A Hobie 16 to teach myself the ropes???

[Kite]

I think I'll start a poll.

[thomm225]

Monohull dinghy is just about right for folks here on CF.

Why go fast when you can go slow and maybe even add an engine, depth finder, VHF, AIS, GPS, autopilot, batteries, radar, anchor, EPIRB, and solar to sail 10 miles

[Kite]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Monohull dinghy is just about right for folks here on CF.

Why go fast when you can go slow and maybe even add an engine, depth finder, VHF, AIS, GPS, autopilot, batteries, radar, anchor, EPIRB, and solar to sail 10 miles

Lasers can get exciting too though.

[MicHughV]

You will almost certainly flip a Hobie 16 over if you have never sailed on one before.

Trying to righten it back up again, can be a mission.

Your physical fitness will be put to the test..

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kite

I think I'll start a poll.

That's great!

4 or so posts and you are starting a poll!?

That usually always happens with those that just start out on CF.

Nothing odd about it at all.

[Kite]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

You will almost certainly flip a Hobie 16 over if you have never sailed on one before.

Trying to righten it back up again, can be a mission.

Your physical fitness will be put to the test..

16 will definitely flip more than a few times, but I think I will enjoy the challenge.

[Kite]

Originally Posted by thomm225

That's great!

4 or so posts and you are starting a poll!?

That usually always happens with those that just start out on CF.

Nothing odd about it at all.

I don't think many viewers will participate the poll, but I liked that feature.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

You will almost certainly flip a Hobie 16 over if you have never sailed on one before.

Trying to righten it back up again, can be a mission.

Your physical fitness will be put to the test..

Righting is easy and fun.

My 13 year old son and his friends had a ball doing that....

As far as physical fitness if you can't right a Hobie cat at age 65-70 you have other physical problems than a healthy person of that age.

The video above is good in that it shows the guy just stepping on the boom after the flip.

I have sat on the top hull for a while and finished my beer after flipping a Hobie 16 and a Nacra then jumping in and righting

I've also done it single handed in decent wind....sail/mast to windward

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwunY0NgTi4

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kite

I don't think many viewers will participate the poll, but I liked that feature.

Sure you do as a first time poster.

Happens all the time....

[Kite]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Sure you do as a first time poster.

Happens all the time....

It felt wrong when I started the poll.

[MicHughV]

I've raced a few Hobie's.....but grew up on the Flying Dutchman racing dinghy and the 505...also a racing dinghy.
They are fun, and fast, no question. I was usually the " trapeze" guy....mind you, this was in my younger years, but for sure, we ended up in the drink on more than one occasion and getting these boats upright again can be a mission.
Not sure that I'd want try it today.....let me rephrase that...I'm positive I wouldn't want to try it today !

[thomm225]

As far as if Hobie 16's are fun to sail and learn on, that's up to each individual.

Might be tough for some without an engine or system to repair and monitor daily.

No fuel, no oil, no diesel, no radio. and back in the day no GPS or Comms/phone

Just sailing.

I do miss some of the brave women that would sail/race with me though and trap out when they were mid 40's going on 50.

The lady in the costume is Cheryl age 63 or so now in photo. In her 40's if she were male she would have played linebacker on some NFL team but she was the most feminine female I ever met just with huge muscles! She was an accountant.

The other is Debbie and she was a risk manager/nurse at a local hospital and was 46 in the photo.

Both were girlfriends also which is good and bad if you want to race for real and they want to enjoy their drink during the prestart !! (and they are enjoying all the pretty sail colors etc!)

Both raced with me when I had my Nacra 6.0

There were 3-4 other's that I don't have pictures of but these two were the most fun.

Notice no boom on the Nacra 6.0 behind Debbie....just the lowest batten

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIZhNviIar4

[Bobby Lex]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Back in the day they rented Hobie 16's especially along the Gulf Coast.

They would give folks a 20 minute lesson then let'm go on their own.

There's no need for any special training with a Hobie 16 (they are almost indestructible) just don't go out on your first day in big winds.

I went out and learned by myself in winds 5-8 knots.....

+1. At its most basic level, sailing is a pretty simple skill to learn.

As a former owner of one, I heartily endorse a Hobie 16'. It's pretty basic (not a lot of complicated systems), it's easy to trailer to good sailing beaches (no need to own a Chevy Suburban to tow it), and it's very durable (think of it in terms of the "Willys Jeep of sailboats").

Plus, you will absolutely have a blast sailing it. Guaranteed!

Bob

[Wotname]

A Hobbie is fun cat to learn on but you can learn as much and get fun sailing on a monohull dinghy too.

This 18' monohull will give you some good ideas on trim and balance as well as basic tacking techniques -see around 1min 10sec.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qSmlgc3y5M

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Wotname

A Hobbie is fun cat to learn on but you can learn as much and get fun sailing on a monohull dinghy too.

This 18' monohull will give you some good ideas on trim and balance as well as basic tacking techniques -see around 1min 10sec.

Really?!

For a beginner?

i don't think they are renting Dinghy's like those in the video above to your average Joe that wants to rent one for $20/hour in 20-25 knot winds

As far as sail trim etc you can lose a beach cat race with your sheeting wrong by about an inch plus about 10-20 other small variables.

When racing beach cats especially solo with a spinnaker you better know more than basic tacking and gybing techniques.

Rounding the downwind mark on a beach cat coming in at 20 knots or so and getting the spinnaker down just before rounding as a solo sailor is challenging no matter your skill level