I recently had quite a bit of damage done to my hobie 14, and also bought another 14T as a parts boat in order to rebuild it/Repair and convert it to a turbo. I figured While I'm replacing parts (cross bars, trampoline, standing rigging etc.) I might as well just go ahead and look into painting the hulls, and touching up the frame.

Everything's gone well so far tearing it down and I got the frame off of the pilons with some persuasion with a dead blow hammer Except the front cross bar on the starboard hull. I've tried probably three different penetrating oils over the last week and a half and nothing has worked. I'm about to resort to heat via a blow torch, but I've never read of anyone actually trying it so I was curious if someone else had done this, any advice in this area would be awesome. Also the previous owner said that they hadn't been epoxied on and the others popped off fine so I have no idea.

I also noticed yesterday that it's been painted over at least once now and I can see where it's coming off on one corner. If I were to paint it how would I need to approach this? Take off the paint with wet sanding down to the gel coat then paint it with bright-side? Also there are what appear to be some patch's on the front of the port hull next to the bow tang (I'll attach a photo) and on the inner side of one of the hulls. Could I just paint directly over this?

Sorry for all the questions, just wanna have a solid plan before doing anything. Thanks, Logan.



https://drive.google.com/…DnFmKjVtGbXl4THpEVGw0YXc

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Also, What's a good place to find running rigging? I'd like to go with something cheaper for it if possible without loosing quality, As I'm on a budget for all this.

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Logan,

Can't see your photo, must be private on Google Drive, can you make it public? If not you can create your own album here and post pictures of your boat. Instructions are in my signature below.

Sounds like you are dealing with a boat with a lot of history, the good news is that it's fiberglass and so can always be repaired if you are willing. I'd start by aggressively sanding any areas you suspect have paint until you can see if there are old repairs. If you are going to paint the hulls you can sand away not only the old paint but the gelcoat as well since it will be replaced.

We have repair experts here (I'm not one of them) who can advise better after seeing photos.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
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riggingonly.com carries New England lines at somewhat less than retail, and sailcare.com sells Novabraid at a good price. It's a double bread polyester line that I like.

Dave

http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=107408 Hopefully this works.

davefarmer

riggingonly.com carries New England lines at somewhat less than retail, and sailcare.com sells Novabraid at a good price. It's a double bread polyester line that I like.

Dave

I'll check it out, thanks

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DamonLinkous

Logan,

Can't see your photo, must be private on Google Drive, can you make it public? If not you can create your own album here and post pictures of your boat. Instructions are in my signature below.

Sounds like you are dealing with a boat with a lot of history, the good news is that it's fiberglass and so can always be repaired if you are willing. I'd start by aggressively sanding any areas you suspect have paint until you can see if there are old repairs. If you are going to paint the hulls you can sand away not only the old paint but the gelcoat as well since it will be replaced.

We have repair experts here (I'm not one of them) who can advise better after seeing photos.

So I'd have to take off the gel coat and paint, then paint it and then gelcoat over the paint?

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Paint is an alternative to gelcoat, thinner and less durable, but somewhat easier to do/find some to spray than gelcoat. I restore quite a few cats, and I do all the prep work(a skill one acquires with hours spent), and take it to my friend/bodyman, and have him shoot it for me. They've all held up well anywhere I didn't scrape it off(I sail hard!), but we've also used high quality, two part auto paint that he's familiar working with(expensive stuff). Quality marine paints designed for brushing can be pretty amazing if you're skilled and patient, and maybe the least expensive. If you can find someone with regular experience spraying gelcoat, and they're affordable, that'd be the most durable and long lasting finish, and possibly the most expensive.

Do it to whatever level your skills, finances, and motivation dictate, then sail the hell out of it!

Dave

That's what I thought. What all prep work would I need to do before painting it though? I mean how much needs to come off sanding wise

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If it was me, I would sand off as much as the old paint as possible down to the gel-coat. I would use bright sides and roll/brush it on. Use the corresponding primer.

You can try a torch, or you can cut that corner casting off. You should be able to get a used one for $10.

