Opinions needed, can this Hobie 16 hull be repaired? Or??

Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum and sailing cats. I've become obsessed with Hobie cats as a result of vacations to Mexico, Jamaica, as the resorts often have Hobie waves for use.
I've been looking for a Hobie 16 to start out with, they don't come up for sale very often in my area and when they do. they are usually severely overpriced.
I'm considering buying a Hobie 16, which I guess to be a 1978 or so, it seems complete (with trailer too) BUT, it has a pretty big hole in the side of the one hull.
After doing lots of research, I've seen videos and instructionals on hull repair for cracks and small holes, but I have not seen any hole repaired of this size or category.
If anyone has repaired or attempted repair of this sort, I would love to hear your opinion and advice.
Again, Hobie cats do not come up for sale often in my area, this one may be priced at what most of you would pay for a decent condition ready to sail cat, but with limited options, this is what I'm considering.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks everyone
link below
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-image.html? ... nFlag=true

Yes! Repairable.

Once was told by a Hobie engineer... anything in fiberglass can be repaired. It is a balance of Time / Cost vs Weight.

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

Yes, it's repairable, but man that whole boat looks pretty rough. I think they would have to basically be giving it away to make it worthwhile. Based on the hull graphics, that boat looks more like 1986 to 1988 vintage. That repair is certainly not a beginner repair so if you've never worked with fiberglass I would not expect to just jump right in and fix it. There is a learning curve to working with these materials and you're basically going to have to rebuild the inner skin, the foam core, the outer skin, and then paint/gelcoat.

You may want to look up some of the older Hobie Hotlines online, there was a series of articles a few years ago entitled This Old Hobie that discussed fiberglass repairs.

sm

I would keep looking. Here in BC, there is also very few boats for sale, especially this time of the year. People tend to sell boats in Spring or early Summer. You may get a better change of finding a suitable boat if you widen your boat selection. Depending on if you want to single hand or sail with a crew, there is Hobie 14, Wave, Hobie 18, and Getaway. There are also Prindles and Nacras, if you can't find a Hobie. Prindle 16 is very similar to H16. There is also Nacra 5.2, which is a bit like Hobie 18. Good luck.

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H17