A good tool to help you search is www.searchtempest.com. It searches all of that city-based listing service (you can specify distance), the web-based sales site, etc.. It will at least give you a few boats to further research.
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Tim
81 Hobie 16
87 Nacra 5.7
Austin, TX
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Hobie 18?
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- Rank: Lubber
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Posted: Jan 22, 2015 - 09:45 PM
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Posted: Jan 23, 2015 - 07:16 AM
You will have to probably look at lots of boats before you find one in great conditions and under priced - please think about your boarding costs, and fuel costs and add that to your budget. It may get you to a newer/better local boat. -
I would recommend you ask any prospective seller to send you dozens of high res images
and videos
I would ask if there are any known issues, softspots, or problems
I would ask what upgrades have been done and what upgrades would you (The seller) do next and why
I would ask if they are willing to sign a bill of sale (don't buy a boat without one)
I would ask if they are willing to sign an agreement that states the boat is in "good" and working order with no issues -
I would ask if they are willing to put it in a local hobie dealer and get him to review the boat prior to sale
I would require the seller to rig the boat infront of me (you) - to make sure all parts are there, and working
I would suggest you take notes, pics and even video during the rigging ... .you will forget much of it when you are on a beach in a few months and your notes/vids will be very valuable -
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Posted: Jan 23, 2015 - 10:13 AM
MN3, thanks :) I do have a local acquaintance that has owned Hobies for years if I get really stuck I will get in touch with him but the notes/video/pics will be a big help. Yes bill of sale and registration up to date is already on our list. A lot of boats don't have the papers and aren't registered which could potentially add up to a lot extra. Good ideas on the rest, I will add them to our list.
Man, that makes it a LOT easier! -
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Posted: Jan 23, 2015 - 12:40 PM
check your local laws, they vary state to state
in my state they used to not require any registration - so no one ever had Titles
Now they changed the rule (with exceptions) and anyone who needs a title (or wants to regester a catamaran over 16') has a huge hurdle in their sale or purchase -
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Posted: Jan 23, 2015 - 04:27 PM
The hobie 18 is a great boat and will take 3 adults no problem, most of what's been said here is right.
watch for soft spots, they are a pain to repair, Not sure where you are in cal, but there are lots of hobie fleets out there, do some research, reach out to the fleets, someone might be sitting on a boat that they are thinking of selling and will work with you, or they know someone etc, etc, also if they are a active fleet person, they will be there to help.
Deals are there to be found. we had one of our junior sailors score a 88 hobie 16 that had been garaged for $850 boat only needs new sails to be competitive. So be patient, ask around, all the cat sailors I have ever met are very helpful and I have been sailing cats since 1975. -
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Posted: Jan 28, 2015 - 10:23 PM
oscarlet,
Not sure where on the west coast you are... but we have a growing group of 18 sailors out of the San Luis Obispo area. Probably also a reason CA is a bit harder to find hobie 18s in. I've got one project boat that will be coming together in the next month or two and boats are coming through our fleet regularly to get some love, out of back yards and back onto the water.
Tom -
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Posted: Jan 30, 2015 - 07:37 PM
Tom, we are based in San Diego :)
There is another boat we are planning to look at tomorrow. Close to twice the price so it would have to be worth it but a lot newer.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/boa/4866436327.html
My husband is worried that he doesn't have enough experience to sail it but the owner is quite happy to take him out a number of times because he is also down in San Diego.
Thoughts? -
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Posted: Jan 30, 2015 - 10:31 PM
Looks clean and newer. Buy $2500
More money, but well worth it.
You can always find what you want at the right price if you're willing to wait and search for three months. I drove up to Lake Tahoe from Los Angeles to get mine.
Edited by spfx on Jan 30, 2015 - 08:36 PM. -
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Posted: Jan 31, 2015 - 10:56 PM
Thanks for all the help. We went and saw both boats. We felt very green when looking at them and felt like despite our lists we really didn't know enough.... e.g. how soft is too soft on a sail.
