The following list is not completely comprehensive and we suggest you have a prospective boat reviewed by someone who is qualified to do so. Just like a used car, a catamaran should be looked at by a "mechanic" who knows the product.

Things to consider. You need to set a budget. What is the maximum amount you want to spend for a Hobie 16 complete with gear? If you answered less than $1000, then the best boat is going to be between the years 1970 – 1988, as boats beyond 1988 usually cost more than a $1000.  Another thing to consider is what type of sailing are you going to do such as recreational or family sailing, or racing.  The Hobie 16 is easy to sail but difficult to sail well, what this means is you will not be bored quickly with the Hobie 16 and as you become a better sailor the Hobie 16 will grow with you.  Many sailors get bored with sailing at times but due to the Hobie 16’s unique hull design, large sail area, and speed, the Hobie 16 remains the most popular catamaran in the world.  It should be noted that all catamarans will “pitchpole” or flip over forwards and the Hobie has gained a reputation for doing so by those who do not know how to sail it or by those who have never sailed one.  Once again any cat will pitchpole but like with any sailboat learning to sail correctly makes all the difference in the world when it comes to sailing safely and enjoyably, so get sailing lessens by someone who knows how to sail a Hobie 16 and is certified sailing instructor through the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing Assoc.). I indicate getting lessons through the US Sailing Assoc. because this organization is the only certifying body certifies its instructors to teaching on multihulls. For racing, the Hobie 16 has strong racing fleets all over the world and good factory support (the Hobie 16 is build on five continents – North America: Hobie USA; Europe: Hobie Europe; South American in the country of Brazil; Africa in the country of South Africa; and Australia: Hobie Australia.  130,000 Hobie 16’s have been manufactured thus far and counting.

The Hobie 16 (or Hobie Cat 16) set the standard for production "beach cats". Designed back in 1970 by Hobie, Sr., the Hobie 16 features one of the largest racing fleets in the world. The Hobie 16 was also accepted into the Sailing Hall of Fame for its impact on popularizing beach catamarans and still being the number one beach catamaran sold throughout the world. Boats can be purchased for next to nothing and the fun you will have is worth ten times the Price. If you are simply looking for a durable and inexpensive recreational or racing boat, buy a Hobie 16. Also, the Hobie 16 is the only catamaran racing class for sailors with disabilities, called the Hobie 16 Trapseat. Mike Strahles who is a sailor with a disability designed the Trapseats. Trapseats are a hammock like wing seat that bolts onto each side of the Hobie 16 for sailors with disabilities but works equally well for sailors without disabilities, and can turn a Hobie 16 into a fun sport cruiser or the ultimate in disabled sailing!

Produced started on the Hobie 14 in 1969 and then in 1970 the Hobie 16 started production in very large production numbers, and is still in production today. Class racing is excellent and as a matter of fact the Hobie 16 is the worlds largest multihull class. Boat weights were reduced in 1983 by changing the construction materials. Available in a variety of hull colors. Sails also are available in a variety of colors. Mylar sails are now class legal but not currently being produced by the Hobie Companies. A comp-tip is required for persons wanting to race (in North America). Trampolines are typically made of vinyl or a mess material.

Items to check on a prospective boat:

* Right and left rear corner castings at trampoline supports sometimes develop cracks due to abuse or lack of maintenance, particularly in early models.

* Check to see that the mast is straight by sighting up it when the rig is up. Look up the sail track.

* Rudder cams should be in good working condition. You can test this by locking the rudder in the down position and tapping at the leading edge of the rudder with your foot. The rudder should not release until you give it a solid shot. The rudder should be easily brought in to the up position with the steering mechanism.

* The spring that holds the rudder cam in place when locked down should be in good condition.

* Push with all your strength on the deck of the hull just in front of the front crossbar or front pillions (actually check all of the deck area). If there is flex in the deck (a soft spot), then there could be a potential for the hull to crank or even brake while you are sailing as this area is critical to the boats structure!  A Hobie 16 hull should feel firm in this area.  This soft spot can be fixed but it will take time, money, and skill to do so.  It is probably better to just walk away from a boat with a soft spot as there many used Hobie 16’s on the market so it will be easy to find a 16 without a soft spot. The soft spot issue is not a regular problem with Hobie 16’s but still this area as well as the structural integrity of the whole boat should always be check when buying a used Hobie 16 or any sailboat for the matter. One added note Hobie 16’s with colored hulls from the year of 1970-88 seems to have more issues with soft spots as compared to white hulls, particularly in the 1970’s boats because fiberglass was quite a new process and their were issues with the colored resin being more susceptible to UV rays, etc.

