mooring

I have just purchased a Hobie 16(older) and will use it on an inland freshwater lake in Northern Canada. Does anyone moor the cat or is there a big problem with that? I though I read somewhere that it is not reccomended to moor it. If that is so why? Thanks alot.

Hobies aren't designed to be kept in the water 24/7. The fiberglass can absorb water over time, making the boat heavier and thereby reducing performance. If it gets too waterlogged the fiberglass can deteriorate altogether.

Matt Miller can probably speak to that better than I.

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Warm regards,

Jim

Not to mention the scum and discoloration of the hulls! Most freshwater has at least some tannin in it- leaves your hulls a nice brown tint. -Dave

Hi Kenny
one of the main reasons is it (the fiberglass) will soak up water.Your boat if it is older than 1985 is already 20+ pounds heavier then the newer models.If you need any help or parts give me a call(807) 577-2109.
What lake will you be on?
Mike
Thunder Bay

Another problem is the constant rocking motion caused by waves. The hobie 16's have the tendency to be kinda loose in those joints between corner castings, pylons and bars... sitting in the waves all day long will causes undesired flexebility.

Patrick

Thanks for all the info, the boat is in Thunder Bay now but will be up in Sioux Lookout on Pelican Lake next spring. I now need to invent some kind of system to get it in and out on my shore and still leave the mast up. The water level changes dramatically on the lake each year and so it is always a problem in how to secure a boat. I have noted some advice on skids/rollers in other posts so I will try one of those. Thanks again.

Mooring a cat is a bad idea. This causes accelerated wear on all of the parts. Cats don't sit well at anchor and even small waves can cause the boat to jar and shutter. Shackles come loose, mast rotation balls wear, aluminum parts fatigue.

Another problem with cats is that they don't sit at anchor well. They are constantly sailing as the wind shifts. Cats (Hobie 16's and 14's really) don't slip sideways, they sail forward and can sail over an anchor point and pull the anchor or tip over forward.

Best to make a float and pull the boat up onto it.

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

Just a note on discoloration. I picked up this boat for next to nothing this season. It had been kept on a lake, on a mooring. It is a bit loose in the pylons, which will need to be fixed this winter. The rigging is not in great shape, but I don't know if that's from age or bouncing around.

I thought the hulls would clean up fairly easily, but it turns out they are deeply stained. Even after lots of scrubbing(I use heavy duty Roll Away boat wash) the hulls still are not as white as I would like.

Here are some before and after pics.
http://homepage.mac.com/marcusc130/PhotoAlbum6.html

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Marcus
H16
Narragansett Bay, RI

Hey, do what my neighbor does with his 16, He built a skid, kinda looks like a huge pallet, that he has mostly on shore, a bit in the water. He just pulls the boat up on it and ties it down. Half the time, the guy leaves his sails up for a couple of days (really bad idea) but he never has any trouble doing it that way. He has a bit of a rocky shore line too, He also padded it with indoor/outdoor carpet above the water line. Hobe that helps. I can't get you a picture until spring,as its all put away.
cw

I also have a friend who lives on a tidal river. He sunk 4x4s into the water and put rollers on the top of them. On shore he put a winch on a post in the ground. So he pulls his boat up, lines up the hulls, connects the winch and winches it up on shore, where it stays with the mast up.

Depending upon what kind of shoreline you have, you could just get a set of beach wheels. I see people load beach wheels on their boats in deeper water, then just pull the boat up on shore - walking it to its storage spot.

Oh yeah, did I mention that the winch he installed is an electric winch? Talk about making it easy! (although he is pulling up a 21 SE which is a bit bigger than a 16)