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Getting Hooked on The Hobie Thing A Rookie's Story By John Denison I grew up in Michigan sailing C & E scows etc., done some blue water sailing (crewed on 85 footer across Atlantic) but never had even sailed on a catamaran until I bought a used Hobie 16 about 2 months ago. Of course I'd heard about Hobies and their coming about peculiarities and something about pitchpoling. So I got this thing and knowing nothing about rigging etc. got her going with a brew club buddy of mine on Blue Mesa reservoir east of Montrose in western Colo. Struggled a little trying to come about and finally jibed all the way around when I wanted to go that way. Decided maybe I could use a book on the thing because it sure was different than the monohulls I was used to. OK trip #2, I'd studied my book and I knew it all now - letting the jib back to come about, etc. Took a kayaking friend this time and we unloaded the boat on the beach near a nice looking babe out for some sun and proceeded to rig the boom to the sail as the wind was building. Our backs were to the boat and I caught a little movement out of the corner of my eye that turned out to be MY boat 50 yds. off shore and blowing out into the lake rapidly. I ran to the water and jumped in swimming for all I was worth and finally caught the thing. I did have a paddle in the lacing (I WAS a boyscout after all!) and paddled frantically but didn't make much headway until Bob swam out (further for him!) got on and paddled while I sculled with the rudders. We got back and of course the babe on the beach had observed the whole thing with no doubt high amusement, so as soon as we hit the beach I couldn't resist yelling over "Hey, you want to go for a sail with us?" "no thanks" was the reply and she packed up and left because the wind was really starting to pick up. Bob & I got rigged up and had an exciting rest of the day with some serious speed and I knew I was hooked on this Hobie thing. Sail #3 Had the wife and 13yr. old daughter with me this time because I knew I had it all figured out now! Rigged up and got going nicely. A word about this Blue Mesa resv.: the wind is incredibly reliable to be there at 1 to 1:30 pm which I knew from windsurfing, and sure enough it cranked up for us again and I was showing off a little waving under the boom to another Hobie when a gust hit and over we went! Got on the lower hull right away to keep it from going turtle. Everybody was O.K. and wife & daughter had wetsuits on; I of course didn't need one because it was such a nice day! Well, I suffered a little and was surprised at how the thing didn't just pop up with 3 folks pulling the flip lines, but we did get it up and finished with a nice sail back to the beach. Sail #4: I'd now capsized and got it back up, so now I was a veteran! Another kayaking friend (who had never sailed sailed before) was my victim this time (he was visiting from Wash. D.C.). Same beach, etc. visited with some windsurfers as we rigged up, and they were hanging around until the wind cranked up enough. We took off and I whinned about the lack of wind while the sky darkened ominously in the west. Then we started getting wind! We were tacking upwind and I said to Bob (another Bob) "as soon as we see lightening we are heading back" I didn't wait as it started looking pretty bad, and as soon as we came about and started broad reaching back we started seeing the first lightening, fortunately a ways away still. Well, I thought I had gone fast before, but we were really screaming trying to beat the lightening back to the beach. The bows were getting pushed down in the gusts and we were both on the back tramp rail. I knew we were toast and the next thing I knew the starboard bow dove and we were in the water. I looked around to see my port hull broken at a right angle and we were dismasted. No self rescue this time! I fired off one of those little Skyblazer pocket flares I had in my lifejacket and a cruising sail boat came over to see if we were OK. They were having lots of trouble themselves as they still had main & jib up, so they took off. Pretty soon I saw another cruiser heading towards us with just a scrap of jib showing out from his roller furler and main down. I figured that this guy knew what he was doing (unlike those of us in the water!) so I waved, he got his little outboard going, circled around downwind, I threw him my bagged throwline (Boyscout, remember) and he towed us with some difficulty because of the waves back to the beach. Bob & I then got our wetsuits on which were in the van (it was such a nice day when we went out!), because we were shaking so bad, and salvaged the boat. So, now I was down to half a Hobie, but as luck would have it a guy in Denver had his sails ripped off and sold me everything else for $300! I put stuff back together last weekend and am trying to get another sail in before the snow starts flying - I think I'll wear my wetsuit this time. Haven't had the same person go out with me twice yet! John Denison forester@gj.net Back to Features |