Hello all,
i have had the unfortunate opportunity to experience first hand what happens when a h16 on the beach meets 70 mph winds. My boat was found 40 yds across the street in pieces!! *sigh* The only real damage done was the corner casting are all broke and one hull in split wide open. The mast has a very slight bend to it, but all the rigging and everything is fine. Oh, and my epo rudders lost there top corner where the bolts ripped out. I guess i have a couple of options. I could always try to find a different hull, but the area i live in doesnt really have alot of hobies just hanging out waiting to give up hulls. Another option is there are two sets of hulls and frames that are abandoned (newer one w/black aluminum with a soft spot area in front of pylon and the other one is '70 and seems fine) that i could salvage. The last one is there is a hobie 17 i think sitting on a trailer behind some guys house that said he doesn't want it and is willing to sell for hella cheap. He doesn't know what it is but it has a traveler track on the sides of the hulls and hull shape has less rocker than an h16 but has the same lip on the top. The mast also has the spreader arms on them. How can you tell the difference between an 18 and a 17? Is a seventeen faster than a 16? I am fairly proficient at sailing the 16 solo in bad conditions, but i don't want a bigger boat if it is slower. How much different is a TheMightyHobie18 than a 16? Are h18s able to be single handed? No idea on sails and stuff as they are in the box that is locked. Any help would be great!! Thanks all!!!
Reid Rechel
Duluth Mn
Lake Superior
Hi:
I'm guessing you live on Park Point, and getting 'bridged' is a way of life.
When visiting friends in 'Delude', I've had the occation to drive Park Point Road. Are you the blue hull Hobie on the Harbor side? My friend said he thought it belonged to a "Club" of some sort.
My guess is you don't have a near-by Hobie dealer. Probably the closest dealer is Hi-Tempo in White Bear, unless Bayfield has a dealer. Hi-Tempo has used hulls, but they want $500 a piece for them. Way too expensive!
Some friends on my lake just bought a used '83 H-16 for $700 and that included the trailer. The hulls were rock solid! It came from the Brainerd area. They could use a better set of sails, but the're useable. If you are going to trash your boat, I could see if they would be interested in your sails.
My advise would be to find another used H-16, and keep your good parts for spares. The deals are out there. Tim Johnson of the Bald Eagle Fleet, posts on this site. He may know of some parts or complete boats down here in the Cities. You might check with him. TIM, ARE YOU OUT THERE?
Good Luck!
the h17 is designed for singlehanding and rates faster than a h16 sailed 2 up. the 16 is a powerful handful as a singlehander and is probably just as fast as a 17. the 18 is faster. period. a bigger faster more powerful boat. theres a guy at our club who singlehands his and he's not real big, maybe 5'9 and 185lbs. he's also an experienced risk taker (hang gliding, gyrocopters, kite sailing, etc) so he knows about limits. if it were me i'd rebuild the 16, sounds like the pieces are available and you'd probably come out cheaper.
Hello again! Yes that WAS my blue hobie that was bayside. There are about four or five h16s that are down farther where the boat landing is that belong to a local sailing club. I surely cannot afford a single new hull. Maybe a used complete h16 if i search hard would make sense. How do i figure out who the owners are of the h16 down on the beach that are apparently abondoned? Is there a site that will give me the owners name with the serial number of the back of the hull? The h17 is actually an TheMightyHobie18. A larger boat would be nicer but price may be too high. Anyhow...of anyone knows how to find the owners i could use some insight. Thanks for all your help!!!
Reid Rechel
Lake Superior
Duluth
H17s have centerboards, while H18s have daggerboards. They can both be sailed harder downwind with their fuller bows and longer hulls.
I'd just knock on some doors and ask. If they aren't being used, the neglectful owners may be enourmously thankful for the opportunity to sell. (I would of thought everyone on Park Point would know each other. If you don't know them, I'd use the all Point Garage Sale to get to know your neighbors. Duluth ain't THAT big.) The only problem them is that they'll ask YOU, "How much will you give me for it?" I always hate that question.
"How much will you give me for it"... I love that question. Walk around with $20 or $50 in your pocket and pull it out and say "Well this is all I've got left for the month, and it's either your boat or food. I figure if I buy your boat I can go fishing." Or something similar... 
I've been asking myself the same question, I have a 1975 Hobie 16 that I have fixed up again (hadn't been sailed in about 10 years) new tramp etc. When my Cal 34 is paid off in about 2 and a half more years, I was thinking of buying a new cat. I love the 16, it is a great boat to single hand or to take out in heavy weather with an experienced crew. However I am kind of interested in getting a higher preformance, boarded cat. Being able to point upwind is allways a good thing 
Though I am not sure if I really want to hassle with the larger boat.
Who says it has to be a larger boat? There are plenty of high-performance 16' designs on the market, and in 2.5 years the 'latest and greatest' designs of today might be going cheap.