Anyone have a Hobie 3.5 they have in working order? I got one for 75 buck minus the boom and whatever was attached to it. Can onyone tell me what boom profile it is and whether the sail is supposed to have a loose foot or not? Maybe some nice close up pics?
Thanks
Rob

know nothing about them

but a quick google turned up these



http://www.saltydogmarine.com/product_info.php?cPath=162&products_id=3859&osCsid=ea32a6

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12094

Still looking for pasrts forthis boat. Anyone have an old hobie monocat or 3.5 mast base? Think I have everything else. Just needing the part riveted to the bottome of the mast now.
Thanks

I have a 3.5 in working order. I don't have spare parts, but do have a pdf of the original manual if that would be helpful. I can also take pictures. What is the hull number of your boat? (I'm curious how many were made. Coast won't or can't tell me. Mine are hulls 11 and 117)

tom_gwynn

I have a 3.5 in working order. I don't have spare parts, but do have a pdf of the original manual if that would be helpful. I can also take pictures. What is the hull number of your boat? (I'm curious how many were made. Coast won't or can't tell me. Mine are hulls 11 and 117)

Tom,

It would be great if you could take detailed construction and rigging pictures of your 3.5 and create an album for them in the Hobie 3.5 identification album here.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…ictures/?g2_itemId=61801

and please email me the PDF of the assembly manual to damon at TheBeachcats dot com as well.

Thanks,

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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Help me too!! Got a 3.5 as a project for grandkids. (even though their dad sails a Nacra).. Mine has wood rudders .. Is that stock?? Mast and base look OK.. Going to check the sail tomorrow to see if there is a boom in it.. Love to have a PDF on it.. Hoping someone can make a new tramp..

--
Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
--

OK OK Could not wait till tomorrow to check her out..
I am lucky.. My cat is ALMOST whole!! Got rigging...mast and base (Looks like a prindle or sol cat with a stud drilled in the center of the plastic ball setup)..Sail, boom with blocks (Olde seaway like 14s and 16s).. Orig rudders I think which are fixable.. Linkage and tiller( spray painted black..) How do you renew old annodized aluminuim..(spl??) Needs a tramp but have the old one for a pattern.. AND the top of the mast whatever. It has a verry small pulley which would not stand any downhaul pressure... But this was not a racer.. But Hobie A. never built anything that was not sound.. Love to have a Pix of the mast cap/sheeve or what ever.. G-Kids can hardly wait.. Next summer Cheers Hal

--
Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
--

Hello again,

Wow, I had no idea so many 3.5's were left! Keep this up and we'll need a forum of our own.

Damon has been sent a copy of the file, which is the original rigging manual. It includes an illustrated parts list and excellent details on assembling the boat. Halliske, I tried to send you a copy, let me know if it got there. Hopefully Damon can post it as a resource on beachcats.

I got my original 3.5 in the summer of 1975, almost as soon as they made them. My original boat, (hull # 11 if I'm reading the cc number correctly) had sail #65. The 3.5 was billed as a kids boat for the under- 140 lb sailor and back then I fit the bill perfectly, weighing about 100 lbs. I think my dad got the boat out of pity - I didn't have enough weight to hold the family Hobie 14 down, and I certainly didn't have enough weight to right a 14 when it went over. That meant I couldn't solo-sail and had to (ewwww!) crew for my older brother.

To say I have fond memories of the 3.5 is an understatement. That little boat meant freedom in a way most kids don't get until they get their first cars. All of a sudden the whole of Long Island Sound was mine. Well, as much as a day's sailing could take me anyway. I still have my original boat though she is awaiting repairs to her transoms. When I went away to college I forgot to drain the water left from a summer's sailing in the hulls and the water froze, cracking the transoms. (Note to 3.5 owners - always drain the hulls before winter).

I moved inland and didn't sail much until my son was born. I started looking for parts to repair my old boat when I came across an almost complete, identical boat, hull #117. That's the working boat at the moment, I'll have pictures as soon as I have time to get her rigged, as she's still in storage.

