I'm in Ventura, and spend a couple of days in the Inland Empire area each week. Been at the same hotel for 6 years now, and have developed friendships. One guy wants to get into catamaran sailing, and lives near San Diego Bay. He will be doing a lot of solo sailing, and I've sort of swayed him towards the Hobie 16 for it's simplicity, easy availability of parts, and just a boat I am very familiar with myself. He has some sailing experience on bigger boats.

We found a decent boat for $500, but he is still on the fence about it. He is having some reservations about his back in regard to being able to step the mast. He says once something is waist level it's not an issue, it's just getting it up to there. I told him there are methods using ladders to accommodate that.

It occurred to me that a member here in the San Diego area might be available to show him how it's done and maybe even give him a shot at it. He's a nice guy and would probably provide good company for a sail it anyone is up for it.

Also, if the are any other boats that would suit a new guy sailing solo, he's not at all married to the idea of an H16.

If any of you are interested, let me know and I'll get you details.

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Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
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Hey Bill

Have your friend head over to Mission Bay Yacht Club... there is a big cat fleet there and someone may be able to help him out

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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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The only thing that makes a Hobie 16 a good entry level boat is there's a lot of them out there and one of them can be had for quite cheap. That's a big advantage. Parts availability and strong owner support are a plus. Other than that, they are hard to rig and hard to sail. They don't tack well and are prone to pitch pole. Not very forgiving. A much better choice would be one of these 16 ft roto-molded Hobies. More modern design and lots more flotation.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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All good points. Cheap and parts availability is going to be a priority. My other thought was if you can learn to sail an H16, you can learn to sail anything.

Thanks, John. I passed along the advice on MBYC.

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Bill Mattson
Prindle 19 "Gelli Bean"
Prindle 19 "Cat's Pajamas"
Nacra 5.2 (Will sail her a bit and let her name herself)
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