I had allot of "slop" in my TheMightyHobie18 hulls last season. At one point I used about 15 "custom" rivets on my rear beam to help secure it and reduce play.

I did inspect and tighten the bolts (often) that secure the beams to the hulls. At last inspection 1 rear bolt had completely fallen out. This certainly didn’t help with the “Hobie wobble” in my hulls.

We ended up removing the rear beam and then found out I had stress fractures at the bolt holes on the beam. They were completely hidden and only found when the beam was removed.

A quick run to the alum welder and $75 fixed the situation. That is until I realized he had sanded off some rivets that hold the anchor (a big slug in the beam that anchors the hull/beam bolts) inside the rear beam off... 1 problem fixed 1 new problem to handle).

It sailed my 1985 TheMightyHobie18 about 100 days last year (and same for the year before that). I flew the hull at every chance, and did use Harkin, ratchamatic 7 to 1's. I never complained about service or maintaining the boat (even when I broke shroud anchor bolt and demasted)... I certainly got my moneys worth out of that boat and hope it treats its new owner as well as it did me.