The 3.5 was basically a scaled-down version of the Hobie 14. If you are looking at a photo of one from the front it is very difficult to tell it apart from a 14 unless there's something in the photo to give it scale. Seeing one in the flesh I've had more than one person tell me "It looks like a toy model of a 14". Looking at a 3.5 from the rear the differences between the two boats are much more obvious, because the 3.5 had wooden rudders and different lower and upper rudder castings. Different kickup system for the rudders as well. I've heard some people describe the rudders as mahogany and they were certainly stained a dark mahogany color but from their lightness and tendency to split I believe they were originally redwood. I'm told the 3.5 shared rudders, castings, mast step and mast with the Hobie 12, but I've never seen a 12 close-up so I'm not sure. Making new rudders out of 3/4" board stock is not difficult for any competent woodworker and it's something I had to do from time-to-time as I'd crack them on our rocky New England shores. I'll see if I can get a rudder pattern posted.

Another difference between the 14 and the 3.5 is that the 3.5 has circular pylons, rather than the teardrop-shaped ones the 14 has. As Halliske has already noticed, the 3.5 also lacks the circular mast sheve of the 14 and instead has a frankly anemic little pulley riveted to the mast top. Doubtless this flaw would have been corrected had the boat remained in production longer. We used it until it broke, then replaced it with a four layer wooden mast extension that held a stainless eyebolt and pulley for the sail halyard. This was a much more a satisfactory solution for us.

Other than that, the 3.5 is rigged and tramped exactly the same as the early-model 14 's. The two boats handle very similarly, and that includes their flaws as well as their virtues. Like the 14, the 3.5 is difficult to tack through the wind, is pitchpole-prone and requires a righting line and training to get her back up when she goes over. But the 3.5 is also extremely rugged, reliable and seaworthy. I'd take mine out in small craft advisories that would leave the many Lasers and Sunfish in our corner of the Sound scattered like confetti and she always brought me home.

In my opinion the 3.5 sails best at about 120 lbs of crew weight. Much below 110 and you have too much trouble righting her. Much above 140 and she starts getting doggy. I've sailed them with up to 200-210 lbs, but then the hulls start playing submarine. I've heard of people up to 250 lbs taking one out, but you're definitely at the limit of the boat then.

Despite the 3.5's smaller size and lower mast/ sail area I would often win races with my brother on the 14 as long as the winds were light to moderate and close to the surface. Higher winds favored the 14's taller mast. A 3.5 will generally beat a Laser and a Sunfish isn't even worth taunting. It flies a hull just like a 14 (get *aft* quick or go for a swim over the bow). It doesn't surf as well as the 14 though, probably due to the 14's greater weight. I sailed on Long Island Sound and have no idea how one would handle true ocean conditions. The highest waves I personally sailed in came up about between the third and fourth batten on the sail, so probably about 10'-15' swells.

What can I say? If you fit her, she's lovely little boat.

great report, thanks

Thx Tom.. Love to have a pix of the mast top refit you did. I thought that little puley was a retrofit!! I am amped to start it now. Need hulls painted and a tramp and rudders re-finished. Some one spray painted the casting and bar for the rudders.. What works well on that Alumium to resotre. Rather not repaint.. Cheers to all... Hal Liske.. IM me at hal"DOT"liske@gmail.com

--
Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
--

Thanks for the great write-up Tom. 100 pounds?? You would make great crew.

--
Philip
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Thanks Tom! Great stuff. I've added your PDF of the Hobie 3.5 Assembly Manual to the 3.5 album in Beachcats Identification.
http://www.thebeachcats.c…ictures/?g2_itemId=61801

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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Quote

The 3.5 was basically a scaled-down version of the Hobie 14. If you are looking at a photo of one from the front it is very difficult to tell it apart from a 14 unless there's something in the photo to give it scale.

Or from the back!


--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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mummp

Thanks for the great write-up Tom. 100 pounds?? You would make great crew.

