First impressions

I took delivery of a new T2 from Tackle Shack yesterday. It's a solid boat with loads of improvement over older models. Yesterday the wind was 25 gusting to 33, so I waited until today to sail. Unfortunately, the winds were 2-4, gusting to six.

What I like:

the front crossbar makes moving it about on the Cat Trax very easy
the rudder system seems much less complex and therefore more reliable
there's much more reserve buoyancy than my 14 - about 10 inches more
the hiking stick is slick
the mast base is easy to use and looks reliable
it moved fairly well in light winds - I covered about 2 miles in two hours
the tramp attachment studs on the back crossbar
the mast bob is much smaller than before
polyethelene is 100% recyclable

What could be improved:

ring dings everywhere
cheap tarp-like material is used on the sail bag and jib snorkel. It's not Hobie quality
inspection ports are out of round very slightly
the keel wearing strip is only two feet long, unlike the one illustration where it runs the full length of the keel. The manual's photo shows a much shorter strip.
no torque specs for the fasteners

Overall, the issues are minor. If it sails as well as people say in stronger winds, I'll be a happy camper.

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1985 Hobie 14T
2014 Hobie T2

Congratulations on your new boat! Please keep me/us posted on your thoughts and experiences with you new T2.

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Buxton
18' T16 Silent Lightning (16' T2 Hybrid)
11' H16 White Lightning
79' H16 Green Lightning

EZ LOC rudders are cool aren't they? So easy to use. Same used on Getaway and Wave.

Ring dings are simply the best for the standing rigging. Only thing better would be cotter keys and they are a pain to remove.

Uses the Baby Bob size float. Same as Wave.

Port rings may be arched? Pulled down too tight on one side?

All sail bags and snorkels are made of a woven vinyl material these days. Cost savings to keep your purchase price lower. They are very durable.

There has never been torque specifications on any sail boat that I have seen.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks Matt. I understand and appreciate the lower price. There's much more to like than not, and if someone wants a durable bag it's a costly upgrade. I'll probably have a replacement made when the original gives out. It's already slightly torn, and I don't remember how it happened.

The rudders are great, especially the EZ removal for trailering part. I might not be so enthusiastic if it were not parked in a secure yard.

I'll try reinstalling the port rings with a focus on roundness. Thanks for the tip.

I recommend that you include torque specs, especially for threaded inserts mounted in plastic. If you torque the bolts until something yields, the plastic would go (assuming the bronze insert is stronger than the bond), causing permanent damage to the insert-hull joint. If the mechanic isn't using a torque wrench, it's likely that they would base the tightness on metal-to-metal contact alone, which may be enough to stress the insert-hull bond. European mechanics tend to be more highly trained and experienced, and the results here are likely to be different than there.

Overall it's a great boat, and I hope enough are sold to have a similar following as the other classes.

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1985 Hobie 14T
2014 Hobie T2

I'll mention the torque spec idea to our engineers! Thanks!

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I would love to know how the T2 handles in wind 25 gusting to 33, winds 2-4, gusting to six is almost pointless.

Yeah, it was a joke, but it was the day after taking delivery. I'm not trapping just yet, and have learned that getting back up onto the T2 from the water is quite a bit more difficult than the 14.

Yesterday I was out with winds gusting to 20. That was difficult to handle solo. Maybe it's the new sail, or maybe it's the extra buoyancy, because it feels to me like the T2 is quick to fly a hull (also relatively easy to tack and slow to pitchpole). I never capsized the 14 by flying a hull, but I did just that the second time out with the T2. It was up and over as soon as I reached for the mainsheet (my bad). It seems to be more weight sensitive in that respect than the 14, although the 14 is weight critical fore and aft.

If you have two onboard and trapping, the T2 would probably thrive in 25 knots. It will also fly a hull solo at 10 knots or less.

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1985 Hobie 14T
2014 Hobie T2

John, What do you weigh?

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1984 H16 "Mister Rogers"
1984 H14 "Sundays"
2000 H20 "Jet"
Sheet In, Max Out

I wanna see some pics of that boat on the water (not factory glamor shots, real live killing it pics) and do you have the big sail too? I would think that would be fun as hell.

200# more or less

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1985 Hobie 14T
2014 Hobie T2

I want to see some real live killing it T2 videos!

Anybody got any updates on their recent sailing experiences with the T2?? Still considering moving up (solo) from a Wave.

Matt/others-
To fit a T2 mast thru a window for cellar storage, I need to know if the standard mast bob for the T2 is the same size as that on the Wave (#30115; ~21" long) or that on the Getaway (#30119; really wide) or something else!?
Thanks much

It is a "Baby Bob" like on the Wave. It is possible to remove it easily enough.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

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1984 H16 "Mister Rogers"
1984 H14 "Sundays"
2000 H20 "Jet"
Sheet In, Max Out