Scenario... Father and son want to sail and have been looking at Cats since July 04, son finds HC16 in someones yard and watch's it like a hawk... hummmm no movement. Father talks to owner and puchases a 1983 H16 with trailer for $450. Sailed 9 times since purchase in "83". Hulls are firm, had been in barn except for last 2 years, seemed like a good buy, so ends the intro.
I know not what I do...
I need to be able to put this thing together and make it sail. It looks like alot of fun however, son has hopes of racing this two footed money pit, or trying to anyway.
1) I have attached a an image of the boat, please let me know what I have purchased. Comments good or bad.
2) He does not like the "Baby Blue" color, can the hulls be painted and still be class legal?
3) After we start sailing, is there counseling to help me stop? Cause this looks like a lot of fun!
Counseling to make you stop? You are going to need counseling to make you stop, so you can work or be with the wife, or other day to day issues. Sailing is addictive, but is excellent thearapy for life. Sailng is not to be considered "a problem"... the rest is the problem!
You have a nice looking Hobie 16. The largest class of catamarans in the World.
The gelcoat can be painted, but the boat would be heavier and therefore slower. I would guess your son would likely get over the color in favor of lighter weight.
You can download a manual from the Hobie Cat website. You can also find videos about assembly and other books and videos about sailing and racing them here on catsailor.com or www.hobiecat.com
Also, take a look at the Hobie Class Association website for racing information: www.hca-na.org
Congratulations on the new boat and Welcome!
Look at the manual Matt posted for how to set up the boat. Assuming the sails are in good condition (and I don't know why they wouldn't be) then it looks like you could start sailing right away. You should make getting a righting line a priority, though, since eventually you're going to flip it and then you'll have to get it back up again! 
Fancy ones are available from the Hobie Cat company ( http:/
Once you guys get used to the boat, you'll want to get a set of (double) trapeze wires and some harnesses, but that may be a month or three into your sailing when you've gained a bit of confidence.
At the top of your list of stuff to buy, however, I would put Rick White's book Catamaran Sailing: For the '90s. Every serious H16 sailor I've met so far has one in his library. 
Congrats, good luck, and welcome!
Since the boat has not been sailed recently and has been outside for the past couple of years, I'd check the mast to see whether there are any leaks in it. If you take it off the boat and can hear water sloshing around inside then I'd strongly suggest draining it, finding the leak point, and re-sealing it before sailing.
Also check the shrouds and forestay to make sure that they haven't rusted through, however would think that they should be OK considering it's been outside only 2 years, but if you see more than a couple of strands broken anywhere then get yourself a replacement.
Congratulations! Don't worry about getting addicted to cat sailing, after a while it will seem normal 
. It looks like you have picked up a very nice, ready-to-sail H16 for a very good price. That's the good news. The bad news is that to make this boat even minimally ready for racing, you are going to have to spend a bit more. Even so, getting into cat racing is relatively inexpensive and good racing is available at a skill and cost level with which you are comfortable.
Of immediate concern:
Hulls: From your picture, the hulls appear to be in really good shape. I would not go through the expense, labor and added weight of painting them. Instead buff out the oxidation with a random orbital buffer and buffing compound. Then seal the gel coat with Starbrite/Maguires-type boat polish. I think even your son (I'm assuming he's a teenager) will be impressed with the results.
Rigging: It seems likely that you have the original shrouds/forestay/bridle/trapeze(s). Replace all of these and upgrade to a double trapeze. Purchase (2) trapeze harnesses.
Righting system: Can be as simple or as complex as you wish.
Main blocks: The OE is a Seaway 5:1 system (2 single upper blocks and a double block over a ratchet block on the bottom). Replace with a 2.25 inch 6:1 system (triple on top, triple on the bottom).
Wind vane: A bridle mounted wind vane is vital, especially for downwind sailing. Also replace any telltales on the sails that have become frayed.
Rudder pins: Get a couple of sets of aluminum rudder pins. They wear quickly.
Recommended:
Batten caps: Get a complete set of the black batten caps for the jib and main. On the main, one cap goes on the inboard end and one (adjustable) on the outboard end. The OE white ones will crack and fall apart (if they havn't already).
Downhaul upgrade: Add the little plastic bearings for the gooseneck and a block for the downhaul.
Beach wheels: Roleez or Cat Trax. Saves your back and the bottom of your hulls.
Tramp: Examine the tramp carefully. UV will degrade the vinyl. To be class legal, a new tramp must be from Hobie. Lace the tramp as tight as possible as this is critical for a stiff boat.
Future upgrades:
Jib adjustment system: There are numerous upgrade kits. Requires adding cleats and turning blocks.
Comp Tip: Class required modification to your mast. You can get away without it for a while but it is required. You can butcher your existing mast or buy a new factory mast w/ CT and then sell your old one.
Aussie halyard system: Reduces mast compression and allows easier rotation in light wind.
Rudder upgrade: Replace the crappy Lexan rudders with the FRP "racer" rudders. Mucho $$.
New parts are available from many sources: Cat Sailor website, Hobie, Murrays and Sailing and Ski Connection in Myrtle Beach. Used parts can be had from Dan "Cat Reaper" Berger in Virginia Beach.
SC is in Division 9 of HCA of NA (is/was NAHCA). Loyd Graves in Raleigh is the Division Chairman (e-mail addy at the class website). Also consider attending the Spring Fever Regatta on Lake Hartwell, GA on March 25-27. SFR is the early spring Woodstock of cat racing. Show up even if you don't intend to race. You can get enough free advice to fill a book!
