Hey folks. I've just picked up a 2014 Hobie Wave and, after browsing the forums for some info, I just wanted to confirm a couple of things.
1. Rigging tension. General concensus seems to be to not have it crazy tight on the beach, because the leeward stay will go slack under sailing conditions anyway. Just have them tight enough that the mast can't jump off the ball if you hit decent chop/wake. I've been using the halyard to haul it down until there's just no slack in the stays while it's sat on the beach...I assume this is sufficient?
2. I've got a strange 'clunking' sound coming from the left rear corner, where the spreader bar goes through the top of the hull. It sort of sounds/feels like it's flexing slightly under load and the spreader bar is moving a little bit in/out. Is this normal, or should I maybe re-tighten the tramp to make sure it's super snug?
3. Are the padded backrests worth the cost? After being out on it for a few hours, I feel like it would be nice to have something to lean back on. Is there any reason why you
wouldn't fit them?
4. There are some access ports under the seat pads. These don't appear to be well sealed, as when it sits in the rain, the hulls fill up. If I'm going to pull the seat pads up and re-seal these ports, is it worth trying to find some thicker/softer seat pads as replacements, or does nobody bother with this?
5. The previous owner looks to have left it on the trailer with the ratchet straps hauled down pretty tight. It's deformed the bottoms of the hulls where it sits on the rollers...so much so that when you push the boat onto the trailer, it stops noticeably when it gets to those spots. If I leave it on the trailer with the straps loose, will the hulls regain their original shape, or are they likely deformed for good? I doubt it makes any difference to how it sails, but I'm just curious to know if the hulls will recover over time.
I have to say, it's great fun to sail. It came with a jib too, which seems to make a little bit of a different to how well it goes in lighter wind, compared to the rental ones I've sailed before. My partner and I are looking forward to getting out on it as much as possible