We saw the nacra first and it really looked like it had been sailed hard and put away wet (the sails for instance were very wet) and the boat as a whole was very dirty. There was corrosion almost everywhere. Again we have little idea of how much is too much but it seemed like every piece on the boat was worn. The foot straps had detached themselves at the front of the trampoline and were tied on, the trailer looked very rusty, one hull had quite a bit of wear on the bottom and cracks running up the bows big enough that my fingernail could go between them. The mast had a dent, didn't look particularly significant (nearish the top and didn't bend the mast), the edges of the transoms were a little ragged like they had scraped along a fence and broken a little (cosmetic only). The rudders had been worn flat at the bottom on both sides, didn't look like a lot was missing. The sail was very soft (I think, having nothing to compare it to) along one edge and had some duct tape on some of the batten pockets. We felt that it was sailable and could be a project boat but that we really didn't want to spend the next few years repairing one thing after another.
So we reluctantly went to look at the 79 Hobie 18. Well there were a few bits and pieces, some wear on the keels but not all the way through, dagger boards could do with a little filling here and there. Mostly though my husband couldn't stop smiling and it was in very good condition with nothing we could find missing. The owner spent a lot of time with us explaining and helping us rig it. As we are buying the boat because I enjoy watching my usually tired and stressed husband smile so much when sailing I figured that this, the one he wanted, was the one. It may not be the one forever, but we reckon we would spend at least that much over the year renting a boat so even if we keep it for a while and then sell it at a loss we will come out ahead.
Thank you so much for your help. I hope I can impose on you all again when we need help with it.
Edited by oscarlet on Jan 31, 2015 - 10:59 PM. -
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Posted: Feb 01, 2015 - 01:51 AM
Congratulations on the Hobie Purchase. There are at least a couple of active 18 groups down there, and A LOT of parts available, used and new for that boat. It sounded like that Nacra may have been a bit much even if it was in good condition(sounds like a bit of a stretch). We have fun sailing that boat in 5knts or 15-20 althought we prefer the latter up here. '79 is not a necessarily and old boat if it was cared for, there are extensive online resources with regards to soft spots and weak points to look for, and what to do to keep it up. Murray's is a a great resource, and potentially your local Hobie dealer, who should have access to most parts for it as needed.
Most importantly... HAVE FUN! -
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Posted: Feb 01, 2015 - 04:27 PM
Congrats on joining the beachcats fun! I'm partial to the H18 so get it out and report how big a grin you end up with.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
How To Create Your Signature
How To Create Your Own Cool Avatar
How To Display Pictures In The Forums.
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Posted: Feb 01, 2015 - 10:15 PM
Thanks :)
Just to be clear, again, I don't know what I'm looking at when I look at a boat, someone else could look at that nacra and say "buy it, definitely worth the price that corrosion/the sails/the hulls are fine" just wanted to give some detail because everyone has been so helpful
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Posted: Feb 02, 2015 - 08:04 AM
the nacra sounds pretty bad (fingernail deep cracks, duct taped sail repais....) - sounds like a lot of work would be needed to make this an enjoyable boat and explain the low price. probably usable for someone who likes to do hull repair and boat upgrades but not for most recreational sailors who want to put it on a hitch and go sailing.
the h18 - there should be some wear on a boat that has been used - all sounds appropriate to me ...
enjoy and keep us posted (pics of your new cat would be nice too :) )
Congrats. Sounds like you did the right thing to me.
I recommend you get it in the water as soon as possible - that way if there are any leaks or surprises (things that are broken) you could have some recourse with the seller. If you wait 3 or 4 months ... you have less of a change of a refund of any amount
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Posted: Feb 02, 2015 - 11:02 AM
thanks, I don't think that is going to be a problem My husband is likely to be (sea)sick this week I think. I think he would have taken it out in the dark that night if it was at all realistic!
There is someone selling a set of hulls the same age and colour. We have plans to go look at them, it would mean we could work on the current hulls without taking the boat out of action. We aren't very quick at doing projects! -
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Posted: Feb 02, 2015 - 03:49 PM
- haha!
it would be great to have a spare set for many reasons. I have a spare 5.5 in my back yard, but just purchased a 6.0 this past week.. yards getting full w boats -
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Posted: Feb 02, 2015 - 06:08 PM
When looking at older 18 hulls, one of the most critical areas to inspect is the hull lip under the crossbar attachment points. This area had a tendency to crack out if not properly reinforced. There is an upgraded crossbar anchor kit available which will strengthen this area and is fairly easy to install. Soft spots in and around the front crossbar area also need to be addressed. Either of these types of damage can result in catastrophic hull failure so be sure to look over any older hulls really well before purchasing.
