I bought a Hobie 16 from '74 a couple of years ago and have had a blast with it. Its got a soft spot on one hull, that I've worked on but still not completely solid. The '74 doesn't have the normal traveler (see http://www.thebeachcats.com/index.php?module=forums&func=viewtopic&topic=14304 ) , the old single block mast tip, terrible mast rake and I don't have it rigged for trapeze.
I'm looking at a '82 that appears to have no soft spots, has the traveler, better jib cars, and (I believe) the trapeze rigging, and is *less* then what I spent on the '74.
Overall, a good buy, but really only moves me from a 42 year old boat to a 34 year old boat. I'm trying to convince my self that this is a no brainer, but anyone have any thoughts or recommendations?
Thanks!
Edited by christopher_g_lewis on Sep 09, 2016 - 04:38 PM.
The cost of the new boat minus the cash from selling the old boat = the cost of the upgrades and repair you now do not have to do.
I imagine, if the new boat is in good shape, you will find that buying the new boat is cheaper and easier than doing the repairs yourself. This may be as close to a no-brainer as we have seen in a while. $90 for the new traveler alone.
For the record, that old style traveler sucked, and Murray's Marine http://www.murrays.com/07-1050.html got their start by building a better one.
Quote from their site:
When Steve Murray introduced a better traveler car for the Hobieยฎ 14 in 1969, he never imagined that his idea would unfold into the family-owned watersports business that Murrays is today. Evolving through the years, Murrays expanded from catamaran parts into other sports...
Edited by klozhald on Sep 09, 2016 - 08:25 PM.
The big thing is the no soft spots. If you can get a boat with good bones you can do a lot to upgrade her over time. The 82 will have a slightly longer forestay and shorter shrouds to allow a little more mast rake.
So I bit the bullet and am now owner of a fleet ๐ The mast had a slight bend in it - about half way up, and about a 3/4 an inch over the length of the mast. It looks like it was snugged down too tight on the trailer. I'm going to look at it again tomorrow but not overly concerned since I can use my old mast.
The hulls are in great shape, nice and solid. All the things that I'm looking at replacing on my old boat, plus some extras. All in all I think a great purchase.
Now to fix my soft spots and put the old boat up for sale!