So I'm looking at buying my first cat and after months of saving and looking I found one in my area. I haven't sailed in years and I know nothing about Hobie's. I used to sail flying scotts and 420's. Hundreds of hours at the helm of our powerboats. Anyway, here is the low down on the Hobie 16:
-$1100 (not bad)
- sat in storage for 5 years, used once last summer, selling due to injury
-original sails and new sails
-rigging sounds to be in good condition but needs a rudder cam pin (I think thats it); needs a pin
- trailer looks good
-new trapeze
-freshly painted
-tramp looks subpar but in good shape
THE KICKER
He mentioned he filled the hulls with foam like its a Whaler. He said he did this because its getting old and wanted to add support and rigidity to the hulls. I think its his way of preventing soft spots. He mentioned a video of a hobie snapping in half and that's what inspired him. He said it added about 10 lbs. per hull (a lot in my opinion) and made the hulls look wavy rather than smooth. Everything about this Hobie seems good except for the foam. I'm just not sure what to make about foam filled hulls. I'm just worried if this gentleman's desire to take care of this Hobie ended up being more harmful. I'm going to look at it tomorrow. What should I look for?
HELP! Foam Filled Hobie 16 hulls??
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 02:12 PM
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 02:44 PM
I'd pass, especially given the wavy hulls... -
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 05:10 PM
Not sure your location, but around here $1100-$1500 buys you a pretty decent H16 to get on the water so I'd keep up the search. The Hobie 16 is a super well built, durable boat, there shouldn't be any need to fill it with foam, if the hulls are starting to go there is little that will save them -
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 07:22 PM
PASS , PASS , PASS
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Doug Klem
Pensacola , Fl.
Blade F16
Prindle 18-2 w/spin
Prindle 18-2 x 3
Prindle 19 MX
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 07:29 PM
I'd run, not walk, RUN, away from that one. Sounds like a mess to me. Decent boats will be popping up on ebay and craigslist now that it's getting warmer. Good luck in your search.
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Marty
1984 Hobie 16 Redline Yellow Nationals, "Yellow Fever"
Opelika, Al / Lake Martin
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 08:18 PM
Bayoucat, first, welcome to The beach cats.com and welcome to cat sailing.
It's rare here to have instant consensus on the question of "should I buy this boat", but you have it on this one.
NO
I can't think of many things worse you could do to a Hobie 16 than fill the bulls with foam. Maybe filling the mast with foam would be worse but masts are cheaper than two bills.
Where are you located? And almost as important where is this foam/boat? The owner may figure out that he should keep that information to himself if he wants to unload the boat.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 08:37 PM
As others have said, RUN RUN RUN. I guarantee if the hulls are filled wih foam it added more than 10 Lbs. Sounds like a boat that is destined for the dumpster.
Save your money, educate yourself a little more, and get a decent boat. Not this one.
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Posted: Apr 15, 2017 - 11:25 PM
no, no, no,
With a little effort really good boats can be regularly found for 1,000 coast to coast. -
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Posted: Apr 17, 2017 - 09:47 AM
no one has mentioned but foam almost always gets water logged (adding dozens and dozens of pounds)
never the correct solution -
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 03:37 PM
Well gents I appreciate the replies and the quick answer. I walked away from the deal. Not worth it. Found another though so I'll give him a call and see how that turns out. Newly gel coated he says. Says it needs new lines which I assume means main and jib sheet.
Sorry for the late response. Work and the end of the semester leave for little free time. -
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 03:51 PM
Just spoke to this gentleman and he said that it was gel coated due to blisters. I'm not entirely sure if that is something to be worried about or not. Any advice is appreciate. And by lines he was talking about lines to hoist the sail. I would assume those are not too expensive. -
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 03:53 PM
https://orlando.craigslist.org/boa/6092765555.html
Here is said boat -
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 04:01 PM
Looks like shrouds are attached to the side rail not the hull.
Looks like grommets in the tramp.
Looks like a 14 jib, not a 16 jib. although it does have Full battens.
Jib traveler tracks are on the main beam like a 16.
That may be a 14, not a 16.
Does not look like fresh GelCoat. The boat may have been moored thus blisters in the GelCoat.
Edited by nacra55 on Apr 20, 2017 - 04:11 PM.
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Ron
Nacra F18
Reservoir Sailing Assn.
Brandon, Mississippi
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 04:09 PM
How can you tell? -
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 04:16 PM
Dolphin striker is not a 16. Looks like a 14 dolphin striker.
All hard to tell from photos.
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Ron
Nacra F18
Reservoir Sailing Assn.
Brandon, Mississippi
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 04:20 PM
I say 14: the shrouds are a giveaway - 16 shrouds attach to the hull. Also sails - the 16 sails (jib and main) have windows in them.
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H16 back in the day
SC17 right now
Bradenton, FL
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 04:42 PM
regardless of the size ... a "new" gel-coat job to cover the blisters is problematic
it means moisture got into the hulls and is lifting the glass off the foam - causing blisters.
fairly common in hobies, and cats in general but never a good sign
doesn't mean the boat is dead - but wouldn't be my first choice -
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 05:06 PM
Bayoucat,
Don't get discouraged, they say you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince(s).
For the price you are looking you can find a good boat.
Couple of things looking at this latest one. The trailer has no storage box or tube. They usually do and it's something you will want. The sails look like aftermarket sails rather than Hobie branded sails. "Real" Hobie sails will have a Hobie logo patch near the bottom. Anyone can put the hobie "flying H" decal on, so don't go by that.
Aftermarket sails aren't automatically bad, just that factory sails are very good and long lasting.
What MN3 said. In general you want to avoid Hobie 16's that have been "re-gelcoated" or painted. The boats are made of fiberglass sandwich (foam core) with a very heavy layer of gelcoat on the exterior from the factory.
Also avoid any boat that the owner tells you spent substantial time at a mooring. The boats weren't built for that and it's about the only way Hobie's develop blisters.
I like the tips on telling a Hobie 14 from a Hobie 16 by the pictures.
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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 05:20 PM
100% agree here - the great thing is that there are a ton of Hobie 16s about so you will find a great one soon enough.
One more thing to look for on hulls apart from waviness and blisters: Hobie's are awesome beach cats - you can sail them right onto the sand with two people on the wire (don't ask), but therein lies an issue: have a look at the bottom of the hulls to check keel wear. People drag them about on the shore and the keels get warn away. It's easy enough to repair, but again: why bother when there are so many to choose from? You can easily wear the keel to the point that the hulls will split down the length (again - don't ask) and that gets a bit sinky (don't... nevermind.)
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H16 back in the day
SC17 right now
Bradenton, FL
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Posted: Apr 20, 2017 - 05:34 PM
I agree with previous posts as well. $1500 can buy an old boat that is in perfect working order with updated lines, etc.
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