As some of you know, I restored an old 1977 H16 (see post "major restorations" for more details) and have finally been sailing it - loving it even more than I thought I would. In the course of my restoration which began last January, I have asked many questions on this site and received much advice - most of it very, very good. So, mostly for the other newbies like me, I would like to respond to some of the advice and mention a few things regarding what worked for me and what did not.
(1) Sailing gloves...don`t leave home without em! And, keep a spare set for visiting crew members.
(2) Boat shoes/water socks are a MUST HAVE item for you AND YOUR CREW. You may think you (or your crew) can sail barefoot, and actually you can...but when it comes time to right a capsized, freshly waxed H16 on a beautiful breezy day, you`ll be wishing to God you had those rubber shoes between your bare feet and that hull.
(3) Someone mentioned using cheap, industrial saran-type wrap over the entire mast while trailering as well as carrying along basic cleaning supplies. This sounded a little uneccessary to me, but since I had some of the wrap (10 bucks for about a thousand feet), I figured why not. This was great advice. After doing 18 miles on a gravel road in the rain, the only clean thing I had left was that mast and the new white sails in my catbox. The wrap takes less that 3 minutes to apply and costs just pennies. Take a razor so as to remove it easily with one slice up the luff track.
(4) Restoring the colour on an old vinyl tramp with automotive vinyl dye works quite well. It is cheap and easy. Be sure to remove all contaminants first and be prepared for occassional touch-ups.
(5) I had read some information regarding the old-style Seaway jib cars being difficult to uncleat under load - this is an understatement of the highest order! I subsequently asked for advice regarding their replacement and the general consensus was...I was a newbie...don`t worry about it...and, if it ain`t broke don`t fix it -BAD ADVICE. These cars have a serious design flaw (in my opinion) - they came out of the box broken! If you have the money, replace them. They really do suck.
(6) Spend the time to put together a great tool kit with lots of spare parts. Use your imagination as to what might break (pretty much anything) or get dropped in the drink. Stock up on what you can afford, you won`t regret it - I guarantee it! The stresses on these boats can be incredible.
(7) Carry a properly rigged righting line (and righting bag with block and tackle if sailing solo) the FIRST time you go out. Do not assume you will not need it because you will "only be sailing slow". This boat is awesome in a good wind, and you WILL need this equipment. This was definitely GOOD ADVICE.
(8) Do not even think about sailing this boat solo your first time out...unless you really, REALLY understand sailing and the power of this boat. Even then, it is best to take someone with you.
(9) Do not be afraid of this boat - be informed and respectful. However, at times the H16 will most certainly scare the stuffing out of you. To be truthful, I was a bit scared prior to sailing the H16 - it is my first sailboat - though I am an experienced boater and navigator... Read lots of catamaran stuff, get some videos, understand ALL the parts of your boat and their individual state of repair. Be equipped for every eventuality you can imagine.
(10) Velcro line-wraps are a great invention.
(11) Carry a short (4 to 6 ft) length of rope with you when you sail. It may come in handy. I broke my tiller yoke in a strong wind that was blowing me onshore towards a cliff. That rope allowed me to quickly lash my tiller and get back to safety. And yes, I had a spare yoke in my tool kit!
(12) Krylon Fusion adheres and holds up amazingly well to a properly prepped old rudder (albeit I can only vouch for fresh water sailing). They look brand new...it is a great product.
(13) Bridle vanes, windvanes, 8 track tape - whatever... MUST HAVE - even the first time out!
(14) Mast bearings are definitely equal to more than the some of their (single) part. Don`t forget one. The luff-track bearing from Hobie is pretty handy too.
(15) Stepping the mast may surprise you the first time you do it. It is heavier and more awkward than you may think - even for a strong guy. Be sure to have someone else there the first time FOR SURE - and have a plan. With good technique, it gets a lot easier. As for the advice that "two people can step a mast WITHOUT a stepping link kit" - this is bad advice. Though I am sure it is possible, I am also sure it is quite dangerous for the inexperienced...get the stepping link kit and buy a spare too!
