As a newbie to cats, a Hobie 16 in particular, I am having a hard time figuring out how to get the tiller from one side to the other without completely losing control. Now I toss it around the back end while scrambling across and always lose my turning line and sometimes more. Any secrets? Thanks

First, welcome to the club!

You have the right idea with the tiller. I usually toss it behind the boat into the water, grab the tiller crossbar, and as I move to the other side of the boat I switch hands and pick the tiller extension back up.

Some will dispute how to handle the tiller extension, but it ends up being whatever you are comfortable with. It just takes some getting used to. After a while it will become second nature.

I am not the most experienced person on this site by a long shot, but this is how I do it:

While you are on starboard tack you should have the tiller in your left hand. I know you already know this but I'll use this tack as an example. If you are going upwind, ease the sheet about 6 inches just before your boat goes head to wind. Then reach around the right side of the mainsheet system with your right hand and take the tiller from your left. I do this as I am ducking under the boom with both knees on the tramp facing backwards at the mainsheet block. Once you let go of the tiller with your left hand, cross to the new side (port) and grab the sheet with your now free left hand. The extra 6 inches that you released should give you some time to get across with the sheet out of your hand without capsizing. When you cross to the new tack, the extra line will also put you on a lower heading so you can pick up speed faster. Then gradually sheet in until you are trimmed for the course. On downwind, you don't have to release the sheet any, but it can be tricky with the boom swinging across. I will usually start the gybe slowly, which will flatten the hulls so the boat is more stable. I will then cross the tiller over early so I will have a free hand to help the boom across. I do this so I can plan when the sail comes across. You could just let it swing across on it's own, but it can knock the tiller out of your hands if you are not ready for it, and in higher winds, it can round you up to the point that you can't depower in time. I just grab the boom or the sheet blocks with a free hand and pull it across.

If you singlehand, doing all this and the jib sounds tough, but it is pretty easy with practice. My tacks go like this:
1. Start the turn.
2. Ease sheet 6 inches, cleat it, then let it go.
3. At head to wind, release old jib sheet.
4. Cross under boom passing tiller behind the boat at same time.
5. Sheet in new jib sheet. (This will help pull the boat out of the wind)
6. Sheet the main as you gain speed.

I have sailed with some people who will let the jib back the wind to pull the boat out of irons. That is the easy way to do it if you are not racing, but it will slow you down considerably. If you are racing, you don't want anything to backwind. It could also cause you to capsize in heavy winds.
I hope this helps. If anyone has a better way to tack while singlehanding please let me know. I know 6 inches sounds like a lot, but I tend to sail conservatively since I don't weigh much (150 pounds) and the 5.2 can get rowdy for me in anything over 10 knots.

-Rob V.
Panama City
Nacra 5.2

I forgot to add:

You don't want to lose control of the tiller, even for a second, while you are tacking. If you let go, it could center itself and put you in irons. So thoughout the whole pass around manuever, keep the rudders in their proper turn. By the time I pass the tiller from one hand to another, I have the rudders all the way over as far as they will go. I keep them there until the boat is on the new course and the main fills with air.
I switched from monos to cats and had a hard time learning to tack. Monos are much quicker at tacking, but they are much slower overall. It will take some practice to get the cats to tack well, but it is worth the extra effort.

As I push the tiller away from myself and sart my move across the boat I also run my hand up the shaft of the tiller toward the mainsheet. As I make the turn my hand is now only inches away from the universal and I can flick the the tiller, placing it on the other sides rudder arm or thereabouts. As I turn my body and go to the other side I pick the dry tiller extension up and carry on.
On one of my boats I have a half circle of aluminium on my cross arm and the universal is secured to that. This has the effect of lifting the tiller extension away from the traveller and the half circle is bolted on the angle so it guides the tiller extension across.
I am probaly going to put this unit onto my performance boats as well.
If you check photo you will sight it as a white section at base of tiller extension.