Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 5:28 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: In Lieu of a Hobie 18
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:10 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:56 pm
Posts: 1
Location: The Woodlands, TX
I am new to Hobie sailing and recently visited the local cat beach to watch the boats. The Hobie 18 seemed like the perfect boat, a crew of up to 4 and the ability to race if I choose.

As I am just finding out and you are all aware, the 18 is a thing of the past so I am faced with a decision, the 17 or the Tiger.

My only concern with the 17 is the low maximum weight of 400 lbs. While this is easy for 1 and not so bad for 2, 3 or more becomes difficult.

The Tiger on the other hand offers the capacity, but is a significant step up in price as well as complexity.

Can anyone offer any direction?

Thanks,

Glen


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:31 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2006 8:19 pm
Posts: 54
TXSail wrote:
I am new to Hobie sailing and recently visited the local cat beach to watch the boats. The Hobie 18 seemed like the perfect boat, a crew of up to 4 and the ability to race if I choose.

As I am just finding out and you are all aware, the 18 is a thing of the past so I am faced with a decision, the 17 or the Tiger.

My only concern with the 17 is the low maximum weight of 400 lbs. While this is easy for 1 and not so bad for 2, 3 or more becomes difficult.

The Tiger on the other hand offers the capacity, but is a significant step up in price as well as complexity.

Can anyone offer any direction?

Thanks,

Glen

Hi, Glen. The 17 is really a singlehander's boat. You're pushing it with two people on board and 3 or 4 are completely out of the question. Even the tiger is going to be well loaded down with 3 people on board. The crew capacity just means that the boat won't sink. It doesn't give you a good idea of how your performance suffers with that much weight. A hobie 16 has a crew capacity of 800#s but if you put 4 people on it, you have a submarine with a sail. You will see very few catamarans racing with 3 people on board. If you just want to sail around with 3-4 people, check out Hobies' GETAWAY. It's not that fast, but it has a forward tramp and 1000# crew capacity. It can actually handle 4 people and not suffer as much of a proportional loss of performance as some others. It has some other nifty features, too.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: ?
PostPosted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:23 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2005 11:27 am
Posts: 538
Location: League City, TX
Glen:

You have to ask yourself a question. How will you be sailing most of the time? If most of the time solo a 17 would be great. I have taken 3 adults and a 100lbs 12 year old on mine and it tried to lift the windward hull. The 400 lbs limit is for the wings. I race with 320 lbs on the boat with me and Ashleigh all the time and it is fast. Go to www.thebeachcats.com and look in the personal picture albums. Mine is Doug Snell or send me a email and I will send you a link.

Just my 2 cents.

Doug Snell
Hobie 17 "Stress Free" #007
www.tcdyc.com


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:16 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:45 am
Posts: 759
Location: Clinton Lake Lawrence, KS
TXSail wrote:
The Hobie 18 seemed like the perfect boat, a crew of up to 4 and the ability to race if I choose.


Glen,

Get yourself a used 18 and learn to sail (BTW, you won't be disappointed) :)

_________________
hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: H-17 vs H-18
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:36 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2003 7:49 pm
Posts: 49
Location: Ogden Dunes, IN
We're on a beach, and pulling a Hobie w/cat trax up 10 - 15 degree grade is always a 2 man deal. I find 2 is a requirement to sail, so while I had a H-17, the H-18 I have now is much more enjoyable.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:32 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 7:49 am
Posts: 1053
Location: North Carolina
Get an 18. Can get into rather inexpensively. If you find your all about racing then consider a Tiger. If you don't want to seriously race then stay away from the Tiger. The getaway is an option but more money than a used 18 and not as fast. If you will do more cruising and drinking a 21 might fill the bill. The 18 just gives you the best of both. Hobie made a mistake in taking them out of the line up, they serve a purpose that no other boat has yet filled. The Tiger is a far better race boat but not a good recreational beach boat as it cannot take the grinding of years on the beach. The 18 is a tank, the hulls can be repaired forever.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Hobie 17 vs 18
PostPosted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 1:59 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 9:46 am
Posts: 2
Location: Sweden
I myself is in the same situation as the person asking the question...

