Ive got two boats I want to look at. But both need work.

Should I go look at a Prindle 16 with, what the old man describes as, blisters in a few spots. That's about an hour and a half away.

Or

A hobbie 16 with a couple of soft spots that's a three hour drive away.

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Michael Newman

Bay St. Louis, MS

prindle 16
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I say punt.
I'd bet both hulls are trashed. I wouldn't buy a cat with any soft spots whatsoever.

flaco

I say punt.
I'd bet both hulls are trashed. I wouldn't buy a cat with any soft spots whatsoever.

agreed, be patient. You'll be thankful you did. Plenty of other things you'll want to do to the new boat, hulls wouldn't be a fun start...

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Kyle
"Sundance" '82 H16
Land O Lakes, FL
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Those are both long drives just to check out a boat. Talk to them.

Make them be specific. How many problem areas are there, where are the problems on the hulls? How old are the boats, and the bad spots? Have they sailed the boats recently? Do they leak? Are they under $500? Any extras like trailer/cat trax/other sails?

This forum is filled with advice and people fixing and sailing boats with soft spots and blisters. You just need to know if the boat can be fixed, and that is hard for someone new to the sport and/or fiberglass.

Can they send you pictures of the boat in general, and especially the problems? If you can't get any better information, save your gas money for a better situation.

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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both are fixable. Both come with trailers. the Hobie comes with lots of sails and the prindle has a couple sails. Both owners say that these aren't major problems and don't even need fixing at this point. The Hobie guy says that he would sail his tomorrow if he could.

As far as fixing the problems I guess my questions is which is easier to fix? I am very handy and not scared of the repair. The Prindle is much cheaper but has the blisters and the owner is an older man that honestly has issues using a computer haha.

The Hobie I think is a great buy because of all the extras and the owner assures me the soft spots are not a major issue at all.

I think if I am willing to do the work I can get a great buy on a great boat but I don't know which is a better boat to look at, or which problem is harder to fix.

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Michael Newman

Bay St. Louis, MS

prindle 16
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Soft spots are always a concern. If you let them spread and delaminate part of the hull or deck, you could lose a significant part of your boat- the part that floats. There are a couple of pictures on this site of hull breakage as a result of delamination.

Make him/them send you a picture of the boat and the damage, and post it here along with the price for the boat and we can better help you. Everyone here wants you to join the community and have a good experience sailing, and so will steer you toward a smart purchase.

They could both be describing the same kind of problem. Blisters could = soft spots. That's why the pictures would be golden in helping to make a decision.

I have a tendency to look at a used boat with the "How much will this cost to be reliable on the water" filter, as opposed to "How much am I getting for the buck."

More sails is nice- are they in good shape, or do they drape over your arm like a bedsheet? A blown-out old sail is not really a bonus, you may just end up throwing out his trash for him.
How are the lines- were they left in the sun?
How does the hardware look?
Will you have to replace the trampoline? (They are pricey, and you gotta have one)

Bottom line for me is that talk is cheap, and driving hours to look at a potential purchase is expensive. I'd wanna see pictures before I left the house, even if the old guy has to snail-mail prints from his Instamatic. Or maybe you could send him a disposable camera that he could send back exposed. Whatever works.

Good Luck!

Bob

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
--

i'd start with the prindle...1 1/2 hours isn' too bad. check out these old boats real close, make sure everything is there. a few blisters is not much but if the entire boat is covered then that's no good. i have owned both boats, i prefer the prindle, holds more stuff and takes big seas better.

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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Anything on a Hobie/Prindle 16 can be fixed or bought used. Just be sure the price is right.

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Nacra 5.2
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Pictures aren't really gonna show much when it comes to soft spots. I would go see the boats. Start with the closest one and if its a good buy, save the trip to look at the Hobie. And as far as the owner telling you about the boat, check out any posts concerning a Hobie 16 in Foley Al.. He ssaid it was a good boat with useable sails. the sails were trash and the hulls were not only full of soft spots, but were buckled a little and the mast had about a 10 inch curve to it. You really need to look at things in person.

Quote

Anything on a Hobie/Prindle 16 can be fixed or bought used. Just be sure the price is right.

Check that; MOST THINGS

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Nacra 5.2
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Where R u located?

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1976 Prindle 16, Sailing since 1969, Retired Chief USCG, Disabled Vet, Father of 3 great daughters!
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Bay st. Louis ms is where I'm located.

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Michael Newman

Bay St. Louis, MS

prindle 16
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I'm going to look at the prindle this afternoon. The old man has all the sails and rigging and an extra set of rudders. What else should I be looking for? I know to look for soft spots and such but what other problems should I look at. The guy is only asking 400 so I don't mind fixing a few blisters or whatever cause I can't afford to throw tons of money at a newer boat. I just want something safe and fun that I can teach myself on.

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Michael Newman

Bay St. Louis, MS

prindle 16
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check out the sails real close, look for tears/holes/damage. look over the tramp and see if it will go for now. the most important thing is to make sure it is complete-standing and running rigging/has the boom/all rudder parts. feel and tap all over the hulls and listen/feel for hollow spots...go for it! and meet us saturday in biloxi next to the biloxi yacht club around 11am and i'll help you put it together!

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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mnewman1987

I'm going to look at the prindle this afternoon. The old man has all the sails and rigging and an extra set of rudders. What else should I be looking for? I know to look for soft spots and such but what other problems should I look at. The guy is only asking 400 so I don't mind fixing a few blisters or whatever cause I can't afford to throw tons of money at a newer boat. I just want something safe and fun that I can teach myself on.

look at this guide its very helpful on most cats.
http://www.sailingproshop.com/catamaran_guide.aspx