Hobie Cat Forums

Ok, so I am about to upgrade and jump from an 82 H18 to a 93 H20, but I have a couple of questions and would love some advice. I have got the seller down to $2,000, but this boat needs at the minimum, a tramp, running rigging, and possibly replacement standing rigging. It has two mains and a jib that are all in good to excellent condition. The hulls feel solid, but were apparently painted by the previous owner. The boat has been sitting in the sun for the last 3 years uncovered and getting full sun exposure. The trailer is in good condition and the boat also comes with a set of cat tracks with plastic wheels. The following is what I am concerned about:

The hulls have some stress fractures where the front cross bar joins to them. Is this normal/bad/ok?


The hulls also have some gaps or fractures where the briddles attach. Is this normal/bad/ok?


The halyard track on the comptip has a chip in it. Is this expensive to replace/fix/or just leave it alone?

More in the following post....

Just my $.02... (but I've never owned a 20)

I have heard that the first couple years of H20's had a high rate of hull failure...believe that it had to do with "H" bulkheads inside the hulls, but maybe it also could have been around the xbar attachments...someone who knows more on this might want to chime in.

It is quite unlikely that you could successfully disassemble the hulls from the xbars ( for repair or reconditioning, for example) due to the amount of corrosion that is present...the crossbar bolts are threaded directly into aluminum plates bedded into the hulls. Probably would pull a good chunk of the threads with the bolts.

I would not sail that mast. (I've scrapped one for far less corrosion) Or at the very least move the tang down a few inches into good aluminum (assuming there is) and modify the rigging accordingly.

Good luck!

the mast looks scary! and also tuff to replace. But for 2 grand if the sails are excellent and the daggers and rudders are good, you could prob. get most of your money back parting it out when it fails(if the mast doesn't fall on you and kill you)

We had a 1994 and the hulls had the same issue this one is showing - cracking out at the inner connection of the rear crossbar. Luckily our hulls were covered by warranty. I'd say you'd be looking at doing some glass work for sure. I'd also inspect the rudders real well. Some of the early ones had issues too.

The tramp is toast.

I also wouldn't trust that mast. That is a ton of corrosion at the tang. If your mast blows up, you'll probably have a tough time getting a replacement.

Based on the condition of the rest of the boat, I'd say new standing rigging is a definite.

sm

Thanks a bunch for the replies. After considering my options I have decided not to get it. The scariest part of the whole deal was the mast. I saw that first, and then started noticing the rest of the issues. The bottom line is that I do not want to get something that I have to put that much time and effort into. The search continues, if anyone knows of any H20's or H21's for sale in Texas, please let me know.

Say, that isn't the one for sale in Corpus is it? I was gonna go look at one there.

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Why did I sell my 16?

If you compare the photos of the H20 on Corpus craigslist flicker link it does look loke the same boat.

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Floyd
00 Tiger
http://www.HobieFleet33.com
10 Mile Surfside, Texas
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