* Look underneath the hulls to see if there is a lot of beach wear. If you can see the hull beneath the gelcoat paint, that is okay. If you can see fiberglass coming through the brown hull resin, the boat will need a $300 (or more) bottom job soon.

* Check at the back of the boat where the rudders connect to the hull. The metal fastener housings are called gudgeons. If there is cracking around the gudgeons, the boat has probably had some problems when beaching. This can be a severe problem so look carefully at the back of the boat.

* Look for worn wires on the mast. Look at the shrouds (side wires) forestay (front wire) and the trapeze wires for broken strands. Also check the bridle wires (very front, attach to bows) for broken strands. Ask the owner when he replaced the wires last. Most manuals suggest a five year maximum life for wires even if they have not been used.

* Look for broken strands in the halyards (lines that pull up the sails).

* Look at the sails for broken battens (solid pieces of fiberglass) in the sail pockets.

* Look for tears in the sails.

* Check the stiffness of the sail material. The newer the material, the stiffer the sail.

* Trampoline condition. Tramp should have no tears or holes.

* Trapseat condition (if the boat came with them).  Check Trapseat seat material for tears, wholes, and loose stitching.  Also look for fatigue in the metal structure or cracks at the weld points.  There are three types of Trapseat that were produced the oldest Trapseats produced (1983-1995) had two support bars (per seat) that rested on the hull tops on the outer edge and the two newer designs eliminated this set up by connecting the support bars to the Hobie 16 trampoline frame pillions.  The two newer designs have a much more clean and elegant look to it. There are no significant differences between the two newer designs other than the latest design has less sharp edges and a cushion built into the hammock..

* Look for areas of discoloration in the hulls. This may indicate a repair of some type damage or structural problem.

* Ask if the boat leaks. If so, how much in two hours. A few cups of water are okay, but half a gallon or more is unacceptable.

* Look all around the hulls for gelcoat (paint) cracks. Sometimes this is okay, but if the area around the cracks is soft, walk away and look for another boat! Press on the decks with the palm of your hand with all of your weight. Once again, soft spots can be fixed but it takes time, money, and work.

* Ask the owner of the boat to rig the boat with you the first time to make sure that all of the parts are there. Make sure that you look overhead before you stand the mast to make sure that there are no electrical or telephone wires you may hit. Once you have rigged the boat, actually get on the boat and pretend that you are tacking. Move the sails, the rudders, and anything else you would normally operate when sailing the boat.

* Ask the owner why he is selling the boat. How long has it been on the market? Are you the original owner? When was the last time you were sailing on this boat.

* Ask the owner what model year the boat is. Then go to the back of the boat on the right hull and look on the back of the boat. There will be a hull number that will end something like "M79L". This would indicate that the boat is a 1979 model. Make sure that the title that the owner gives to you has a VIN # (hull #) that matches the number on the boat. Make sure that the person you are speaking to owns the boat. They must own it outright with no "legal owner" listed. If there is a legal owner listed, you must make sure that the lien on the boat has been satisfied. Simply call the lien holder. Make sure that the person selling the boat is the singular owner and that there are not two names listed on the title. If there are two names, then the other person must also sign off and date their interest in the item. To be really sure that this boat is as it appears, contact your local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles / Transportation / Licensing, what ever it is called in your state) and County Assessors office. Have the Hull numbers for the boat and the VIN # for the trailer ready along with the owners full name and address.

* Taxes and registration. Ask the owner if he has paid his county tax on the boat for the current year. Call DMV and make sure there are no outstanding parking tickets or other citations on the trailer. If the boat and trailer are out of date on registration, it could be very expensive to get the boat and trailer back to current. The certificate of non-operation slips are much more limiting than they used to be so call DMV to confirm you will not halve to pay the additional registration fees and back penalties due.

* If the owner no longer has or has misplaced the certificate of title(s), make sure you have them provide you with a "duplicate certificate of title" along with the funding per lost title to cover DMV fees and processing fees. Do not give payment in full for the boat until the title has been cleared with DMV, etc!

* What additional accessories come with the boat? Beach roller, lifejackets, harnesses, wetsuits or sailing gear, spare wires, pins, shackles? Extras are nice, but add no real value to what you should pay for a boat except for a cat box and beach roller/dolly. Does the trailer have a spare tire?

