Hull Design and construction

Where can I find a history of the Hobie 18 hull design and construction?

I'm interested in purchasing a used Hobie and want to understand how this model has changed throughout the years.

I don't know of another place where this is documented.

Here is a quick history:

Just after it's introduction in 1976 the 18 had some bow problems and this was corrected in mid 1977. In 1983 we added the option of wings. This caused more stress on the hulls. The boat was lightened up in 1984 which caused some problems that were chased around with retrofit plates at the forward cross bar. This wasn't fully beefed up until about 1989 when we made more changes and added a "post glue stage" patch of glass that connected the deck to the sidewall of the hull at the forward crossbar connection. 18's after that seem to have zero problems.

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