I own a 80's 16 and a mid 90's 20 but I just finished a 1000 mile round trip to buy a hobie 14. Owner for the past 24 years says its a 1971. Have the title for the boat and trailer. I know a ton about hobie 16's and 20 from many years of sailing but have no experience with a VERY early 70's standard H14.
It has no modern traveler... a jam cleat at both ends of the traveler with a small line to set the travel. The sail is a McKibbin. No sail numbers but has the Hobie Logo. The boat has black fiberglass rudders and the OEM '71 yellow vinyl tramp in great condition ( covered and stored in a garage over the winters.... Illinois ) The main is also solid yellow but is like a 500 TC bed sheet.
Bought the boat very cheap ~ at $250 w trailer plus another $150ish to get it. Needs lotsa elbow grease. Only got it to help the local boy scouts and new guys have a catamaran to sit on as they love our fleet and Hobies and want to learn all about it. Should I try to restore it to stock? Update it to more modern improvements? drop $500 bucks and make it super nice? Or just get it operational and sell it off for cost to a local?
The guy I bought it from kept it covered when not in use and mentioned it was in his barn for over 10 years. The oem tramp has no tears or anything and the boat is solid except one small spot on port hull on deck only. It's a freshwater boat, no corrosion at all. Are the traveler items the same as on a 16? I do have lots of spare 16 parts and blocks. Going to call salty dog marine and get all new standing rigging. I believe the wires are shorter on the pre- 80's boats?
Thanks you guys!!!
Edited by fxloop on Nov 14, 2016 - 10:45 AM.
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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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Bought a '71 H14 to help local fleet. HELP!
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Posted: Nov 13, 2016 - 11:00 PM
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Posted: Nov 14, 2016 - 05:40 PM
I had an early H14 many years ago. My boat had the early style of traveler system that used a metal thing that was supposed to slide in the traveler track. That thing was a pain in the butt, used to bind up easily and I used to flip on occasion because of it. Personally, I would try to upgrade the traveler system to something more modern. The 14 is a great boat though, my friends and I had a blast with that boat, other than the iffy traveler, it was a lot of fun.
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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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Posted: Nov 14, 2016 - 07:31 PM
Way to go Tim, your H14 is a nice match with the other Tim's "new" 73 H14, which also has a McKibbin sail.
For those that haven't heard of them, McKibbin was the supplier for all the Hobie's from the factory until Hobie started making their own sails.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Nov 16, 2016 - 02:47 PM
You are kind of in that danger zone of sinking too much money and time into the boat for any kind of return other than the satisfaction of getting someone into sailing. Hobie 14s are running $1000-$1500 for good 80's boats that have been modernized. There are exceptions like one in the classifieds that has a lot of new stuff on it, but you would spend a lot of money to get to that level.
First, don't give up on your McKibben sail! Damon is right that they were the original sail makers for Hobie, but they also used a lighter fabric than you are used to on your 16. The Dacron is also 'shiney' and smoother so it appears to be softer. So, don't think it is useless just because of the feel. However, it is 43 years old, so, yeah, it probably needs replacing. I wouldn't make that your priority, though.
Hobie changed to a 6 batten sail in the 80s so if you were to get another sail, I would look for one of those. They are a better cut and are supposedly larger in sail area. You would be looking at at least $250 for a main and you would probably need a new set of battens. They run about $150 shipped.
I would definitely change the traveler--that will be the best bang for the buck on the performance and sailing satisfaction. You can get an upgrade 'kit' from any of the vendors on this site (including myself) for under $100.
The older 14s came with a 'tall' 4:1 mainsheet system and that required the mast to stand up (not raked) so that you wouldn't go block-to-block when close hauled. That could explain the difference in shroud length, but I don't recall that ever being a major factor in rigging the 14. I would definitely replace the rigging if it is old.
14s, like your 16 sail better with a raked back mast. In order to do that, you would have to get a low-profile 6:1 mainsheet system, which run about $150-250 used. However, once you rake your mast back, you will load up your rudders, so you will need to get the upgraded upper castings with rake adjusters and you will probably have to do some work on your rudders to get them to rake under the boat. The best (and cheapest) way to do that is to get a newer set off of a 16 and cut it down to fit your 14. It would be better to get a working system so you don't have to do all the altering. That would probably cost you $150-250 for the complete set. It would be more for EPO or fiberglass rudders.
The next cheap upgrade would be to add a trapeze system. The wire set up (wires, dog bones, lines, bungee) is pretty cheap (under $100), but you have to add a dolphin striker. 80's factory Turbos came out with them and they looked just like the Hobie 16 striker, but I would get the after market one that rivets to the bottom of the front beam. They are often available eBay and are cheap and easy to install.
Now, I like the 14 uni, I have sailed plenty of them and it takes a while to understand the boat, but once you do, they are a lot of fun. Unfortunately, most people want the jib and bad mouth the Uni because they can't sail it.
It takes a lot to convert an older boat to a Turbo. I'd say at least $800, probably closer to $1000--and that is using used parts. First, you need a trampoline with the grommets for the jib blocks. You can convert yours but you will need to take it to a tent maker to get HUGE grommets installed. Other big ticket items are the sail ($100-250), rigging ($150), Dolphin striker ($100), furler ($150) Jib blocks/sheet ($150), misc hardware ( -
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Posted: Nov 16, 2016 - 02:50 PM
($50). The rigging is expensive because the jib block support wire has a turnbuckle in it as well as a roller swaged fitting and the bridles have roller swaged fittings. The upper forestay pigtail has an upper furler, too.
