I have two sets of hobie 16 hulls both are 1979's. one set of hulls the serial number ends with "-R" the other doesn't. what does this denote and what is the difference. Thanks

from the Hobie Forum:

Hulls - What year / model year is my Hobie?

CCML1944A888 ( CCM L 1944 A 8 88 )

CCM - Coast Catamaran Manufacturer

L - The letter in that position "L" stands for the model of boat/kayak. Each boat model (H16, H17, TheMightyHobie18 etc.) starts out with a different letter. If more than 9,999 of that model were built in one year, there would be multiple letters for a single model. In example, there were so many Hobie 16's built in some years that the model letters include CCMB, D, E, F, L, O, P R and S (also do to several other factors). The letter must change if we build more than 9,999 in one year.

1944 - Serial number sequence number

A - "A" is the month for January, "B" February and so on.

8 - year which was built in 1988

88- Your boat is a 1988 model year. Model years are like cars. The new year starts in September.

If the last of the sequence read I889, The boat would have been built in September of 1988 as a 1989 Model Year boat.

http://www.hobiecat.com/support/warranty/sailserial.html

Is the hull marked R the starboard one?

Here's my understanding....I'm curious to hear what the Matts have to say....

I heard that there was some kind of factory defect with some of the original '79 hulls. I know that, for some period (early 80's?), you could cut the transoms off your '79, turn 'em in to your dealer, and get new replacements. I think the replacements bore the original HIN plus "-R".

When the port hull on my '85 blew up (a whole 'nother story), the PO replaced 'em with a used set of "79-R"s. They were probably 15 years old at the time, but lasted another 8 or so years of HARD sailing.....nice hulls.

In that era, when a hull was replaced (due to damage or whatever), the replacement hull had the same HID as the original, but with the "R" to indicate it was a replacement.

When we replaced hulls under warranty we had to cut off about 4 inches of the old transom and send it back to Coast Cat to prove the old hull was "destroyed".

We had a guy who made a Hobie 15.5 motor boat out of one set of destroyed hulls.

Thanks, Makes sence the person whom I got the boat from told me the boat was "blowen up" and rebuilt with parts. I guess I'll be doing it again. She'll live again.