Hey guys, I brought my Hobie 16 home today and this is what I found; a couple of soft spots and one area I'm concerned with. I posted before and it was suggested that I buy a new (used) hull. I also had advice on picking up a new used Hobie 16 since they are cheap with extra parts. I found a few of them for sale, but also found most have soft hulls - that's out for now. Below I attached some pictures of my Hobie 16 with the damage I found on the port side hidden under a sticker. Has anyone seen this type of repair before (this area is not soft)? I've marked the areas with a pencil showing the soft spots and dented area. The starboard side is fine. I'm kind of looking for someone to say...dude, just fix it it's not that bad, especially since I'm a rookie and definitely not on the ocean at 20+ mph and tend to play it safe in lakes and bays. Also there is a few pictures of cracks on the port side where the trampoline mounts that I have included. I'm thinking a little sanding and filling ought to do it?
Any advise is greatly appreciated. Thank you, John.
Please see my photo album here: http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures?g2_itemId=111684
Hobie 16 Hull Restoration
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**unknown user**
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Posted: Nov 15, 2014 - 05:52 PM
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Posted: Nov 15, 2014 - 07:51 PM
Just did an entire bow on a P-18 this week. Drilled at least 200 holes, used about $30 epoxy, one $3 syringe, 1 plastic cup & $1 bondo for divits plus 2 sander discs. Took total 3 hours. Painted decks after $20 of Interlux Brightside and 40 minutes. Deck rock solid now. Pete -
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Posted: Nov 16, 2014 - 01:35 PM
You can definitely fix that. At least good enough to get you through a few seasons while you search for a parts boat with solid hulls - they're out there, just a little tough to find. I've fixed many soft spots on many H16 hulls, they end up tough as nails but the downside is added weight, the boat gets slower. Sail the heck out of it once you get it solid.
I used Total Boat epoxy kit from Jamestown, 1 Gal. has everything you need. I used slow cure so it has time to seep into all the nooks and crannies. Dollar general has those clear ketchup/mustard dispensers that work great, drill holes through top shallow glass layer ( 1/8" deep max ) about 6" apart , and EASE the epoxy in, cover (tape) the holes as epoxy oozes out. Take your time and clean spills quickly. By the following morning those hulls will be rock hard. To make look better after repair i filled drill divots with marineTex to make holes flush then used epoxy based paint with sand in it ( for the decks only ) ends up solid and looking nice too.
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Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi
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Posted: Nov 16, 2014 - 05:20 PM
dont try and drill past the soft spots it wont eject into anyplace thats not soft . and you end up with extra holes
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"take your dreams down from the shelf take the measure of yourself upon a beckoning sea"
eileen quinn
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Posted: Nov 16, 2014 - 06:16 PM
I would definitely be concerned about the vertical crack in the side of the hull, especially if there are soft spots in that area. That crack is likely an indication that the hull has flexed more than it should and could very well be a sign that the hull is getting ready to fail. Check the area over really well. That is not a "normal" crack.
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Edited by Dogboy on Nov 16, 2014 - 06:17 PM. -
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Posted: Nov 16, 2014 - 06:27 PM
John, that is not a crack in pic 1, just a gouge in the gelcoat, don't worry about it, seen worse
The cracks in pic 2 around the pylon brace are normal aging gelcoat cracks, don't worry about those either
The crack in pic 4 is a stress crack due to the soft spot that was under the sticker, if the soft spot had been repaired in a timely manner it would not have traveled.
If you repair the remaining soft spots around that stress crack it will help reduce stress in that area and keep you sailing a bit longer. So get yourself supplies as stated above, inject the heck out of that hull, gaining experience which will help u in the years to come, and sail it like you stole it. Just remember that this is a "starter boat", one you learn on, so get learning bud and don't waste time or money on it, less time on repair means more Time On Water. -
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Posted: Nov 16, 2014 - 06:32 PM
After reviewing pic 1 magnified, I realized that those were pencil marks outlining the hull crack, correct? -
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Posted: Nov 17, 2014 - 03:57 AM
The title of pic 1 is "suspicious crack."
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**unknown user**
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Posted: Nov 17, 2014 - 07:08 AM
Thanks all for the advice. I tried this this weekend. Of course no matter how many videos or threads I read, I always forget or do something or do it wrong! I purchased the West systems resin # 105 and hardener # 206. I thought I grabbed # 205 but did not. I thought it might be better since longer cure time and might help not to flame up on me. I made a template and marked the holes around 2" apart with extra holes where I thought I would need. The syringe injection was fine but what I neglected to do was tape the holes. So, of course the resin was coming out. I thought if I used tape, it would be a real pain to remove. So, what I did was as time went on and the resin was starting to hold I kept adding more to the holes. I checked it this morning and 98% was nice and hard. There is one 2" soft spot near the crack on the deck I will add some more today. I guess I will add a little more resin in each hole to fill them as some are a little low looking. Should I use resin or some type of polyurethane filler? Please advise.
I will be looking at the crack on the inside of the hull next. Should I use a Dremel grinder only to see what the damage is under the gel coat or just use a sander? If this repair seems to work for me, I'm really thinking of restoring this but I might take the advice and just fix it for now until I can locate a better used hull. Even though I have a hard time following directions, I could not have done this without all the advice from all on this site. Thanks again everyone!
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