I am a new owner of a 82 hobie 16. I have sailed it maybe 6 times but this past weekend I was out in strong winds on a bay in lake huron. My crew was on the trapize we had our weight as far back as possible we were on a beam reach running back towards shore going in the direction of the waves and although we tried to avoid it we pitch poled twice. the first time we just dug in and popped out the second time we flipped the cat. going out through the waves no problem! I have a modest rake on the mast. what am I doing wrong? Any suggestions?

It all started when you purchased a 1982 Hobie 16...



In all seriousness, you probably didn't do anything wrong (besides not backing down or bearing off a bit). What happened to you is just the inherent behaviour of your boat. Every boat has its limits, you just have to lean what yours are.

Travel out.......

Just for everybody’s entertainment please see the attached Pitch pole, oh by the way head down, get back and ease.

Sorry I think the attachment was tolarge or somthing.

http://www.archipelagoraid.com/image_pop.asp?ID=125&ext1=jpg&ext3=jpg

This boat likes alot of rake, especially reaching in a fresh breeze. Play around with the rake, increasing it until the leech of the main begins to twist off when two-blocked. Also read Wayne Schaefer's excellent chapter on the Hobie 16 in Rick's book, "Catamaran Racing for the 90s."

One really has to develop a one-to-one "feel" for the Hobie 16. To me it's way more fun to sail than any of the new boats. The bottom line is, don't let those left-brained daggerboard weenies tell you this boat can't handle the big stuff. With plenty of rake and two-blocked, maybe traveled out a little, the H16 will handle any nuclear blow that those Worrell boats can; actually more than they can, but that's another story.

There is not much (relative) volume in the hulls of a H16 most of the sailors around here where the wind is 20 KT on good days and 30 on really good ones sail the H16 singlehanded. I have sailed a H16 only once in about 10 -15 kt winds and had to watch the bow carefully but I weigh 195 lbs on a good day. I have also PPed my I20 by not paying attention. When the bow starts to dive pull the rudder towards you to get the other one in the water and help pull it back up. same with surfing the front of waves. get both hulls square to it (or roll under it and swim). I have sailed the front of 12ft waves that way - much fun.

In big winds, on my hobie 16, I always keep the jib uncleated and play it by feel. If the front of the hull starts to go under, I let out a couple feet of the sheet. If it really starts to go I just let the sheet go, and this usually keeps it from going over. Also, mast rake helps, as does trapping off the back corner post. When you do go over, avoid going headfirst into the mast. Pitchpoling can be a lot of fun and is pretty much unavoidable if you are really pushing the Hobie 16.

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I just went crew-ing for a short but furious ride on a friend's h16. Wow, what an exciting ride. I'm almost sorry I traded mine in for a 5.0.



Standing up on the trapeze, literally standing up as the 16 heels over (almost 90 degrees, it feels like), looking down at that tiny, razor thin little hull, almost submerged in the surging foamy brine, watching that treacherous, low volume bow just millimeters from submerging - - that's adrenaline-making, and then some.



I'm too chicken to *play* chicken in front of a speeding locomotive, but standing up there watching that bow rocking closer and closer to the surface, scanning the water for stray boat chop - - seems to me more like playing chicken *on* the speeding locomotive - knowing the bridge is kinda shaky up ahead.



I could hear the submarine skippers voice from all the old movies, shouting, "5 degree angle on the bow planes, flood the tanks. Dive! Dive! Dive!" while the klaxon wails. Aooooooga! Aooooooga!



A real thrill. Definitely one reason "...men go down to the sea in ships"



I sincerely admire the skippers who rise to the challenge of milking every possible drop of performance out of this boat. I pray they will continue their dedicated efforts to give my boat an unfair advantage in the portsmouth rating system. :-)



But every time some A$$hole in a giant cruiser cuts across my very bows and throws house sized waves over the front of my speeding 5.0, submerging the bows a foot or more, *and the boat just keeps going* I shout, over the sound of waves smashing into the tramp, "Aaaah, ha ha ha, I love this boat!"



Ed Norris

I took my first ride on a H21 this weekend in 17-20 kt winds with 4 people 2 trapped out and 2 on the wings the leeward hull was completly under the waves like a submarine at perriscope depth. water was everywhere like standing under a waterfall. this boat is the most fun I have had in a long time even more so because I was the crew and did not have to worry about direction or capsizing.

When the blocks of the mainsheet system are as close together as possible, ie, block-to-block. If the mast is raked enough for windy conditions, the head of the main will be somewhat twisted off when the blocks are touching.



Sail fast!

thanks