This forum is an excellent resource. H16 sailors of all abilities, including some very experienced racers, post here. If you have questions, please ask. Sailors here love to relate their experiences and dispense free advice 
. The forums at Hobie Cat are also a good resource although I would say they are more focused toward general interest than racing. Welcome aboard!
JaimeZX's recommendations were fine, except our own www.OnLineMarineStore.com also sells the same products.
For righting system, just go to http:/
There you will see a choice of the many righting systems available -- the best bang for the buck is the Power Righter.
and for the book of Catamaran Racing: For the 90s go to http:/
and you really should.., no MUST get the 5 sailing videos at http:/
Or, you could do it like I did it back in the 60s when I started sailing.., make a lot of mistakes, break up the boat by capsizing and hitting things and finish last place in most races. <img src=
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Good luck, and most importantly, have fun,
Rick
Dang Merrill don't scare the guy!!! 
Let him get his feet wet first and have fun. First check the boat out like they said, rigging etc and make sure its safe. Then as you sail and get comfortable with the boat, check out the others your area and determine what you might want to upgrade first. The whole procedure is fun, upgrade as your skills get better.
JMO for what its worth,
Clayton
Your not scaring me off. I appreciate the information and glad to have found this site.
Yes son is 17, and I like the idea of buffing the hulls the color wont make it faster.
I like Lake hartwell, I have kayaked there several times with a friend from work. I'll bee there ready or not.
I think I've been totally unaware of your store this whole time.
Sorry, Rick!
Okay, maybe I need some counseling too.
My recommendations were from the perspective of what I would do to get a 1983 boat ready to do some racing. I agree that if the sailing skills are not quite there then the first priority is to get time on the boat. Tiller time is the cheapest go fast gear you can "buy". Rick's books and videos move you up the curve even faster.
Ronnie spent $450 on what appears to be a boat in very good condition and is ready to sail recreationally. Hopefully he has some additional change to make some upgrades. I've seen folks show up to regattas with badly blown out sails, polypro rope for tramp lacing, etc. Such boats cannot be competetive and it has to be frustrating for the sailors. You need both decent equipment (but not neccessarily every go fast gadget) and decent skills. Kind of a yin and yang thing, have to feed both sides.
I have a Hobie 14 of that exact same vintage.
I took the old stripes off with a heat gun.
I filled the cracks with Evercoat All Purpose Filler Formula 27. This stuff cures in under an hour, sands well and last surprisingly well.
Then I sanded the hull. I went from 100 grit dry to 320 grit wet 400 wet then to 800 wet.
There is lots of gel coat on that baby you can sand plenty without worrying about it.
After sanding I polished it up and it looks like new.
Bob I was wondering if I could remove the stripes without some sort of stripper, thanks for the heat gun idea. I like the sanding buffing program much better than the painting.
Simply amazing! Somebody in this thread said that this forum was a great learning place. That is an understatement if ever there was one. I am a bit burned though. Reading about an '83 used 9 times bought for $450 is depressing I bought a well worn '83 last fall for $1000 I do appreciate my white hulls though Hey Jaimezx, I have seen that picture of your boat(very similar to the ones just about everybody on this forum has) about a hundred times since I bought my boat- twice just on this thread 
Could you at least change the pic? Thanks. cmerrell, I appreciate all your tips, but what is an Aussie halyard system? I think my boat came with a system that takes compression off the mast and step with the little metal glob that locks under that fork up there. Hey don't worry Rick, I think most forum users are aware of the OnLineMarineStore. I am using the forum to figure out what I need to order first so I am ready when the ice goes out Everybody, keep those suggestions flowing!
Dear Whoa,
The difference in price depends on a variety of factors. For instance, we bought a Hobie 16 and trailer once for about $450 because the owner's wife was sick of the boat sitting in the yard for years and wanted to plant a tree there. 
Yes we did find a boat for $450 however, it is boat, trailer, and sails (Main & Jib). No gear! Remeber the I know not what I do Statement. I was hoping to find one with some gear as reference point to what I might like to have or what I need. Now I have to purchase gear on my own. I'm sure I'll be at $1000 quickly.
I'm not sure what you mean by "gear." You have a boat, you have a motor (the sails), you have a trailer to get it to the water. At this point the only gear you need is life jackets and a paddle (backup motor). (And, of course, you need a trailer license.)
Go sailing for the first time with an onshore wind and stay close to shore in case the mast falls down. If that happens, you will know what you need to buy for the boat. If you get cold, you will know what you need to buy for yourself.
Sailing can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Sort of like snow skiing. The first year we lived in Vail, I skied with second-hand equipment and wore bluejeans and a Kmart jacket.
If you don't even know whether you are going to like sailing or like a particular boat, why would anybody spend a lot of money on doing it? Just do it with what you have and see what happens.
But that's the best one I have!
Heheh. Most forums have a "show signature" check box and I usually use that such that I only show the pic once per thread. I haven't been able to figure out how to limit it here though. I'll see what I can do about making a new one.
Whoa - The "gob and fork" is your main halyard. Your jib halyard runs from the head of the jib, through a steel block at the mast tang, to the cheek block on the bottom of the mast, through the in-line block on the halyard and then to the cleat on the port side of the mast. The jib halyard is used to tension the whole rig. The Aussie system replaces all that with blocks and line between the head of the jib and the mast tang. A single line then runs down to the cleat. The Aussie system is a nice-to-have, racer thing although the single line makes the jib less likely to hang up during tacks.
A little better way to run the stock system is to use the main halyard cleat (starboard mast cleat) as an additional turning block. Run the halyard to the cheek block, back up to the in-line block, then down around the bottom of the main halyard cleat, back to the in-line block and then down to the jib halyard cleat. Hope that description is clear enough.