ok i have found a used hobie 16, the guy that owns the boat now has put bottompaint on the skids of the boat does this greatly reduce the value of the boat and can you still race teh vessel legal with that he is asking 1000 for the boat and trailer its around a 86 year please tell me what you think it also has 3 yar old sails
I guess that since it has been painted at one time on the bottom of the hulls, that the gelcoat has likely been worn away down to the fibreglass layer. Have a good look at the bottom of the hulls, if the bottom of the hull is very flat, say any more than an inch wide, there's a chance that it's been worn away so much that it started leaking and that's why the repairs have been done. Obviously if the repairs don't look good, then it's going to be a problem.
I can't really comment on the prices in the USA, but it seems like a cheap boat anyway, and at the end of the day, you generally get what you pay for.
As for the rules, I understand that you are permitted to re-build a worn down hull, as long as it's to the original hull shape and as for painting, as long as it's not deemed to be a friction reducing measure, you're OK. That's my idea, however you can look at the rules on www.hobieclass.com
Happy sailing!
What you describe is typical of a hull repair job. Level of concern will depend on the quality of the repair. Hull repair/paint is class legal. Repaired hulls are supposed to conform to the original hull contours but, as a practical matter, the hull templates are not widely available and the rule was intended to prevent go-fast experimentations with the hull. A '86 boat is a 320 lb. "red glue" boats (former and once again minimum boat weight). If the boat is near 320 lbs. and in good shape, it may be a nice boat for novice/B fleet racing. BTW 320 lb. minimum boat weight is for boat & rigging, sails & running rigging, rudder system, etc. but not including PFDs, trapeze harnesses or other personal gear.