About a month ago I jumped into sailing after cleaning up an old hobie 14. It's an old boat that's sat out for a few years and has definitely seen better days. I've had a blast with it and, better yet, found out that I really enjoy sailing. Honestly though I just don't know how long the boat's going to hold up. I've been looking around on craigslist and whatnot and almost jumped on a Nacra 5.2. Ended up getting sold on me, but now I've found what seems to me like a really great deal. It's an old Hobie 18, probably somewhere around 1978 or 1980. I asked the age and he wasn't sure. The manual was printed in 1978, so I'm guessing that's probably about right. He's asking $500 for both the boat and trailer (it needs lights and has a few bent pieces) or $400 for just the Hobie. I mean, I'm far from an expert but I'm kind of thinking that the parts alone are worth more. Not sure if it's too good to be true or something like that. Apparently it hasn't been in the water in quite a few years but has been stored inside. He says the hulls are solid and there's no missing parts (that I know of). Obviously I can't know for sure until I see it in person. What do you guys think? I've been sailing on a larger lake in northern Wisconsin. From what I've read the hobie 18 isn't the best for single handed sailing and honestly I'm a bit worried about righting. Figured I could sail in light conditions alone or go with a friend if I'm worried. Either way I don't know anyone who has a Hobie so I figured I'd make a post on here so I could get an outside opinion.

Pics

https://imgur.com/a/NcdOGda



Edited by sesaero on Jul 27, 2018 - 12:04 AM.

I haven't heard such a wishy washy post in a long time. Frankly I think you should stick to bowling. Pete

Just a newbie who wants know how much these usually cost and what to expect based on the pictures and info. Guess I did get ahead of myself haha

Boat looks like a slam dunk win. They don’t get cheaper than that unless it’s a charity giveaway. You can solo just about anything. Me and my buddy solo H18s all the time. Just get/make a water bag for righting. I’ve used mine 7-8 times. No biggie.

Boat looks like it’s all original and probably from the years you mentioned. You’ll be replacing the hatches and maybe upgrading the rudder blades if you get tired of wobbly plastic but all and all it’s gonna sail.

Sailing it solo is no problem. Launching and retrieving solo can be a bit much, older 18s can be super heavy. Not trying to deter you though, that’s a good deal, they are great boats

pbegle

I haven't heard such a wishy washy post in a long time. Frankly I think you should stick to bowling. Pete

RUDE!
not how we typically respond to new members of this community



Edited by MN3 on Jul 27, 2018 - 09:46 AM.

500 bucks for a Hobie 18 and trailer, no brainer, go for it. Seriously though, it looks good in pictures but you need to see it in person of course in order to make the final decision. I know from experience that a boat can look great in pics and be a total dog when seen in person. Hey and if you get the 18, at least you will have a choice as to which boat you would want to sail on any given day and that's pretty cool!!!

--
Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
--

Hello sesaero,

pics look nice -

if you have the desire and funds ... go look at the boat - if it's bunk ... nothing lost but some time and gas.
if it's good - you just purchased into the sport at rock bottom prices

the main things to look for are soft spots on the hulls (these boats are known to determinate) and can become the spot of structural failures

also look closely at the sails - tears, repairs or worn out to the point of failure means you will need to replace ... and they can cost more than this boat alone

and closely inspect the beams for cracks - my h18 had them on the underside of the beam, only found after the beam was removed for another reason

I would REQUIRE the seller to rig the boat with you. in the yard is ok but a water test is even better
i suggest you take notes and shoot videos during rigging as there are dozens of little steps that get missed/forgot - this will also help verify all the parts are there and most importantly show you how to rig them.

i wouldn't worry at all about trailer lights - they are cheap and typically only last a few years -not a factor in the bigger picture

print date of the manual means nothing - my 1984 h18 had the same manual

as for the parts being worth the cost of the boat alone: maybe - if you have the time and desire to list / sell each part and can find someone in need of that exact part and willing to purchase 40 year old parts ... maybe ... but probably more work than it's worth

Best of luck, let us know how it goes

Having just bought a boat last winter and now sailing it this summer, I'd say the above post by MN3 - obviously a senior member on this board - is really good. If you start needing a bunch of parts, or maybe a new sail, you could be spending a lot more than you were anticipating to get the boat sail-able. If the boat has a leak or needs hull repairs, you will have to learn the wonderful world of fiberglass repair. If seems most used boats usually need some attention and work, so you should make your best effort to find out what that will be and go in with your eyes open. Having the seller rig up the entire boat for you (which I didn't do) would be a great way to flesh that out and make sure it has all the parts. And doing it on the water (which I also didn't do) would be a great way to find out if it leaks (mine had a small leak, and the seller didn't tell me, so I had to find it, and now I'm repairing it). Probably the standing rigging (fore-stay and side-stays) on that boat is old, and I think most/many people would probably suggest you replace it to avoid possibly having it fail and lose your mast - so you might figure in the price of that.

I've become friendly with guys sailing boats made in the later 2000's (which to me appear almost new), and they are doing repairs on theirs and making comments like, "all used boats have some issues."

I think it's all worth the price of entry - but you try to find out what you're getting into.

PS: Old trailer: chances are, tires are old and cracked (you just buy new wheels with tires pre-mounted on them, costs @$75 for two).



Edited by CatFan57 on Jul 29, 2018 - 08:19 AM.

--
1998 P18.2
Sailing out of SHBCC, NJ
--

looking closer at the pics:
the boat looks really nice
all the aluminum looks great, i see no signs of corrosion at all
few things i can see but don't mean it's a big deal:
the tramp looks torn - maybe repaired, maybe fine maybe not
the spreaders have some odd shmutz at the spreader assembly where it marries the mast. could be old/dark silicone, some kevlar tape that was used as a barrier under the assembly prior to riveting ... i can't tell - just stands out to me and needs investigating. this is a critical part

ps my first h18 cost me $400
i loved that boat

Man, I am so envious of this bargain! I got a h18 some time ago and I paid 700$.





https://www.bizinfo.in/co…y/U74140OR2005PTC008225/

Yeah, previously I hadn't seen all the pics - it def looks like a sweet bargain in the pics.

--
1998 P18.2
Sailing out of SHBCC, NJ
--

Unless the hulls are soft, buy it. Sail with a buddy the first few times out... maybe the first owner the first time out for extra ballast, mast-raising help, sailing-in/sailing-off assistance, and tip practice. Once you get a little practice sailing, the H18 is easy enough to solo in reasonable breeze.

H18 can be a great boat to learn on! Have fun with it. :)

Randii