Should I buy this hobie?

I hate to sound cliche, but thanks to all for providing this wealth of information! I just registered, but I've spent MANY hours reading through the forums and have learned a LOT!

I've been in the market for a catamaran for a couple of months now and have decided on a Hobie 16 (in large part due to this forum). I live in RI, so there are quite a few 16's in the area to choose from... I've looked at several, but this is the first one that I've seriously considered getting:
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Here is a link to some higher res pictures:
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I know you can only tell so much from a picture, but I was hoping those of you with much more experience than I could give it a quick look-see and tell me what you think (in case there are some indications of potential trouble that I wouldn't necessarily know to look for).

It comes with a single harness and a single trap setup.

$1750 seems like it might be a bit expensive (based on what I've read here and also seen on the market) so I'm also hoping you can comment on the price.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Mike

Price is high for what's there.

Original sails appear to be blown out.

Seaway blocks should be upgraded.

Barber haul lines missing.

Single trapeze with dogbones needs second trap and cable handles.

Tiller extension missing.

I'd go $1200.

Based on the sail number I'd put the boat as a '78 or '79 at best. Check the Hobie forum for serial number identification under FAQ's so you can verify the age.

The starboard side tiller arm is bent down, and the hiking straps rotted off (typical of age)

Looks like it has been well maintained and I'm sure he's proud of it (nice trailer BTW), but boats like that go for $600 to $1,200 around here.

Thanks again! I noticed the missing hiking strap, but I had no idea about the other issues! $1200 is lower than I was thinking, so I'm definitely glad I posted!

I'll go take a look and try to talk him down.

Again, thanks!

Okay... after some research, I still have two (noob) questions:

Where are the barber haul lines supposed to be?? I can't find them on the assembly drawing anywhere (are they called something else??)

Also, when you refer to "Seaway blocks" I'm assuming Seaway is a brand name? I would also assume that you'd say that because they aren't as good as other brand name blocks?? I'm I on the right track here?

Thanks!

Mike

"Barber haulers" = jib traveller controls. It's the block attached to the front corner casting. There should be a cleat somewhere for those, too (I can't get to Picassa here at work, so I can't see the high-res photos). It's probably just a matter of running the line (about 11' of 3/16" line per side).

Seaway is the brand name of the mainsheet blocks that came stock on the earlier boats. It's not that they were inferior, it's their configuration that's problematic.

Hobie 16 like lots of mast rake, which means the boom gets closer to the back crossbar. The amount of space the mainsheet system occupies becomes a critical factor. The Seaways take up a lot of space (about 18"). The low-profile Harken system that comes standard on the boat now takes up less than half that amount.

If you look at the photo below, you can see how small the blocks are and how close the boom is to the rear crossbar - and he's not sheeted in all the way.

I didn't think the 79-81 era boats had the barber hauler. I was under the impression that you just had to send the crew up there to move them. My 79/80/88 mutt doesn't have them. Anyhow. Someone has probably retrofitted them. You can just pick up the line. It's a pretty simple setup.

N

evermind. I'm a loser and didn't look at the pictures.

You've got the hardware, you just need the line:

Go to http://www.catsailor.com/forums/showflat...;o=&fpart=1 and scrolldown to the fifth message. Open the attachment.

Thanks again, guys! You've been an enormous help!

I'm going to take a look at it today--hopefully I can talk him down a bit on the price!

Mike

Point out the flaws and what it'll cost to resolve them. You might also check some online prices and give him a reality check. The price he's asking is probably close to retail for the year it was first sold.

I ended up not buying the H16 that I discussed before... I found one for $1000 that had a very nice aluminum trailer, 3 very nice harnesses and a few other goodies that made it a pretty good deal (I think <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />) I've put another $300 into it (replacing most of the lines, shrouds & cams). The one problem with the setup is the mast. It has an ever-so-slight bend (when a string is run from end-to-end, there is about a 1.5 inch gap at the widest point). It's barely noticeable when the mast is up, but it's pretty obvious when you look down the sail track.

From the reading I've done, it doesn't sound like that is too problematic, but it still bothers me, so I've been looking for a new mast (which leads me to my real question!)

I found a mast from a '76 H16 (all aluminum) that is straight, but the cheek block (I think?) has been ripped off (see attached picture). I say "I think" because on my mast the cheek block is directly below the cleat...but, on this mast, the component that was ripped off is offset by about an inch or two from the cleat?? Obviously this isn't ideal, but my question is, how much would this really affect the integrity of that mast? It doesn't seem like much strain would be applied that low on the mast??? Is it something that I can patch up and rivet on a new cheek block?

Also, is there any difference between the "silver" masts and the "black" masts (other than color??)

And, finally, I was hoping for an educated opinion on what a mast with this defect would be worth?

Thanks again!

Mike