I have been sailing HC 16 for all-in-all two weeks, as well as tried a Getaway and a HC 18 a few times.... my god are these boats fun to sail!!

The main question would seem to be how well a HC 17 can handle 2-3 persons... and how often you will sail alone? The HC 18, seems like a good compromise, and where u can get it for a good price, how hard is that then to sail alone?

A second concern is righting it up after capsizing.. I have practiced this intentionally a few times on HC 16, and tried it once with my daughter on a HC 18... on the HC 18 (in low wind conditions) it was not that easy. And single handed (70 kgs... sorry folks for the metric system), I think I would need a few water filled bags....

Then one could say, sail safely and u dont capsise, but that feels a bit like a wrong attitude.. I would like to push the limits, and then I guess if u r not fast enough letting go of the main sail, u may capsize....

A


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 8:25 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 4:51 am
Posts: 41
as a very green novice sailor, i have started my hobie way of life on an h18 i found and have gotteen on the awater for very reasonable. under$550 for re-registering boat, trailor, used tramp and jib complete. i mainly sail solo and having learned on a h18 how to cat sail. i can say at first a 18 was a handful to learn what all the controls did and learn every time out how to better fine tune for speed. i am a rather LARGE sailor and have had myself and two ladies out with me at times and have had plenty of speed for thrills. and when you get out on a good steady 18-20 mph wind soloing is a rip roaring blast. doin the tacks and gibes. can be a handful in a steady blow but it produces a much quicker learning curve. i know that next year i am gonna drag one of the guys from the club to head out with me and correct what i am doing wrong and give me some advice on fullfilling the need for speed you get after a good blow kicks you across the lake in no time.

the knot a clew is a fun boat to sail she is an 82 h18 and she is all mine. and i dont have plans on sellin her anytime soon

_________________
paul
1981 Hobie 18 "Knot A Clew" sail #5445


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:58 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:43 am
Posts: 779
Location: St. Louis, MO
I learned to sail on an H16. It was fun and I loved the boat. I "accidentally" bought the H18 (long story) a few years later. I was not planning on keeping it as I had just finished fixing up the H16. Anyway, I sailed the H18 once and decided I would sell the H16 so I could fix up the H18.

For solo sailing the H18 is great until it is time to move the boat around on the beach. This is my only complaint. I have a hard time setting up the H18 solo (I am working to fix this issue) and I cannot move it up a beach solo, even on cat tracks. It is just too heavy and too bulky for one person. I am also working to correct this issue. Basically these two problems can be solved by getting crew every time you sail or with some other mechanical device to help you out.

You can still race the H18 and the previous posts are correct. My boat has taken over 2 decades of beach abuse and is still in great shape. Unless you are seriously into class racing the H18 is a great boat.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:43 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:46 pm
Posts: 6
Hobie Nick

I sail a H18 at various lakes in the Midwest and I would dearly love to find a good deal on a Hobie Cat Trax or other setup. Fortunately I'm generally able to back my trailer down to water at most beaches I sail from. I have trailered my H18 to the ocean several times and discovered first hand how useful they are. I haven't tried singlehandling a H18 on CatTrax.

The following information might be helpful for you. I often use a 10ft length of 2-1/2" pvc pipe at the waters edge to minimize the wear on my hulls and to make it easier to pull my boat out of the water on to the beach. The boat slips so easily on the pvc pipe that it's easy to pull the boat completely out of the water or wiggle it around so it faces into the wind while I raise the mainsail. I used to use two lengths, but have finally switched to one. I modified it earlier this year by adding a tee and a 6" length of pipe on one end to prevent it from rolling and an elbow on the other end to help prevent the boat from slipping off the end of the pipe while I'm moving it . I was reluctant to add the end fittings to the pipe in the past, because I stored it in my sail tube and this would prevent me from continuing doing that. This has worked out very well for use,storage and transport. I found a way to hook the end with the tee in the framing of my trailer and secure the other end at the back of the trailer with a short bungie so it stores and trailers quickly, easily and well.

