Hobie 18 - Official weight bearing capacity?

I was very close to her at the time. Since she was learning to trapeze and I was not helming I was already watching her and holding her around her waist. I was able to push the dogbone down and push her up before she hit the water. She sails and competes in Opti fleet so she is used to being on the water and capsizing etc. She was actually comfortable throughout the incident but got a little nervous when she realized we're stuck in the middle of the sea without a coach/safety boat around...

Now that I think about it, I remember seeing the trampoline at about 30 to 45 degree angle sb to port so we must have had our legs etc in the water as the sb hull got submerged under us. It was all over so quickly but one remembers it as if it was on slow motion.

Anyways, It was one experience that I really do not wish to repeat again. Especially not with my kids onboard.!

I acquired 4 hobie 18 hulls a few months ago, and In the process of cutting the hull cap off one in order to make it into a trimaran found that there was no foam whatsoever on the hull, or bulkheads. The construction is a very thin sandwich of foam and glass. I also found that the transom was 1/8 in ply, and had been attacked by termites. If anyone is considering buying an 18 you should know that the hulls are very thin, and to check for damage to the transom, which could also be rotted out. There is water intrusion in all the hulls I bought, which could be a reason for all the issues with lighter hulls and soft decks/ soft sides of the bows. The hull cap was built very well and secured with a large amount of putty, which is great.

My plan for the trimaran is to raise the stern 11 ft up 20 inches and install bulkheads, which would give the hull much more rigidity, and have a solid deck across to two hobie 16 hulls on the outside. It will be a power boat for fishing, and have a cab on the front.

Sorry for bringing back an old thread, but it is still very popular for people who want to know
The weight carrying capacity of their boat.

Aloha, Kawika