smackdaddy wrote: Hey all,
I was referred here by eric_e over at Sailing Anarchy. Anyone know what this thing I just bought is?
The PO said it's a Hobie, but the hulls don't quite look Hobie-esque to me. I looked at pics of 70s-80s AMFs, Prindles, etc. - and nothing exactly like it...although the Prindles come close (except for the tramp pylons).
I'm keeping the mustard yellow and rainbow stripes though. Seriously pimpin'. I just need to find me some neoprene bellbottoms.
Thanks.Edited by smackdaddy on Jun 12, 2012 - 07:23 PM.
The bows scream Prindle to me, I think I have seen one of those before. I thought it was a Prindle at the time but later learned Prindles did not have the raised tramp. It almost looks like a stretched P16 hulls with rocker removed. The Prindle sterns do not have that flat bottom and the casting are not Prindle.
Okay, just what the hell is this thing?
The hulls just don't seem to have that rocker and roundness of the Hobie 16. They look maybe a bit more like a Hobie 18, or a lot more like Prindle (but not quite).
But then the hulls have the pylons for the tramp frame like the Hobie 16 (and unlike the Prindle or 18) - but the tramp frame doesn't have that camber on the forward edge like the Hobie 16.
And the rudder/tiller assembly looks different (i.e. - no kickdown/lock at the tiller connection) than a Hobie.
I've also searched other boats like Chrylsers, AMFs, etc. Nothing similar that I've found.
I'm going to pick it up this week so I'll look for markings on the hull. But this one sure looks interesting.
Edited by smackdaddy on Jun 15, 2012 - 02:35 PM.
Interesting...looks like another one of these was posted in the photo section:
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=79798
smackdaddy wrote: Interesting...looks like another one of these was posted in the photo section:
Yep, I'd say that is the same boat, and it wasn't ever identified either.
Decks sure look Hobie-ish.
Maybe a prototype?
How long is it?
googling around the rudders do look very prindle
apparently geoff prindle and friends sailed a prototype prindle 16 around a for a year in 1971 before releasing the finished boat
it would make sense that he started with a lot of hobie16 ideas
could these boats have been the prototypes?
Okay, just got the boat home. No time to do an exhaustive search, but I did find the following SN on the starboard hull:
4750 1700 AUCM
It's 17' in length with a 92" beam. Any ideas?
Edited by smackdaddy on Jun 17, 2012 - 10:38 PM.
hmm...
letters should be first in the current code
and there appears to be no date there
1700 could be length???
this list correctly shows the old nacra MIC code TRR
and has the prindle as PDL
http://www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cibmanuals/files/Code/HTML/boatmakeandbrandnamecodes.htm
somewhere in the archives and on the web are a couple of pages from popular mechanics? that show beach cats and prices in about 1979
Edited by erice on Jun 17, 2012 - 11:59 PM.
Okay - so I found out this thing is a "Spirit 17". One of the guys on the Hobie forum recognized it.
Then, when I was laying out all the sails they threw in with the boat (mostly Hobie 16 sails)...
I found this tattered main with this insignia...
So, now we know what it is. But I can't find ANYTHING about these boats online. The Google seems clueless. The dude over at the Hobie forum said that Spirit was sold to someone else, but didn't know who.
It's a very interesting mix of Prindle and Hobie parts, design, and technology. Interesting knock-off. And there sure don't seem to be many of them around. So I'm sure it's worth hundreds of thousands as a collector's item.
Edited by smackdaddy on Jun 23, 2012 - 06:53 PM.
RIGHT !!!
not listed in the 1977 popular science edition on beach cats
http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=71977
if you create an album here called spirit 17 others will eventually find it with google
Edited by erice on Jun 24, 2012 - 02:56 AM.