* You must also get from the owner a "BILL OF SALE" or similar documents, which is a standard document available at the DMV, etc. A home made version does not do the trick. When you arrive at the DMV with the bill of sale you will be assessed State Sales Tax based upon the amount paid for the boat and trailer. You must get separate bills of sale for the boat and trailer showing correct hull and trailer numbers. It is payable at the time of registration.

* There are other things to check over and there is no way we can cover them all in this article. If you use this as a fundamental guide and some common sense, you can make a good purchase! Good luck and always wear your lifejacket, stay away from power lines and lighting, no your limits, and if you lack experience on this boat or simply lack sailing experience then get sailing lessons, you’ll be glad you did!

Hobie 16 approximate market values: UPDATED: April 1, 2003

1970-1976- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $500-800

1977-1979- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $700-900

1980-1983- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $750-999

1984-1988- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $800-1300

1989-1993- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: $1200-1999

1994-1999- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: Variable above $1800 but not to exceed $4000.00

2000+ All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: Variable above $2000 but not to exceed $5000.00

Current years model- All colors, complete boat with trailer and all related gear: Variable above $4,000 but not to exceed $6000

*Note that these prices do not include a spinnaker as “related gear.” You should not expect a spinnaker and its gear to be included in the above prices.

* take off $200 for boats in less than good condition, then subtract out at retail price the cost of replacing broken or missing gear

The Trailer. Trailers, like boats come in all shapes and sizes. There are very expensive trailers that can hold up to six catamarans and then there are very inexpensive "bolt together" trailers that will do the job underneath an 18' cat or smaller. Shoreline, Cathauler, THE, Peak, EZ loader, Zieman, Pacific, Carnai make up the most popular manufacturers that have sold or sell trailers on the West Coast. There are painted and galvanized models by each of the manufacturers. The very best are galvanized trailers with heavy duty frames and will generally cost you $1200-1800 with proper hull supports (cradles). The Pacific trailer is currently thought of as one of the best galvanized trailers. It will easily fit any of the under 21' boats on the market today. The Zieman is generally thought to be the best production painted trailer except for the custom "VICTORY" trailers. The Victories are quite a bit more expensive though. All of the current model boats that are being produced by the three main catamaran manufacturers (Hobie & Performance Catamarans) demand a cradle on the front support of the trailer to handle the hull. Do not use rollers as a hull support! You will suffer hull damage almost immediately! Currently the best catamaran trailer is Carnai as it is designed for the catamarans, is durable, well prices, and simply an excellent trailer; it is also the current trailers that are sold with Hobie’s.

The trailer wheels should be at least 12" diameter if you plan to travel any distances at all. Galvanized is generally better than painted if you live within 10 miles of the coast. (Your trailer will rust if it is not galvanized) A galvanized trailer will look as though it has a poor gray paint job with clouds in the paint. The trailer must be galvanized in full at the time of its production. No aftermarket galvanizing systems are really effective. If a trailer has become badly rusted you can have it sand blasted to remove the rust but remember, you can only remove just so much rust before there is no more trailer left!
The bearings on the trailer should be in good shape. Ask the owner when he last packed the bearing on the trailer. If the bearings have a zirt fitting you can easily re-inject the packing with new grease. "Buddy Bearings" are the most common brand of bearing sealer cup and we suggest you look for that brand name.

Check the ball coupler mechanism to ensure that the fitting is in good condition and adequately locks on to your hitch ball. Most hitch balls are 1 7/8 " balls although some are 2". Check with the owner before you have electrical hookups done to your car as to the type of electrical fitting he has on the trailer. A four prong flat electrical is the most common although four or five hole round hook ups exist.

 

Make sure that the VIN # stamped on the trailer matches the certificate of title! The number can be found on the left side of the tongue or stamped on the tongue itself. The trailer must have an ID # on it if you ever hope to recover it in the event that it is stolen. Make sure that the license plate matches the registration.

Insurance. While insurance on the boat and trailer are not required by most State’s, it is highly suggest you get some through your personal agent. Farmer's, State farm, AAA and others all offer very good plans that are very inexpensive! BoatU.S. Marine Insurance Co. (www.boatus.com) is considered by most to be the best boat insurance due to its extensive coverage at a great price.  Have the item insured before you take it home! Homeowners insurance will generally cover you up to $1000 but you should take out a separate policy for $1000 more than you paid for your boat.

Once again This list is not completely comprehensive and we suggest you have a prospective boat and trailer reviewed by someone who is qualified to do so. Just like a used car, a catamaran should be looked at by a "mechanic" who knows the product.