I was going to say pretty much the same thing as carolinacatamarans about the corner casting. If the dead blow hammer won't do the trick, I would CAREFULLY cut off the corner casting using an angle grinder or possibly a dremel. I wouldn't use heat. Too much heat will anneal the pylon (remove the temper of the aluminum) making it much weaker. Plus you risk damaging the fiberglass with too much heat.

Regarding painting, I would try to remove all the paint and then restore the old gelcoat rather than trying to re-paint.

sm

Alright. Will try a angle grinder soon.

What about places that have been repaired on top of the paint that's on it. By that I mean are visable above that paint. I'm not sure how it was repaired, why, etc. since these repairs were all done before I owned the boat.

Also there is a thick really hard coating over the bottom edges (whole length of boat) of both hulls I'm assuming to protect the bottoms from beaching but it's really worn in places. Can anyone tell me what this is? And the best method or removing it/ adding a new layer of it

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Sounds like you bought a fairly beat up old boat, are you sure it's worth sinking a lot of money/time into fixing it up? Certainly make sure there are no structural issues with the hulls (soft spots, large cracks).

Anyway, if there is a fiberglass patch over top of the paint, then you're going to have to grind off the patch as well. The patch wasn't done properly to begin with anyway, because you shouldn't patch over paint, you need to first grind down to clean fiberglass before doing a patch. The stuff on the bottom of the hull sounds like it could be truck bed liner. If it is, it will probably be harder than heck to get off the hulls. Again, it sounds like this boat has seen better days and may not be worth putting a lot of time into trying to make pretty. Just clean it up, fix any structural issues, and sail it the way it is.

Another thought on your pylon issue as well would be to remove the dolphin striker bar and the crossbar rivets and take off the crossbar that way (leaving the corner casting fixed to the pylon). Replacing a few rivets will be a lot less expensive than replacing an entire corner casting and there's a lot less risk of damaging something this way.

sm

I have an entire front cross bar so I'm probably just gonna cut it straight off.

Considering I'm most likely going to wound up selling the 14 I think I'm gonna avoid going through the whole ordeal of redoing the hulls until I get a bigger boat. The boats super solid and I've never had any water inside ether. I just don't think it's really gonna be worth it if I get rid of it. I think I'm just gonna leave it be and convert it. Won't be pretty but it'll get the hell sailed out of it.

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FWIW. I have H-18 hull I painted orange...not a biggie but tedious work.

Sand the gel coat and repair spots with decent long board or variable orbital like Milwaukee that has clutch and speed control with deft and care not to dig sander in and create edge cut-which you will have to fill and sand.

General roughing of surface will do...clean well.

Paint using roll-and-tip method for about 4 coats.

I use a marine paint called Mega-Gloss thinned with Naptha as directed. Easy. The paint is enamel and it is about half the cost of most other marine products and it is just fine.

In a month or so I will sand and paint a H-16 hull same way, same product...I get to it will put up pics here.



Edited by BobBill on Feb 27, 2014 - 11:44 AM.

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loganbetts

Won't be pretty but it'll get the hell sailed out of it.

That's what I'm talkin' bout!

An H14T with previously damaged hulls should not really sell for a whole lot whether it's prettied up or not. (I have one as well.) In fact, if at all possible, I'd recommend that you consider keeping it (at least for a while) when you get a bigger boat. I love my H16, but when it's blowing stink and I don't have crew, I have a ball blasting around on the H14T. I can right it easily by myself (so that's not a worry), it has plenty of room for beer (for one, at least), and I can push it in ridiculous winds. So who cares what it looks like?

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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My only issue with keeping both boats would be I'm part of a local club here so I'd be paying a extra few hundred bucks. I'm defintly thinking a 16 is my next boat and a step in the right direction. I've actually haven't even gotten to sail the 14 with a turbo yet. It was a stoke turbo before (I just bought a boat that had all the rigging. The 14 without a turbo was a nightmare to tack; I'm use to sailing monohulls so that was rather odd at first. I'm hoping the turbo improved it quite a bit.