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Posted: Nov 16, 2016 - 04:05 PM
Tim: You probably know that my daughter and I have a 14T. Other than the obvious (soft spots, etc.), the first thing I'd check is to make sure the mast is empty and well sealed. For whatever reason, the H14 seems to want to turtle quicker than the H16....not good especially with youngsters involved. I'd definitely do the traveler upgrade, but wouldn't even consider the traps, DS, or turbo conversion. Lots of good tuning info here to peruse as you decide how far to take the project:
http://hobieclass.hobiecat.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Hobie-14-Tuning-Guide.pdf
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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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Posted: Nov 17, 2016 - 08:44 PM
Great info guys! I started taking the boat apart today after work to inspect things a bit better. The mainsail is indeed thinner and a bit shiny, isn't ripped and doesn't have pinholes or staining, Def gonna keep it. I'm not going to bother with the Turbo conversion and i believe i already own most of the upgrade suggestions from all the parts boats i've bought the last 6 years. Traveler car, 6:1 blocks ( not low profile tho ) not sure if i have a spare center swivel mount with cam cleat like on the 16's. BTW, the boat has black fiberglass rudders on it. They're not painted... solid black w fibers showing a little... are these stock? an upgrade somewhere?
The Hobie 14 included a Baby Bob mast float so that will be going on it. Yes the 14's do turtle quick, i've seen it and helped a local guy right his a few years ago.... it was TOUGH with the mast taking on water. I believe I will need to disassemble the mast head and completely renew the seal. Is it a super pain? Are steel rivets mandatory for the mast head?... our local Hobie dealer doesn't have or stock any and tried to send me off on a wild goose chase when i asked to buy some for spares. May just order off of eBay if i need to.
The goal is to be able to sail in a local small lake 15 mins from the house and pass it on to someone that would love going sailing locally. No racing or anything like that. Would love to see a couple teenagers sailing the crap out of it while i watch from the 16.
Edited by fxloop on Nov 17, 2016 - 08:51 PM.
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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 18, 2016 - 11:14 AM
Great news on the rudders! They sound like the old EPOs that start showing threads when the gel coat or whatever outer coating they have wears off. The best way to repair them is to roll on epoxy resin and then sand them down but that is a pain because the fibers goop up and you end up doing a lot of sanding. If the fibers aren't that bad, you can probably get away with just spraying them with black primer and then sanding. It is much easier. You can finish them off with appliance paint to make them really shine.
Sealing the mast isn't that bad, but you really need to do it. I would seal the entire mast--seal the base and any of the hardware. You should use stainless rivets on the base, but you can get away with aluminum ones on the head. You should use stainless on all the other hardware.
You might want to look for a comptip head so that the baby bob will attach much easier. There should be a bracket on the bottom that has two holes in each side that line up with the comptip sheave pins. However, you can make your own bracket.
To seal the mast, you need to remove the head, then dig out the old seal. There should be a foam plug and then a metal plate. You usually end up destroying the metal plate and plug when removing them. I believe you can buy a kit from Hobie, but I have had great success sealing all sorts of masts with stuff from Home depot. I get a thin sheet of galvanized metal and, with tin snips, cut out new metal plates. You want them to be as close to the inner shape of the mast as you can, but they don't have to be perfect. I cut plugs out of closed cell foam that I get with the packing of the electronic equipment at work. I get foam pads that are about 2 inches thick and cut them to be slightly larger than the inner shape of the mast. I use 5200 or 5300 to seal them.
So, you have to dig out the old seal stuff and really clean the area. They probably used silicone caulk and nothing sticks to silicone caulk, so you really have to get it out and clean the surface. When you are all cleaned up, smear some 5300 all around the inside of the mast about 5-6 inches in, then shove in the foam plug. you want it to be slightly above (not shoved in as much) as where you want it to end up. Then, smear 5200 all over the top of the plug and make sure you get it around the edges. Then, insert your metal plate until it is flat against the plug and push it in a little farther to where you want it to stay. Then, smear 5200 all over the top of the plate and make sure you get is all on the edges. Now, that is a sealed mast. Let that dry, then smear a little 5200 around the top of the mast and insert the mast head. Note: it sill be VERY hard to remove that mast head after this. Do it on a warm day and wear rubber gloves. -
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Posted: Nov 18, 2016 - 01:13 PM
Anytime you're taking apart a 40+ year old piece of equipment, you're looking at potential headaches. Typically removing a mast head isn't too big of a deal, but you never know. I'd try to confirm that it's leaking before tearing it apart. If the seal is still good, why mess with it?
Regarding rivets, you want to use Stainless Steel (not steel). You don't need a Hobie dealer for this. Just order off of McMaster Carr. They have plenty of selection and you will have parts in a day or two, most likely for half the cost of a Hobie dealer too.
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Posted: Nov 18, 2016 - 08:02 PM
I'm nearly positive the mast leaks. Previous owner stated that he'd turtled a few years ago ( why he bought the bob ) and could hear water trapped inside mast. That sucker will be drained and sealed as Dan suggested
Again, thank you guys for your input. It means a lot and goes further than just helping me.
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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 23, 2016 - 04:48 PM
Dude.....even if you have to do a little work on those Gen1 EPOs, they're worth almost as much as you paid for the boat! They will it an H16, too (without drilling), so hang onto them if you get rid of the boat. IMO, they are overkill on an H14 that's not used for serious racing. If you epoxy them, mix in a little graphite powder to make the coating jet black. You'll still need to topcoat with appliance paint or whatever, though....otherwise the sun (UV) will make them chalky in no time.
There is a pretty good description of how I sealed our H14T mast in this thread:
http://www.hobiecat.com/f…&hilit=mast+seal#p142875
Edited by rattlenhum on Nov 23, 2016 - 04:49 PM.
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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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