[quote=Dogboy]Based on the hardware/sail pattern/clear anodize, this Hobie 16 was probably pushing 40 years old. It's unlikely that a boat that old would not have some degree of delamination. Combine that with three guys on the boat pushing it hard (at least one out on the trap) and it's not surprising that the hull failed. I agree that putting access ports in front of the front crossbar is generally a bad idea (especially on a H16) and makes the boat more susceptible to this type of failure. The hole for the access port creates a discontinuity in the load bearing deck material which causes a stress riser and the last few seconds of the video show the crack passing through the forward edge of the port hole. It also looks like the deck around the access port is "oil canned" inward which would indicate that the deck in that area was soft.
Bottom line - only the owner of this boat knows what condition it was in, but you've got to be smart when sailing an older boat. Make sure it's seaworthy and if it isn't, it's probably time to retire the boat.
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