Cheers,
Bob


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:10 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:43 am
Posts: 779
Location: St. Louis, MO
Badcat,

So, you just put the PVC pip perpendicular to the hulls and drag the boat up onto it? That sounds easy enough for moving it around at the waters edge.

To make getting the boat back up the shore on beach wheels I have been working on a portable beach winch I can use to pull the boat up. As long as I balance the boat correctly on the beach wheels all I would have to do is keep it from hitting either the bows or sterns while it is being pulled up the grade.

Right now, I have been able to find a place with an acceptable boat launch so I can trailer launch the H18. The only part I don't like is having it tied to the dock when I park the car. I hate putting boats right up against docks.

_________________
Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Hobie Nick, Badcat & All
PostPosted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:41 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:09 pm
Posts: 117
Location: Buffalo, NY
As Nick assisted me this past summer with my first Hobie purchase and all the questions that come with that, I thought I would throw my 2 cents in here.

I keep my 18 on a boat lift on one lake. The only time I remove the boat is for winter storage, maintenance, etc. In order to do this I have to push and someone pulls the boat up and over a cement break wall. (carpet covers the cement of course) The wall is about 3' high and at a 40 degree angle. I can not do this alone.

As I plan on keeping this boat, I knew I had to design something to make this chore painless. Here's what I came up with.

I got two 8' pressure treated 2x4's. (I can store these outside) I drilled 12 counter bored holes spaced 8" apart in each board. Cut 12 1"dia PVC to 7.25" long. These go into the counter bored holes. Then I cut 12 1.25" dia. PVC to 6" long. These go over the 1" PVC. Now I assembled the two halves using pressure treated wood as cross bracing. The larger PVC rotates around the smaller PVC thus creating an eight foot roller system.

I used two 8' rollers this past weekend to remove my 18. I can't even begin to tell you how easy the boat rolled. It was awesome!

I then placed the first 2 feet under the front of the hulls and pushed (rolled) my 18 along the grass right up onto my trailer. I have since made two more 8' sections to allow for greater movement (16') in one shot.

The rollers could be made lighter by not using pressure treated wood. They could easily attach to your trailer and are maintenance free as I used galvanized screws.

Hope this helps.
t-bone


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 10:17 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
Just a note about the 18, to add to what others have said.

About two months ago, I sailed my 18 down at the OBX. It was about 20 to 25mph. We sailed most of the afternoon. At one point, it was myself at 210lb and my friend 6'5", 260lb double trapped, and at other times with three 200lb + guys on board, two on the wire and me driving. We had an absolute blast!

The 18 can take the weight.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 11:55 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 7:49 am
Posts: 1053
Location: North Carolina
I use Cat Trax with the rubber wheels and can move my boat almost anywhere by myself. Are you guys using Tiger Trax, with plastic wheels? I found those to be a piece of crap in sand, good only on hard surfaces. With the boat balanced and me at the bridles it will go up and down the beach. If the grade is steep then forget it without momentum. I also have cradles on the tracks which keeps them from sliding so much.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:06 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:11 pm
Posts: 115
It sounds like the 18 is the way to go for you. Sure the boat is not the latest and greatest in technology. The Tiger could be compared to the F22 Raptor but the 18 is still like an F14 Tomcat. The 18 can take alot of abuse and is very forgiving yet provides as much excitement as the Tiger and plenty of power and bouncy for multiple crew. As for solo sailing it is very easy to do on the boat. If you are conserned about recovery when solo you can stow a recovery assistance bag available at your local retailer or even install a Hobie Bob which easily removes when racing or when you are crewed up. The other thing about the 18 is you can get one in emaculate condition on Ebay almost any day for under 2000 and usually you can find one in great shape for 1200 or less. It truly is sad that Hobie dropped the 18 but I suspect sales were down because of the Tiger's increasing popularity. I hope that Hobie will continue to build 18 Hulls to fill the need to replace as they come up.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 15 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group