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The PWC Article Lives On... I am an avid PWC'r and have been a boater since I was 5. I wanted to tell you how funny I thought this was, even though it was aimed at what I love dearly. Really Funny ! Steve Thanks, Steve. It's tougher to get offended when you have a good sense of humor! While PWCs have received some bad publicity, they have also been very useful with regattas and rescues/towing. You guys ain't all bad! -ed. I recently came across your article on equipping a Hobie with a missle to ward off PWCs. Man alive - LOL!! I nearly wrecked a good pair of shorts myself. What a great story. You should get it published in a mainstream mag. Thanks for the cheering up on a snowy day! Regards Tom Ruta No problem, Tom. One of our goals is to keep the sailors from going nuts during the winter. Glad we could help. -ed. I just read your article on the use of Hobie-mounted Sidewinders against PWCs. It sounds like you've got an effective system, but here in the Galveston Bay area the problem is Cigarette boats (You know, the thousand horsepower things). I'm a little concerned that a Sidewinder might not have the punch to take out one of them, so I'm considering going with the Exocet option for my Hobie 16. Sure, they cost a little more, but I think the extra firepower would be worth it. You might take a look at this site and see what you think. Cliff Watts Well, the Sidewinder is an air-to-air weapon, and the Exocet is made for blowing up watercraft (bigtime), so you sound like someone who likes to see the "right tool for the right job". The problem is one of bulk. The sidewinder is only 9ft long, while the Exocet is around 15 ft in length. The sidewinder weighs in at 186 lbs., and the Exocet is a hefty 1444 lbs. Add in the weight of the boat and crew, and your Exocet equipped Hobie 16 is tipping the scales just over a ton. (Probably not a good performance configuration). Not that the Exocet idea does not deserve more consideration. Maybe some sort of shore support, beach mount configuration is in order. This would free you from the added weight, and still give the added "smithereen factor" you are undoubtably after. -ed. The Mayday Regatta and Custom T-Shirts Thanks so much for all your help. If you can, please provide whatever artwork available for our T-shirts. We decided that OTW is officially a sponsor. The OTW "logo" will be proudly displayed on all our regatta T's. And I am sure we'll find a couple we can slip in a bow and UPS to California. Figured Frank would like one too. Having seen no recent photos of Frank, am I correct in assuming that a normal shirt configuration is still adaptable to his physique? I mean, we do still need two arm holes and a neck opening right? Are the 3 standard openings enough? Advise of any applicable abnormalities. Thanks again, Dave Maynard hobie12855@msn.com May Day Regatta http://www.dnaco.net/~camco/mayday98/ccsa.htm Thank you very much for the offer of the T-Shirts. The standard 3 hole T-shirt should work for Frank. If you are going to supply any pants, however, we will have to talk. -ed.
The Steeplechase
| Well done Mike. Just read your exciting story on the steeple chase in Forida which is in "On The Wire". Having sailed in 40 plus wind I know how crazy things can get. I was really glad to read that you found the lost sailor!! You had one hell of a memory making day. John Kloppenburg Magnum 18 Vancouver Island What a hair raising story by Mike Hill. Nicely told! What ever happened to the Mystere? I guess if we see 25 Cubans come sailing into Miami on a Mystere 6.0 we'll know. Carl Fischer Mike Hill responds: I heard that some folks in the Bahamas found it. I didn't hear what happened after that however. I'm sure it's probably sailing again. Hobie Trampolines Seems like the material that Hobie Cat uses for the tramp wears out in just a couple of years. This brings the cost of sailing this boat very expensive. I have been quoted over $750 for a tramp that is similar to a that of a prindle or nacra that anyone can buy for half the cost, and they last three times longer. Hobie says that they think heat welding is the answer, BUT the better materials cannot be heat welded so they use some "inferior" material. Hobie is not interested in giving us the option of using a better material because we are a "captive" consumer. If we race the boat we "have to use a hobie built tramp" It's a shame that the products go up in price but down in QUALITY it will be functional. I think anyone out there with a hobie 20 that sees all the white thread coming through the black should petition Hobie cat to give us another option. I would rather have to pay to have my tramp restiched every couple of years instead of buying a $750 tramp. Steve Miller timmybeep@hotmail.com Hobie Cat responds: I have been working with Hobie Cats for over 20 years and have been in charge of Hobie Cat's warranty department for about 10 years now. Not sure where this writer is coming from on this one. Hobie Cat has always used heat welded vinyl trampolines on all Hobie Cats. This material and process has proven itself over 30 years to be far superior to the other sewn mesh trampolines on the market. We commonly see "life of the boat" longevity in these trampolines. There is no stitching to rot. The material is also used in awnings so it has extremely good UV and wear characteristics. There are cases where the vinyl coating has been worn off and "threads" can be seen and fray. This is not common and must be caused by some unusual wear and or chemical damage. In rare cases the material could be defective but honestly... this has been very rare in my experience. I'm sure I can make an adjusted warranty cost for you on this trampoline if you will file a warranty claim with a dealer. A trampoline has a 1 year warranty coverage, but I am happy to make this adjustment if it is truly defective in only two years as you have stated. I would need the age of the boat and a photo to confirm the damage for our files. Contact a Hobie dealer by calling 1(800)HOBIE-49 Matt Miller HobieQnA@aol.com Hobie Cat USA |
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