(16) Check and re-check that all your lines and travellers run freely and and have no tangles BEFORE you leave the beach - EVERY time you go out. I seem to have a brain-block on this one and it can really be a pain in the butt when you forget to do this.
(17) Silicon spray is something you need on a regular basis, especially on the travellers. Keep some in the tool kit.
(18) I LIKE my Baby-Bob mast float a lot - if only for that little bit of confidence and security it imparts. Besides that, I really like the look of it too. Nobody has called me a sissy yet (not to my face anyhow - thats all I care about). I say; BABY-BOB and proud of it! We can always start a support group if the ridicule gets too much!
(19) With the above information and more - especially regarding the books and videos - you can be flying your hulls, completing your tacks, and righting your capsized boat the very first time you go sailing. BUT, be prepared for the experience, it is powerful and addictive... truly one of lifes` greater pleasures - at least it is for me!
Hope this helps someone,
Dave 
What part of Ontario are you from.I am in Thunder Bay.
That's great advice Dave! Especially regarding the theory that the first time out you will be going nice and slow - first time out for my girlfriend and I we had perfect "beginner" conditions forecast and it ended up changing into a gale whilst we were out on the water. Turned into a near disaster!!
A good idea to check that things are working smoothly even before you hit the water - rudders locking up and down properly, etc. First time out should be fun, not an exercise in frustration
i also like the idea of checking everything before leaving the beach... though sometimes you dont have the luxury of doing so, like when the beach is closed and theres a coast guard boat right on your tail
Good advice! The H16 was my first sailboat as well and I just started racing it this summer.
Some more advice:
Don't forget to use your mast step link.
At the last regatta I was at I watched the guys with a H17 next to me forget to use the step link and they almost dropped the mast. I was laughing a little and wondering how someone could forget to use it and sure enough when I went to drop my mast I forgot to use it, luckily I caught it in time.
Mmadge,
I live about 2 hours outside of Toronto. Although we both live in the same province, I think you are about the same distance from me as the Florida border.
Dave
May I add "(20) Check for the presence of both drain plugs before leaving shore" ?
I know this from first hand experience....
I like your list and would add that you should check and grease trailer bearings, check tires and make sure you have a spare, lug wrench and a jack that you can use on the trailer. Also check trailer lights.
Howard
Tom and Howard,
You guys are making me bust a gut laughing...you can sure as heck bet I added those two items to my list!
- my trailer is well equipped...and as for the drain plugs, I learned that one the hard way during the maiden voyage of a friend`s brand new 60hp aluminum fishing boat. We couldn`t figure out why the boat was so gutless and wouldn`t plane...until we looked behind us...90 seconds out of the dock and we nearly lost the boat. We had to actually go under water (while inside the boat!!) to stuff those drain-plug holes.
- I have 2 spares for the Hobie.
Dave 
One more thing I found useful to have is one of those "Hobie Tools". These are great to carry on the boat and are very useful when you have to make a repair/adjustment on the water or at a nearby beach after you left your launch site. I personally carry two styles, the one from Murray's and the smaller Hobie brand tool. I have also since added a Leatherman Tool. You can do just about any quick hardware reapir on teh boat with those three tools
BTW, I wish I had a list like this when I started. Most of them were learned the hard way. 
Hey Nick,
I actually carry your list of tools (not the Murrays tool) on the boat plus a rigging knife with a marlin spike (handy) - though my multitool is not a genuine Leatherman - nice. I use large stainless steel (spring loaded) carabiners from the hardware store to simply clip them to the underside of the tramp lacing...It looks like a chinese hardware store under there! - everything is hanging from the ceiling.
A question for you regarding the Hobie tool; on one end of the tool there is about a 1 inch long protrusion that is about 1/4 inch wide and concave/convex - almost like it could slip under a fingernail. I cannot figue out what the heck it is for. It looks real handy too -- I just don`t know for what...so - for now it remains UNHANDY!