We were all 100 pounds once, mummp. Alas, those days are far behind me. Crewing wasn't so bad actually, my brother and I had a lot of fun together, but it's not the same thing as being skipper of one's own boat.



Edited by tom_gwynn on Jul 07, 2011 - 10:11 PM.

halliske

I am amped to start it now. Need hulls painted and a tramp and rudders re-finished. Some one spray painted the casting and bar for the rudders.. What works well on that Alumium to resotre. Rather not repaint..

I'm probably opening a can of worms here as everyone has a different opinion, but here's my advice, based purely on my own amateur experience maintaining and restoring four Hobies...

Rule #1 of restoring Hobie Cats; Never, ever, ever paint a hull. A Hobie Cat is born in gelcoat and when it is finally time to be parted out and go to its rest it should still be in gelcoat, untainted by the abomination that is paint. If I had a buck for every Hobie I've seen in trashed, stained, flaking paint I'd be sailing every day rather than working for a living. Seriously, paint may seem like a quick, cheap easy fix but it's not. Hobie hulls (all fiberglass hulls, actually) flex a lot. They expand and contract and paint just can't take it. It may look great sitting on the trailer but it soon stains, scratches, chips, flakes and starts to look like marine leprosy. Don't do it. You already have the example of some ninny who painted the aluminum on your boat, and paint adheres to aluminum much better than it does to gelcoat. There is an alternative. Unless the gelcoat is completely worn away (and you are seeing the fiberglass matting underneath) gelcoat can be restored to its original luster without much more work than it takes to paint. Google "restoring gelcoat" and you'll get lots of hits on how to do it. Basically, if you've ever compounded and waxed your car you already know how to turn that faded, crappy hull back into a pearl. The compounds are slightly different (unless you already own a Corvette) but the process is the same. (with slightly more surface prep work). You will be much happier with the end result.

If the gelcoat is worn away completely (you see fiberglass underneath) you still don't paint. What you do is look for a gelcoat specialist in your area. If nothing else, look for a Corvette body shop. If your guy knows what he's doing he can match colors to the point you can't even see where the original problem was. I recently had this done to an older boat; it cost about $400 to have a 14 buffed and patched to almost-new condition... and this was a pre-1973 boat, with bare matting on the tops of both hulls. If it can be done on a boat that old, it can be done on any Hobie.

Obviously this involves some expense and that may be more than the boat is worth. If so, sell the boat or part it out and pick up one in better condition Ebay or Craigslist. Craigslist is awash in cheap Hobies and many are in excellent condition.

As for the paint-over-aluminum problem you have I'd recommend getting a mild paint stripper from the local hardware store and testing it in an inconspicuous spot. Assuming the remover doesn't eat the aluminum, clean the paint off with the stripper, then clean the aluminum with Calphalon cleaner. That's a cleaner for anodized aluminum cookware, but it should work on other types too. Test it first!

Disclaimer: no flames please, if you disagree with my conclusions, offer your own opinions and experiences. I'm still feeling my way around restoring old boats and I'd like to learn too.

Thanks for the tips.. Going to take her apart and do the hulls right cuz there is some glass showing on the deck of one pontoon.. I still am confused about that small pully for the main haliard.. Looks like it would not stand any pressure!! It is loose from the mast as the strap that holds it is bent and deformed.. Also.. There is no cap on the mast top.. It does have some sort of foam sprayed in it Anyone got a pix of the original setup or a retro that works? Looks like I could jam a tennis ball in and seal it .. Thx Hal

--
Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
--

Quote

Anyone got a pix of the original setup or a retro that works?

For a fellow 3.5 owner, how can I refuse? For you I brave the dark of night (and overgrown grape vines).

These are pictures of an intact, original 3.5 mast head. The pulley/block is indeed very anemic. It will break sooner or later. I can't show you the mod I did on my original boat's mast because after 20 years in the weather it was in poor shape and I chucked it, intending to make a new one, which I haven't done. But I have included a diagram of what I did.

