Vintage Hobies

The Hobie 16 & 14 have been around, well, just about forever. Many of us enjoy our old boats and do most anything to keep them going. I believe the older boats should now be considered "Vintage" boats. But, what defines a vintage Hobie? Pre-comptip? Old style jib cam cleats? Pre-redline? Sail colors?

What are your thoughts on this?

Are you asking at what point your boat becomes an "old" boat?

Hi Jeff,
I consider mine to be "Vintage", (AKA Old like Mary said" 1980 Hobie 14!!!

got ya beat....ive got a 79'

When looking at the definition of vintage in adj. form

The Hobie 16 fits this criteria, still strong amongst all one-design sailing classes.

OR

You may say pre-1995 without integral traveler tracks (allowing more rake) are outmoted. Prior to that possibly pre-1984 when the class lowered min. weight to 320#s.

I'm looking for a variety of opinions, but my personal opinion tends to the "true" older boat. If it has a comp-tip, its hard for me to call a boat a vintage Hobie. I would certainly get upset with calling any post-1984 boat as vintage. The 1984 change is a definite watershed.

About 7 years ago, I met a guy who is now my friend. He was learning how to sail a Hobie 16 and I gave him some advice and eventully sailed on his boat. It was Hobie 16 number 166, as stamped into the aluminum stanchions.

This boat's hulls were severely faded from sun, but they were as hard as glass with not a soft spot to be found.

I do not know what the weight of this boat was.

GARY

Got you beat, 70-71, h16, serial number ccme 23170 very much hoping to get the soft spot fixed this year and put it back on the water.

Jeff- if you're interested there is a 71' H14 in Cannon Falls that will probably end up die a gruesome death if no one picks it up. It's tough looking, and needs alot of work/parts. But it's there, I wouldn't offer over $200 for it. A little bit soft, but still fairly stiff.

(Karl, check your private messages.)

...Now, back to the topic of Vintage Hobies...

I think I have you all beat but how do I find out the age of a Hobie?

The Hobie 16 Hull number 1279 is stamped on the plyon posts and acording to the web site that makes it a pre-1973 model but I am curious of the actual year of manufacture.

Also having trouble registering it because the hull does not have a number other than 1279. (Registration required to put the boat on the beach in NJ) Any advice appreciated.

For reference, the boat is pretty close to new condition except for a little gel coat fading and a few loose rivets.

Who's gonna run the first Vintage Hobie 16 Regatta/Rally?

They should have a class for 30+ year old boats at the 40th aniversary regatta.

Which goes back to the original question. What is the cut-off year? What defines vintage?

Not sure it is just the date of the boat, but would you not have to have age appropriate

Sails, Blocks, Tramp, harness, rudders and most importantly of all crew? What about the Mast? For a car to be truly vintage, do not all of the parts also have to be vintage?

Could you set the time line to be something like prior to the upgrade of Parts X say for example Main blocks
Sam

Sam,

Good point, it would be very rare to find enough boats that haven't been upgraded with jib systems, main blocks, EPO's and the like.

I'd suggest the cutoff be no newer than 1983, as that's when the minimum weight was dropped/standardized, even then some older (pre '80) boats are light. It would be hard to arrive at a consensus.

As far as the crew age goes, HCANA rules have master and grand master established.

So, what about comptip vs non? If the vintage rules are followed, a "true" Vintage boat would not be eligible to sail in HCA events. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Sails, Blocks, Tramp, harness, rudders and most importantly of all crew? What about the Mast?

For a car to be truly vintage, do not all of the parts also have to be vintage?

________________________________________


I can speak to the reference to Vintage Race Cars:

Generally speaking, we permit replacement of all components with original spec items, regardless of when they are manufactured. That means, in theory, that the whole boat or car might be made of essentially new parts.

When original spec parts are no longer availible, then we allow parts that are functionally similar. This of course can be a grey area subject to heated debate.

In the case of "Vintage Hobies", I would support the time-line concept. You won't get recognition from Hobie for several reasons, primarily because they have the Comp Tip rule and also they are in the business of selling new boats. However, factory parts are readily available.

For non-Hobie races, the Vintage Hobies (VH16)?? could start with the H16's and just be scored separately. Since they would still be class legal, they might also be scored with the fleet as well.

The key points to define a VH16 could be:

1. Pre-1984 hulls.

2. No Comp-Tip.

3. Max mast rake as defined by rule.

4. Min weight of 365#

5. Sails cut to 1983 pattern, but aftermarket to same design allowed.

6. Open tramp rule.

7. Original jib halyard and downhaul.

8. 6:1 mainsheet.

9. Plastic rudders.

10. Crew age….??? Not sure if that should be a factor…the youngsters wouldn’t have a fair chance!

Another concept would be to take in Prindle 16 and Sol Cat survivors. They ought to be able to race straight-up with the VH16’s.

I think my boat fills the bill as a vintage H16: 1971 hull# 1842.

I am new here and just picked up a 1976 H16. To me its a brand new boat. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I was trying to be funnieeee, does the crew and or captain have to be Vintage?

also Snoop, welcome aboard, hope you enjoy that new to you H16.

Sam

Mine has all the original hardware, no comp tip. Fairly well worn. If I see other hobies around, I hide. In fact, I'm down to one cleat left on the mast.

My Gcat is original also, and it was a rental. Makes the hobie look like a yacht. It might be ready for the water next spring.

