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 Post subject: 14 Big Enough?
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:54 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:27 pm
Posts: 4
Years ago, I sailed a Tanzer 22, but it was gone before my kids came along. Since, I moved on to an amphibious plane (could never get completely away from the water) and recently, when explaining to the kids the science of how a sail on a boat is like a wing from our plane, placed vertically, I was surprised by their keen interest to sail. And as suddenly, we have an opportunity to get our hands on a Hobie 14. It seemed to me that would be a good craft to teach them to sail on. The downside is, I'm a lot heavier now than I was in the days of the Tanzer, and the kids are getting bigger too. I weight 230 and my 9 year old daughter is 100, my 7 year old son 60. Is a 14 too small for us? It's a basic rig with no jib, but I'm assured in pretty decent condition. I haven't examined it close enough yet (will see it Saturday) to get the serial number, but the sail is 14994 if that means anything. And it's powder blue on white, with five battons. Any guesses on age?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:34 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2004 5:39 pm
Posts: 433
Location: West Texas
You can get away with 350 lbs. on an H14 but it's a real dog with that. You're probably better off getting a H16 if you're really wanting to go out (not alone) on a regular basis. :?

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Jim

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:03 am 
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Joined: Thu May 12, 2005 8:50 am
Posts: 24
Location: McAllen, TX
I have a 14 Turbo that I sail with my 2 daughters. I weigh 175 and my daughters weigh 130 combined. The boat sail just fine, especially since we average 15 to 20 knot winds down here at South Padre Island. I would recommend a 16, since your kids will continue to grow and get heavier. The 14 is rated at 500lbs max and the 16 is rated at 800lbs max. If you want a small boat, I would also look at the Hobie Wave. It is 13 feet long, yet has a high floatation ratio and can carry four people with no problem.

Danny


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:57 am 
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Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2005 6:26 pm
Posts: 30
Location: Barnstead, NH
I sail a 14 and it handles me (180lbs) and my girlfriend (115lbs) and we are able to get a fair amount of speed going its only when we tack that the boat REALLY suffers. For you I would sudgest a 16, Ive never sailed a 16 but a 14 seems much to small. I sail a 14 single handed and I am able to get good speed and fly a hull easily, but with to much weight you could lose in a race to a snail.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 5:03 pm 
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Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2004 1:36 pm
Posts: 302
Location: San Diego, CA
Get a 16 and start going to some of the races!

It's a great time, and your kids will love crewing with you and the excitment of competition.

Brent Hendricks
2005 H-16 S# 13566


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:51 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 9:27 pm
Posts: 4
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and guidance. Much appreciated. After looking around a bit, I found my options were pretty much limited to the 14'. We live in northern Ontario, at the intersection of Lake Superior, Michigan and Huron. Though there are many superb opportunities of excellant sailing here, there are no boats. The 14 was all I could find without treking far afield, and I didn't have time for that.

But, I took the advice and took the kids to see the boat and go for a ride. They were thrilled beyond my expectations. They wouldn't stop talking about it and insisted we get the boat. We've used it a great deal since getting it and I have no regrets at all about getting it.

Sure, there would be great advantages to a 16' given my height and weight, but the 14' is roomy enough and bouyant enough to support the three of us. I even had me and three kids on it, and it was great. And it will be perfect for these guys, who are only 7 and 9, to manage on their own next year after enough practice with me.

Though big water is within reach, we live on the St. Mary's River (connecting Superior, Michigan and Huron) and it's pretty sheltered, making it great for seaplane operations but lousy for good sailing. The winds are pretty light and variable, competing with a strong river current; but I swear the Cat is incredibly responsive and scoots on the lightest breaze. It opens up all kinds of opportunities for sailing which simply would not exist with a monohull.

Yes, I miss the jib, and tacking is a challenge. But this is a good challenge for the kids to work with and develope skills to move on with.

Someone above asked what we fly. It's a Lake LA4-200, a perfect amphibious plane for getting in and out of metro cities' airports from our remote corner, and still be able to sneak into a remote lake for swimming or fishing on our way home from work. Despite the opportunities and thrills with flying, the kids would now rather sail!

Thanks again for all your excellant advice and guidance. We'll be monitoring the forums and learning from them.


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