Dave 
I have always used is as a marlin spike or fid. It has the convex/concave shape for strength so you can bend it around. I use it mainly to untie tight knots. It's teh same tool I bought from Murray's.
I wear that tool around my neck beneath my life jacket. I probably should get a divers knife and attach it to my jacket as I leave my leatherman (multi-tool) in my tramp bag. Kind of hard to cut yourself out of line if you can't get to the knife.
One more thing I remembered I carried in that bag is 50' of 3/8" rope for towing. If you ever need a tow it never hurts to have the line. It also comes in handy for jury-rigging a righting system if need be. My freind has lost about 4 righting buckets while saling. They have all fallen off of the tramp and sank.
I too was thinking it may be wise to keep the knife on my body as opposed to under the tramp. I have not considered losing my righting bag or the tow rope - both are very good things to consider. From my limited experience, I doubt I could right the boat with just my Hawain rigged righting line. I found that even with the Bag it had to be filled to the brim for me to bring the boat over (I am 180lbs). Perhaps better technique will improve upon this.
Dave
I solved the solo righting problem with cookies... At least that's what I tell my fiancee. I need to eat the junk food so we can right the cat easier 
Anyhow, I was able to right my H16 solo in 10kts of wind. Granted I had a few pound on you and being tall I am able to get my CG farther out from the boat (6'2" 250lbs). I used just the cheap EZ right bungy system form Hobie. My TheMightyHobie18 is a different story. I need help with it. I am working on a righting pole system. I am taking the idea from others on this site.
Heed Captain Dave's advice. #1 in my book is good gloves - they're worth their weight in skin! As for the Baby Bob, why do you tempt us to riducule? I like Jamie Z's solution - use an old plastic milk jug instead.
I've seen on some mono's black closed cell foam about 1/2" thick glued to the top 3' of the mast. It wrapped from one side of the luff track to the other. This is less noticable and possibly "cooler" but I wonder what it does to the airflow over the mast...
Plastic milk jug ? Black Foam ? ...and I suppose one would use grey duct tape (no less) to secure these flotation devices!
...Repeat after me - B.A.B.Y B.O.B ! is COOL, SUAVE, SEXY!!!
-that`s my story, and I`m sticking to it.
Dave 
Really, if the boat goes turtle is it that big of a deal to right it? And if you swim out to the mast head promtly it won't go all the way over anyway. I just can't bring myself to get a float...... No matter how many times I have my sails spread over the lawn washing off the mud. It gives you a better reason to work harder at keeping it upright.
Not cool, not suave, not sexy. If I ever felt a need for a Bob, I would trade my H16 for a jetski. I also have never worn gloves.
i hear that... plus i cant afford things like a bob... or gloves for that matter, i bought i H16 so i didnt have to spend money on gas and could still have a good time on the water
I have never used a mast float. I usually sail in deep enough water where the mast won't hit bottom when turtled. So, it is realtively easy to bring it back up.
But, I only sailed without gloves once. I learned really quick that $20 is well worth a pair of gloves that will last about 3 seasons.
On a good day 20-25kts when you are on the water for 8-10 hrs straight how in the world do you keep your hands from getting torn up? I don't have girly hands by any means. I also crew on a 70' gaff rigges wooden schooner that has Dacron halyards and sheets. Most of the time I lower the peak and the throat of the gaff simultaneously which entails letting them slide through your hands. After a week of this the callouses on your hands are pretty substantial.
But when I am on my Hobie my hands get wet and the callouses are ineffective. Plus with gloves I have a significantly better grip on the line.
Just my 2 cents
Gloves are not a luxury item. They are almost a necessity. Once when I didn't have any and needed them, I cut the finger tips off some work gloves. Not the best but better than no gloves.
About getting out of the turtle. It is not difficult. Don't try to raise one hull. That won't work. Just put your weight at the stern and get the bows to come up. The boat will flop over on one side and you go from there.