View of Top:

By tom_gwynn at 2011-07-09

View of Side:

By tom_gwynn at 2011-07-09

View of Back of Mast:

By tom_gwynn at 2011-07-09

When my original mast pulley broke I did not try to repair it. My modification was to make a wooden mast extension that fit just inside the aluminum main body of the mast (not the sail track). I made the extension out of several layers of 1" mahogany marine ply glued and bolted together, with 1/4" stainless eyebolt screwed down into the wood and then bent to overhang the sail track. From this eyebolt I hung a small marine pulley/block that the halyard ran through to pull the sail up. The wood was, of course, finished with varnish and epoxied into the main body of the mast. Please note that the extension sits down in the mast a good inch to inch and half, to give the epoxy something to grip. Overall, the extension added about 3 --> 4" to the total length of the mast.

This mod has several advantages. One, it was much stronger than the original and the pulley/block *much* easier to use. It was a real block, not that abomination of engineering that the original sheve was. The other advantage is that the 3.5's mast was just a little shorter than it should have been, and it *needed* the extra length so you could tighten the sail with the Cunningham/downhaul.

If you are a woodworker this should be no problem. All parts you need are available at a local Home Depot. I recommend you use oak or some other dense, stable wood that does not expand or shrink much when it gets wet. If you're not a woodworker and don't know one, let me know and I'll try to describe the process.


By tom_gwynn at 2011-07-09

Please note you have to seal all this watertight. You do *not* want water in the mast! Every ounce that gets in there makes the boat much harder to right.

There's probably a better way to do this, but here is a photo of a 1978-era 3.5 rudder that I've used as a pattern for my subsequent handmade ones. The rudder is about 3/4" thick, possibly made of redwood or maple. I don't know why there are two holes where the bolt that attaches it to the lower rudder casting goes. Possibly it has something to do with the fact that the same rudder was used on two different boats, the Hobie 12 and the Hobie 3.5. In any case you only use one hole.

Hopefully this photo conveys enough information about the rudders' size and shape that others can reproduce it. If I find a way to take a better picture I'll post that in turn.


By tom_gwynn at 2011-07-11

Here comes summer agian and I am still trying to find some parts for my boat. If anyone has an old Hobie 3.5 or Monocat mast that is junked, I would very much like the bottom of the mast the goes into the step. Failing that does anyone have any idea what I could do to replace that part on a Hobie 3.5? The rails and mast do not have the same profile as the H-14s or I would just get a mast base and step from that. I am kind of at a loss.
Thanks,
Robert

I have a H14 sail that someone cut a bit off the top. Might have a sailmaker cut it down if you dont have a good sail.. I will check it out today. You can have it for the shipping from 94550. Shipping with battons are expensive if you need them however. If it might work for you get me the hieght of the sail.. Cheers Hal

--
Hal Liske
Livermore CA
H 16 (6+ 1.. Friends) H 3.2 N 5.2 (2) H 17 (2) H-18
Nacra 5.8 (son's) H 20 (Friends)
It's a Sickness

I Need a A Cat Please
--

Robluns

... I would very much like the bottom of the mast the goes into the step. The rails and mast do not have the same profile as the H-14s or I would just get a mast base and step from that.

Hi Robluns, can you clarify which parts you need? Do you need just the mast base, or both the mast base and step?;

A 3.5 mast base looks like this (side view);


and this (bottom view);


The mast step looks like this; (top view)


and this (front view)



As for what to do, obviously, your best bet is to find a Hobie 12 someone is parting out and salvage what you need from that. Unfortunately, 12's are darned near as rare as 3.5's these days. If you find one, great, otherwise the alternative is to have the parts custom-fabricated at a job shop. That involves some expense and you have to ask yourself how much you're willing to spend to restore the boat.

I'm looking around for a job shop in my area to see if I can get a cost for having them laser-scan the parts and mill duplicates on a computerized CNC milling machine. I'm willing to do the legwork for free, but you'd have to pay the actual machining charges. I don't know what that would run. I'll see if I can get you a figure.



Edited by tom_gwynn on May 21, 2012 - 09:58 PM.