Should I buy this

[waltm]

I guess its always better to store anything indoors. That being said, I live in RI and sail with people from Mass and CT. We all leave our boats (Hobies) outside year round. Most of us throw a tarp over the mast to make a tent. We just clean off the snow or remove the tarp before it snows so it doesn't leave the weight on the mast.

[MisterSteve124]

ok so as long as I take care of it (clean it off, cover it with a tarp) I shouldnt have problems like the fiberglass cracking?

[MisterSteve124]

Well that wasn't an actual picture of the boat, as I found out yesterday but we went and looked at it and the hulls were in perfect shape and the sail and trampoline had no holes in them. So we offered him 1100 for the boat and he accepted so we got ourselves a boat. Now my question is do I need to take the rudders off to take it home? I only live 14 miles away and he said he just bungees them down to keep them straight but for some reason I thought it was better to take them off.

[alan white]

Everyone seems to store their glass boat outside in the open. The biggest problems are usually bird ****, pitch, branches, and fading of the gelcoat pigment. It is therefore advisable to cover the boat with a well-tied tarp away from trees and consider a frame of some sort to prevent water or snow accumulating enough to damage the boat or the tarp. Look for hard spots where trailer (if any) bunks contact the hull, as glass boats "set" to hard shapes over time, distorting the hull. Support on a trailer should be designed for long-term storage as much as for roll-off and on and highway safety.
It is wise to remove rudder (s), board (s), and drop the mast and take all indoors along with the sails to discourage thievery too.

Alan

[alan white]

Originally Posted by MisterSteve124

Well that wasn't an actual picture of the boat, as I found out yesterday but we went and looked at it and the hulls were in perfect shape and the sail and trampoline had no holes in them. So we offered him 1100 for the boat and he accepted so we got ourselves a boat. Now my question is do I need to take the rudders off to take it home? I only live 14 miles away and he said he just bungees them down to keep them straight but for some reason I thought it was better to take them off.

14 miles, just bungee them up so they can't possibly drop. Otherwise, you'll need tools for the bolts/nuts I think.
Cracking of gelcoat near stress points due to flex and/or expansion/contraction differential between gelcoat and glass layers can be accellerated by direct sunlight, but can only be slowed a bit by covering--- it will eventually happen anyway if it's going to. It helps to wax often and well.

[MisterSteve124]

We were just at pepboays to get stuff for the trailer and to get some hair pins for some to replace the little rings that hold stuff together and I saw the car covers they had and we got the biggest one and it fits the boat very nicely. This should protect it from the sun and water when its outside and me and my dad already used some polish to clean it up and we plan to do it a couple more times this week to get it lookin clean.

[waltm]

You might also be interested in the following forums for beachcat sailing info.

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/ubbthreads.php
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beachcats/
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/index.php

[MisterSteve124]

thanks! I already registered at hobiecat.com but im still waiting approval. It's been like a week.

[Meanz Beanz]

I agree with the general comments about the Hobies. For my money they are too low buoyancy and prone to nose dives when it gets windy. You have to ask yourself exactly what you are going to do with it. If the answer is puddle about in light winds (< 12 knots) then you will probably be quite happy but once the wind kicks in you are talking about a very different beast.

If you are set on a Hobie before you buy it stand behind it on the trailer in one corner and lift it up. You are looking for twist, slack in the boats "frame work" of beams and pillars. A good boat will be stiff, a boat that has been hard sailed and not maintained will twist. This can be fixed by pulling the boat down and resetting the joints in epoxy but its all work. Bottom line is if the boat has had little use it should be stiff.

Also check under the hulls for excessive wear, being beachable the hulls (although very solid on the bottom), can be damaged significantly. This becomes more of a hassle to fix up depending on your skills.

Cheers
MBz

Edit: Looks like you have bought it and I am a tad late chiming in!