I just fixed up my dad's 1975 Hobie 16, and am having all sorts of cool adventures!!! However yours reminded me of a great Hobie story.

My dad and I took the cat out in small craft warnings off Point Loma. Sailing out on a nice clip, double trapped. I was at the helm. We got allmost to the end of the point, and decided to take over and go back down the bay.

I tacked over but got caught in irons, and back over to our original tack. Just as we get back up to speed and ready to tack back, the lee stay comes over swiming in the wind.. At first im like. WHATS THAT?! then realizing what it was, OH !*&@! So had to take the boat on a broad reach up on the rocks at the end of point loma, and tie the chain plate down with the jib halyward.

We where able to tack back over and sail halfway down the bay. We finally where able to get to a place called BALLAST POINT, where we could take the cat up on to the sand bar and make a more lasting repair (DID I tell you this is US Navy Property?). Good thing we did, the jib halyard was allmost cut through. Anyways, with the boat head to wind, and me staying on the trappeze wire, we where able to remove the chainplate, and take the stay straight to the base pin. We got the sails back up, and headed out, just as 3 security craft where coming around the Navy Dry docks (Could you imagine having to do that today?!)

Turns out, some idiot who needed parts for their cat, took the cotter rings, and the clevis pin took its time working through. FIRST TIME I have ever been glad to get the boat caught in irons (SNICKER).

Bottom line... ALLWAYS ALLWAYS ALLWAYS check your shroud hardware!