I have a '75. It has white with blue top hulls, original sails in excellent condition, hulls are excellent. Original hardware mostly. I was told at a regatta last weekend that it is a collector Hobie. Is there such a thing? I was fixing to add all the latest stuff to it like comp tip, gudgeons, traps, stays...etc. Should I leave it orginal?

Depends. Do you want a Plastic Classic or do you want to race? If you want to race, will the investment in upgrades eventually be more than what the boat is worth? And, will the investment in upgrades boost the performance to be able to compete with newer boats?

What is the disavantage of an older boat for racing besides dated hardware? Are they heavier or something?

Manufacturing processes have changed over the years that resulted in lighter hulls. The red glue models were so light the factory was putting lead weights in the forward pylons. The few who discovered that little trick simply pulled the foam plug out and removed the lead.

If you have an older boat that is close to minimum weight, go with it. Next step is make sure the crossbars are not flexing as the pop rivets will wear. Replace them as needed. Then it's time for new hardware. I'd do the following.

New sails - They get blown out. Period. It's amazing how your boat speed will improve. There's a number of schools of thought on where to place tell tales. Once you decide on the best location for you, have windows installed.

Harken low profile blocks for the main sheets.

Aussie 3:1 jib halyard.

Jib outhaul system.

Double trap setup if you don't already have one. Don't use dogbone rings unless you like getting hit in the face.

Forestay bridle fly. An excellent tool when reaching.

Up until recently I think I may have had one of the oldest hobie 16 to still be sailing. It has no evidence of hull numbers, but has the number 643 on the pylons.

Unfortunately due to an incident last year I now am the proud owner of two halves of a hobie cat as the pylons on the port side broke (untold years of corrosion) and the port hull parted company from the rest of the boat.

Luckily this occured a mere 200 metres from the boat ramp, but it was still slighly embarrasing given the number of spectators and was potentially much more serious had I been further out to sea at the time.

Oddly enough I have been unable to locate a broken Hobie 14 mast to donate mast section for new pylons, so I am getting new ones made by some engineers and will attempt to glass them in.

Anybody have any suggestions?

May not be entirely class legal but she will sail again...

I've got the top section of my 14's mast (cut off to install CompTip). All you had to do to find stuff like that is to put a post here.

I've got a piece of 16 mast from a Comp Tip install waiting for a project. Your's may be it.

Do you want it?

Jack

Thanks Jack, but i dont think it would fit. The corner castings for the tramp are made to fit to a hobie 14 mast which is smaller than the Hobie 16. There are lots of ways it could be modified to fit but they would all require extensive fabrication. I have gotten suggestions from making one out of wood, fibreglass, carbon fibre, stainless steel etc.

I spoke to the hobie company and they believe that it is not possible to replace them, after trying to remove the remains of the old ones i was inclined to agree but when my new pylons have been fabricated i intend to just glass them back into the hull.

It probably isnt going to be pretty.

Thanks for the offer...

Ben

Speaking of vintage hobies, when I was just a kid back in the 70's, my dad bought a brand new 16 #44726. Yellow hulls with a scripted name "Lollypop" painted boldly on each side. He sailed the boat extesively at the Hobie beach in Sandy Hook, NJ in the late 70's and early 80's. The boat was sold in the early 80's. I would love to find out what happened to it. Any one here ever seen, or know of the boat?

I am starting to get a little confused :-s about the ages of hobie 16s based on hull numbers/sail numbers.

The boat i broke in half had the sail number 19,017 but came with an older looking mainsail. It had the number 643 stamped on the pylons but i am beginning to believe these numbers may be batch numbers for the aluminium mast section or something. Just bought another hobie with painted hulls (going to scratch off the paint and try to find hull numbers) and a number in the 22xx range on the REAR pylons. Sail number is 80something thousand or so, cant remember right now.

I know sail numbers are batched by area and aren't necessarily in chronological order. Anyone know how to age the hulls without resorting to cutting them in half and counting the rings?

Ben

Ben,

Don't be confused by the sail numbers. Many classes assign sail numbers that correspond with the boat and when new sails are purchased the original sail number is used. This is not the case with Hobies.

Here's the link for hull identification

That "older looking" mainsail ... what sailmaker's patch is on the sail .... it wouldn't happen to be McGibbons????

First sailmaker????, then McGibbons, then West Coast Catamaran, then "Hobie"

Most sails produced buy the Hobie Factory are numbered sequencely ... only a few crazy nuts like me order "No Number" sails and install/carry over our old numbers to our new sails.

My first cat purchased in 1983 ... 1971 trailer title, H16 White hulls/Blue decks ... White and Blue (alternating)Mainsail w/ McGibbons sailmaker's patch, Sail# 572 .... I could never find a serial number on the hulls ....

HarryMurphey
TheMightyHobie18/#9458, Fleet 54/Div11

Correction:

First H16 sailmaker-McKibbons (to approximently 1974), then "Coast Catamaran", then "Hobie"

Harry

Anybody care to help me determine the age/vintage of my H16?
I really do need some help with this.

The only thing I can find is the number 389 stamped into the forward pylons. The crossbar is also stamped infront of the ss tracks with the numbers 0 (nearest the mast) thru 8 (outermost point of the track) I imagine for setting jib travelers)

That is your hull number and it was built in 1971.

Jeez! So, does that make me the winner/loser of the vintage cat? No wait I saw a lower three digit number...

Wow, a '71 and the hulls are rock solid. Jack, any ideas on the crossbar markings?

My '72 will qualify - it will certainly be more than 365 lbs!! I hope you are going to allow glued and screwed pylons....