Howard
[color]Nick, I lived and sailed on a 35' gaffer for 2 years. I think letting the lines slide through your hands is not the best technique. Hand over hand worked for me. But perhaps the situation on a 70 footer is way different. Howard, You are certainly free to use gloves if that's the way you want to do it. You too Captain Dave.
I just added my comments due to the intensity of your "tips" to new cat sailors. It ain't necessarily so, and I think Bobs and gloves are optional. I would hate to think that new folks might be "brainwashed" by you experts due to the strength of your arguments, and wanted to offer them another opinion.
Best to all, Enjoy with or without whatever...
Ralph,
I know you are an experienced sailor though fairly new to Hobies. I found that the force required to tighten the main sheet in strong winds did a lot of damage to my hands especially in the beginning of the season. I don't really let the line slide out through my hands. I switched from the standard 5 to 1 blocks to the 6 to 1 and even with the extra leverage I still occasionally need to use 2 hands to tighten the sheet. Sailing my catboat I don't use gloves and don't find the need for them except when jibing. That large sail just goes out too fast and it is not possible to slow it down much.
Howard
And don't forget to remove the step link....sailing is a bitch when the mast won't rotate.
Hey Mr.WHOA,
"Intensity", "arguments", "experts", "brainwashed"?
Perhaps you should read the entire post again and ask yourself honestly if ANY of the adjectives you have used are an accurate reflection of either the tone or the content of what has been written here in this post.
- Perhaps you are just having a bad day.
Dave 
Whoa,
I really didn't like to let teh lines slide through my hands, but with only 2 crew aboard, lots of wind, and a tightly packed harbor you need one crew to control the boat and the other is left to drop the sails. As you know you need to keep the gaff at a certain angle for the sails to stay organized. We were left with little choice but to lower both the throat and the peak simultaneously with only one crew.
Everyone, on the subject of gloves. You don't have to have them. People have been sailing for centuries and didn't have fancy sailing gloves for most of that time. But, for $10 - $20, you can get a decent pair. Why not try them and decide for yourself if you prefer to wear them. I thinkn the intension of that suggestion was that for most people gloves have become standard sailing equipment and they are trying to save newcomers from any bad expereinces they had.
I'm with you, Dave -- the bob is cool, suave and sexy! It would be irresponsible to discourage people from using a bob, especially new sailors and recreational sailors who usually are not sailing in a group environment. I think it is an important safety feature.
And any man who is intelligent enough to care about his safety and the safety of his friends and family who may be sailing with him is a very cool and sexy guy in my book.
As far as sailing gloves, they ARE necessary for sailing most catamarans unless you want to toughen up your hands by following a regular regimen of soaking them in a bucket of saltwater while massaging a hank of hemp rope. 
Mary,
Thank you for the vote - I think I needed it! I was half-finished writing the new Bylaws for my Baby-Bob support group when I read your post. Thankfully, I no longer feel the need to write them.
Seriously though, I do not understand the aversion to the mast float. I do view it as a safety thing - albeit not a compulsory one. I believe I worded it as such in "my list".
I sail in cold, often shallow waters and never with a group (yet). One location (north east Georgian Bay) is VERY remote (no cell, no radio, no people - no nothing!). Almost all of the shoreline there is completely unsuitable for any type of watercraft landing - though such a location is really beautiful, it is also, as one can imagine, hazardous.
In my limited HobieCat experience, I have put a premium on getting out of the water quickly and efficiently - with as little chance as possible for requiring any assistance. The mast float provides some extra insurance on this count. It was not an expensive item and I really like the look of it too. It may be unneccessary for some, but not for me.
Dave 
The bottom line on the mast float (or any other gear for that matter) is unless you race, do whatever makes sailing more enjoyable for you. If not worrying about turtling in shallow, cold water makes your day on the water more enjoyable, then by all means put a mast float on. Unless there are a bunch of beach cats up there, you are the envy of every other sailor in the area because you are on a cat and they are not. No one is noticing the mast float.