pounds of crew. The Sport was created as a couples / famlies extension of the design. For single handed sailing... the 17 is hard to beat if you are in the weight range.

It has a wide range of performance from light winds to heavy.

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

I've sailed the 17 for a number of years and just started sailing the 14 a little bit this year. I'm 6'-3" a little over 200 lbs.

The 14 is actually a pretty fun boat in a lot of ways. Very simple design that is quick to rig and easy to move around on shore. It is also a lot of fun when the wind is up because the boat is pretty much always on the edge of capsizing one way or the other. When you're out on the wire, it feels pretty much just like any other Hobie - fun to fly a hull. On a powered up beam reach it may not be as fast as other boats, but it still feels fast - the "go kart" factor. I find that racing is not nearly as much fun as bigger boats. It's very tough to get in the groove upwind and downwind is a parade. Lighter sailors definitely have an advantage as well.

The 17 is a great boat. It has a much more powerful rig than the 14 which means you will get out on the wire sooner. It is also quite a bit faster than tbe 14 on all points of sail. It is a pretty simple design as well and really doesn't take too long to rig either. If you keep the rudders on the boat, you could probably be fully rigged in about 20 to 25 minutes. Optimum weight for the 17 is about 170 to 180 lbs but the boat can handle more weight than that including a crew if you're fun sailing. The 17 is not as beach friendly as the 14 because of the centerboards you want to avoid dragging it over sand or pebbles because these will jam the centerboards. Its also about 100 lbs heavier than the 14, so beach wheels are pretty much mandatory.

Inspecting the 17, the main things to look for are: soft spots on the hulls. Cracks on the inside of the hull starting around the front crossbar and running forward towards the bow. Cracks in the front and rear crossbars. These can occur at the hole for the mast step. They can also form at the rivets near the inboard side of the hulls under the crossbar and wrap around the bottom of the crossbar. Corrosion holes in the aluminum wing tubing. Leaks in the wing sockets in the hulls. Broken hooks on the centerboards or excessive wear on the leading edge of the centerboards. Delamination of the mylar sailcloth on older sails.

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