A little too late, but did you see the two 5.0 meter G-Cats in the classifieds. Surely, $1350 is not the right price??

Would you cancel the H16 for a 2006 G-Cat hull?

Who knows, you might even be featured in Sailing World's Dr. Crash someday <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like you made a good decision. One of my favorite things about owning a 16 on a student budget is having lots of available parts. Congrats on the new boat.

But would you need to buy all those parts when you own a 5.0? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jake, well with the 5.0 i was lookin at, it seemed everything was on the verge of collapse. Duct tape was EVERYWHERE, holding shrouds to the hulls, trap lines, tiller gudgeons, etc. it looked really sketch to say the least haha...

about the G-Cat, yeah kinda didn't see that in time, but who cares cuz i got a boat i'm happy with.

OK so i got the H16, but have no clue how to rig it all up. does anyone know of a link that shows how? i found Hobie's online PDF manuals, but the images are basically black blotches, much like something out of a 1988 fax machine.

JUST MAKE IT STOP!!!! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> OK, just to show you I'm a good sport about it, I've changed my avatar. If the Extreme 40 guys can pitchpole one of those, than I don't fill like I'm in bad company...

ALL HAIL! This is from the person who is ACTUALLY featured in Dr. Crash in this month's Sailing World!

This not the way I would have liked to make the magazine. I was hoping to stay anonymous. The nice thing about the photo was that it didn’t show the sail # or mention our names.

Was that taken during Spring Fever at the A-mark? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yes, still reliving it. One advantage (or disadvantage) of having Walter Cooper, renowned freelance photographer, at an event... You may just get published. He certainly captured my worst moments.

Yeah for some reason that A mark gave a bunch of people problems. I remember going around that one a little less than wide and having the rudders stall out while I was pulling the chute up. Don't usually have that problem <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

At least you win style points <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

To say a Hobie 16 is agricultural would be kind. It is the Harley Davidson of beach cats. They keep dressing it up but it's still a tractor. If you are not going to use it in surf run. Even huge fleets don't excuse its bad behaving. I run several cats including the old 16 foot Tornado copy the Hydra which is about the same vintage.
I took a nat champs H16 sailor out on it recently and he was super gun shy of plowing the nose in.. kept pinching and not giving the boat its head.. who needs that?
Get long noses, dagger boards, over power the boat and go up wind. :" )
Seroiusly though I think it is about mind set. If you will get into sail trim, tactics and the beauty of sail go the Nacra, if you just want to be a monkey and thrash about the Hobie will probablly give you the laughs.
Whatever the choice, sail fast! : )

I've been considering names for my new (to me) boat for about a year now...."Thrashing Monkey" just moved to the top of the list!

Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mi'sippi USA

: ) heheheheheh! I have often thought of "Monkey Boy" for mine! after the words of that song "nobody loves you monkey boy!"