Also give the front crossbar a real good inspection. The extrusion in the area of the mast step has a tendency to crack over time. The mast step rivets also have a tendency to loosen over time and this can also weaken the crossbar if the rivets aren't replaced. If I bought a used 18, the first thing I would do after inspecting the hulls would be to pull off the front crossbar and give it a real thorough inspection.
In my experience, these are the two main structural areas to focus on when inspecting/refurbishing a H18. The only other thing would be standing rigging. If the previous owner can't tell you the last time the wires and shroud anchor pins were replaced, you'd probably be wise to bite the bullet and replace it all. Cheap insurance.
Good luck with the new boat and enjoy. 18s are a blast.
sm -
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Posted: Feb 03, 2015 - 06:54 AM
+1
right after i demasted my h18 - the local sailing shop owner told me "you should change out these pins every few years" -
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Posted: Feb 09, 2015 - 12:42 PM
We took her out yesterday for the first time. We took her down late morning and there was more wind than I was happy taking an unfamiliar boat out in so we left her in the car park and took a rental boat out. There was a club race going on which monopolised the bulk of the sailing part of the bay during the best wind of the day. We tried on the most part to stay out of their way but there was occasion where we crossed paths and honestly there were a couple of people acting like jerks so we only stayed out an hour and came in. The rental place said that they had got a bunch of people complaining about the racing and not sharing the water (this club races often) so we went for a long lunch and stayed out later than we should.
Rigging from scratch was a pain in the neck, we didn't know a bunch of stuff and the afternoon was getting late by then. The previous owners had some things not set up right and we got frustrated trying to figure it out. I think we did a couple of things wrong. I am taking a class right now on 16s and they seem to be rigged differently in a bunch of places. Oh btw, I now hate the rings on the clevis pins, my hands hurt today from trying to get those stupid things in. Where is it safe to replace them with something else? Eventually we got her out. It was late and the sun was low and the wind had dropped but she still was a lot of fun and sailed beautifully. My husband was so happy!
I had trouble with the cleat for the jib though, on the getaway you snatch the rope up to release them but this was set so you pull them down and if I was sat across from the cleat I couldn't get it to release...?? It was a pain, I'd have to lean over to get them loose. Am I doing something wrong? It was difficult to adjust the trim.
Edited by oscarlet on Feb 09, 2015 - 12:47 PM. -
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Posted: Feb 09, 2015 - 12:46 PM
Oh and we have the gooseneck boom pin without the locking pin that holds it in place. We got the whole boat rigged except the boom, sails up, got it off the trailer (first time launching a boat!) and we couldn't figure out how to attach the boat. We were pretty cross that we (thought!) bought a boat with a crucial piece missing and had wasted all that time and wouldn't get to go out. Then my husband saw a silvery glint on the ground. Someone had left it loose and unsecured in the boom and it had fallen out. Thank goodness!
Thanks for the advice, I'm about to order the anchor pins.
Edited by oscarlet on Feb 09, 2015 - 12:48 PM. -
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Posted: Feb 09, 2015 - 01:04 PM
huge learning curve here.. it gets easier every time and when you start to meet other h18 sailors you will learn tricks to cut the time in 1/2
i just purchased and rigged a new (to me) boat this weekend and it took me 2 hours to rig it (and it's basically the same boat i have, just a little longer). never got to sail it friday as planned due to the time it took to rig.
there is technique to mastering them but they are tricky and require (for me) strong fingernails
there are quick pins but they are VERY expensive and almost all fail over time (esp in salt water)
I have learned to never use them on a stay/boom or tiller extension
jib block can be hard for the crew to uncleat mostly due to the fact you are sitting forward. it does often require the crew to lean in and try and pull the line aft (and down)
see if there is any room to adjust the blocks better for crew (if there is any adjustment room left it was probably set for solo sailing)
also uncleatting can often be done by flicking the line (throwing a curve/wave down the line that uncleats it) - again harder for the crew to do but do-able (usually)
gets easier with practice
Edited by MN3 on Feb 09, 2015 - 01:22 PM.
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