Marc sailing a Hobie 16: a few pictures

[Marc]

After helping my friend rehab a 1973 Hobie 16, we've sailed it a few times, and I have to say, it's a freakin blast.

We consitantly average 10-12 knots in as much wind and sometimes much more than that on a reach.

Here's some pictures for proof that Marc does actually participate in an activity requiring some semblance of intelligence-

(Most of the pictures below were taken from my friend's parents' 40' Freedom.)

Cruising by...

Making about 12 knots

Me on the left-

Me finally getting out on the trapeze-

At only 9-10 knots... felt so slow!

The following day, sailing reefed in a light 20+ knot windstorm-

Same day, the reef in the main sail clearly visible. Also clearly visible to the right of frame is Eric Clapton's boat, Blue Guitar, which was in Newport Labor Day weekend. I suspect he was there as well.

 

[Paul]

I thought that shoreline looked familiar...

Do all of your sailing in Narragansett?

 

[roark]

Nice, my uncle used to have a Hobie. It's quite a rush to get the hull out, shoot up in the air and throw yourself back as hard as you can on the trapeeze. The acceleration is a blast.

 

[Marc]

I thought that shoreline looked familiar...

Do all of your sailing in Narragansett?

When we sail on the ocean, it's usually in Narragansett or off the coast of Connecticut (Stonington, Groton, Barn Island, etc). Newport is nice, but a little crowded.

Nice, my uncle used to have a Hobie. It's quite a rush to get the hull out, shoot up in the air and throw yourself back as hard as you can on the trapeeze. The acceleration is a blast.

You said it. The acceleration is unbelievable. Trapping is great too, because unlike a monohull, you can be out there in almost no wind and not pull it over. I was actually quite surprised how gentle the touchdown is after you do fly a hull. It because quite stable with a hull out, apparently, because losing the hull means losing a lot of lateral resistance.

My only gripe about them is how arduous and slow it is to beat to windward.

Tacking can sometimes be a big pain, but if the crew and helmsman coordinate the turning, blow off of the jib, and backwinding the jib well, it becomes much easier. And even though you basically come to a stop when you tack, like you said, the acceleration is sooo fast, it really isn't a big deal.

 

[SkiDork]

When we sail on the ocean, it's usually in Narragansett or off the coast of Connecticut (Stonington, Groton, Barn Island, etc). Newport is nice, but a little crowded.



You said it. The acceleration is unbelievable. Trapping is great too, because unlike a monohull, you can be out there in almost no wind and not pull it over. I was actually quite surprised how gentle the touchdown is after you do fly a hull. It because quite stable with a hull out, apparently, because losing the hull means losing a lot of lateral resistance.

My only gripe about them is how arduous and slow it is to beat to windward.

Tacking can sometimes be a big pain, but if the crew and helmsman coordinate the turning, blow off of the jib, and backwinding the jib well, it becomes much easier. And even though you basically come to a stop when you tack, like you said, the acceleration is sooo fast, it really isn't a big deal.

Yup - I used to get stuck in irons a lot on the tacks until I figgered it out. With my size, I used to love singlehanding them but in a race that wan't allowed. Pitchpoled it once big time in a race in heavy air, me and the crewman ended up in the sail, the whole deal, she even turned turtle on us. From then on I would watch the leeward hull a lot more closely.

Once made it back single hand on a reach from Fire Island to Blue Point in like 10 minutes (approximately 4 miles) she was screaming.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Sweet pictures..I've never tried sailing before but it looks like fun..

 

[Marc]

Yup - I used to get stuck in irons a lot on the tacks until I figgered it out. With my size, I used to love singlehanding them but in a race that wan't allowed. Pitchpoled it once big time in a race in heavy air, me and the crewman ended up in the sail, the whole deal, she even turned turtle on us. From then on I would watch the leeward hull a lot more closely.

Once made it back single hand on a reach from Fire Island to Blue Point in like 10 minutes (approximately 4 miles) she was screaming.

Lol, yeah, we had a couple hard decelerations on a run when we first took it out. We learned how far back we had to shift our weight (as far as humanly possible) and to watch that leeward hull. We're both kinda paranoid about pitchpoling.

Let me tell you though, we did capsize and then turtle that second day out in the pictures when it was blowing a steady 20+ knots, and gusts probably 30 or higher. Even with the main reefed, we caught a huge gust. We turtled quickly because my helmsman's foot got stuck in the hiking strap (and I dry rolled... w00t). I suspect the heavy wind against the tramp didn't help in keeping it on it's side either.

We did figure out how to right it without help though, and in the wind we were in, that was pretty cool to know that we could. I doubt righting it from turtle would be possible with just one person though, that's what scares me about single handing that boat.

 

[SkiDork]

Lol, yeah, we had a couple hard decelerations on a run when we first took it out. We learned how far back we had to shift our weight (as far as humanly possible) and to watch that leeward hull. We're both kinda paranoid about pitchpoling.

Let me tell you though, we did capsize and then turtle that second day out in the pictures when it was blowing a steady 20+ knots, and gusts probably 30 or higher. Even with the main reefed, we caught a huge gust. We turtled quickly because my helmsman's foot got stuck in the hiking strap (and I dry rolled... w00t). I suspect the heavy wind against the tramp didn't help in keeping it on it's side either.

We did figure out how to right it without help though, and in the wind we were in, that was pretty cool to know that we could. I doubt righting it from turtle would be possible with just one person though, that's what scares me about single handing that boat.

In the great south bay, the mast would sometimes get stuck in the mud. I remember there was an older model cat that used to have a big styrophome ball on the top of the mast, I guess it helped it to not submerge...

 

[Marc]

In the great south bay, the mast would sometimes get stuck in the mud. I remember there was an older model cat that used to have a big styrophome ball on the top of the mast, I guess it helped it to not submerge...

A lot of new Hobies come with a float on the top of the mast. Some people actually tie a PFD to the top to keep them upright. Now that I've been bitten by the cat bug, I want to try a Nacra or Inter, or a bigger Hobie... some thing with daggerboards, and see how it is to be able to actually sail upwind effictively.

 

[SkiDork]

A lot of new Hobies come with a float on the top of the mast. Some people actually tie a PFD to the top to keep them upright. Now that I've been bitten by the cat bug, I want to try a Nacra or Inter, or a bigger Hobie... some thing with daggerboards, and see how it is to be able to actually sail upwind effictively.

Yeah, I got to try an 18 once, sweet.

But my first love will always be the Tornado. Freakin racing machine.

check out this vid, really movin before they dig in...