My other question for you would be with a 14t does it actually get a hull flying and need to trap out? Before I never came close to getting a hull in the air but I think that's mainly because I usually had someone with me.

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http://www.thebeachcats.c…ictures/?g2_itemId=62395

http://www.thebeachcats.c…ictures/?g2_itemId=46893

~~ This is what I did. Everyone has their own way of painting or doing things... I liked spraying the best !!! You don't have to take off the gel-coat, just give it a good sanding. Primer if ya want (more work ). Preping is KEY, It'll show when ya get all done... Red Yellow & Blue will fade after time, (paint or gel-coat).. Buy a good full cover. Just about anything will scratch including gel-coat. Gel-coat is harder and can take better abuse. I cover both of my boats and some of the guys at ''Fleet 204'' kinda asked me why.. Cause they cost me $$$$$$ They still could use a touch up !!! The 14T is a blast in heavy air. Get the heavy rigging / shrouds if yer gonna trap out. I'am not sure if I should get another one. We had a good one but she sold it to a friend and now it looks like S%&T

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loganbetts

My other question for you would be with a 14t does it actually get a hull flying and need to trap out? Before I never came close to getting a hull in the air but I think that's mainly because I usually had someone with me.

The 14 and the 14T are both capable of flying a hull. If it's windy enough, yes, the trap can certainly be used. But if you have two people on board, more than likely the leeward hull will start to submarine when it tries to fly a hull. Keep the crew weight down below about 200LB and it will fly a hull no problem.

sm

Agree with SM. When I first sailed it, I was pleasantly surprised that I could trap out, fly a hull, beam reach, etc. on the 14T at ~185 lbs. At my weight, the weight placement is critical, though, especially fore/aft. I put some non-skid tape on the decks back by the rudders for my aft foot while beam reacing.

I wouldn't even go out on it double-handed.

P.S. Time to change that avatar, man! What is that? A Scot? Ugh!



Edited by rattlenhum on Feb 28, 2014 - 12:20 PM.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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It's a trick doublehanded for sure

But It's a 420 (I race them for school), I'll have to put up a photo of the 14 at somepoint.

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http://www.thebeachcats.c…ctures/?g2_itemId=107416 Started a album to post to as I go along just for fun. It was in pretty ruff shape after the incident. I'll have to post that story soon, It was interesting.

Also, I've read of people taking a hobie 16 forstay and jib halyard, and cutting them down and using them on a 14 instead of the rolling fuller set up. (the fuller set up on the one I have is super sketchy) Has any one ever done this?

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Went and did some work today on the boat, Took a picture of the underside the stuff I was talking about that's white and is hard ass a rock. I'm assuming to protect it from dragging around, anyways here's a link to it any help would be great trying to figure out what it is

http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=107445

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logan, looking at pic 2 in your album, I noticed that your H14 does not have a dolphin striker setup, hopefully you kept the front crossbar off the parts boat and will transfer it to your boat? Most important when converting to H14T to have that DS bar and rod. I'm thinking that stuff on the hull bottoms is some kind of epoxy putty.

Difficult to tell...but does it matter? Will need to remove (carefully sand to base) and see what it covers...likely a gouge or crack and poly was a quick fix.

If the hull is cracked, might have to install 5-inch inspection port topside to dry out interior, then sand and add interior epoxy/glass patch, then epoxy/glass and finish outside, and paint...remember, poly will not adhere well to epoxy but epoxy adheres well to poly and most materials, and epoxy is an excellent, flexible repair...

Lots of info on Internet about hull repairs...West System is excellent source.

Tedious work, but no shortcuts allowed...it is a boat.



Edited by BobBill on Mar 03, 2014 - 09:26 AM.

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the-renovator

logan, looking at pic 2 in your album, I noticed that your H14 does not have a dolphin striker setup, hopefully you kept the front crossbar off the parts boat and will transfer it to your boat? Most important when converting to H14T to have that DS bar and rod. I'm thinking that stuff on the hull bottoms is some kind of epoxy putty.

Have the front cross bar from the boat, was working on transferring that over today actually. Which has proven to be quite a task.

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