I need a designer wannabe.: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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March 31, 2009 2:06 p.m. 914Driver Dork

Reminding myself there is no such thing as a cheap boat.....

A guy offered a Hobie 16, no mast, he's thinking about the trailer but I can find one easy enough. I want to make a hard deck to replace the canvas trampolene and mount an outboard on it somewhere. Hobie 16s are weight sensitive, and very balance sensitive. If I put this on the back and two people up near the front cross bar, will it sink? Is a 6hp too big? Will a 2 - 3 hp move it along?

It looks like a motor would have to be more forward...

Any ideas?

http://albany.craigslist.org/boa/1072884452.html

Dan
March 31, 2009 2:23 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

I don't know about your power condiserations, but my limited research pretty much says exactly what you said...they're weight sensitive. I've heard they like to ride very low in the water (like sponsons almost completely submerged). Sounds like a fun project if your engine and fuel setup didn't weigh very much.

That said, I'd get some old bicycles and chop them up and make a pedal boat out of it!

Clem
March 31, 2009 2:24 p.m. CrackMonkey Reader

The Hobies move fairly quick under wind power, so any smallish outboard should do the trick. I also don't recall them being any more weight sensitive than any other small sailboat, so mounting the outboard shouldn't be too big a deal. I would try and keep it small and light, just for transportation's sake - easier to pull out of the water.

What are you trying to acheive - just a small boat for fishing off?
March 31, 2009 4:08 p.m. jrw1621 HalfDork

I would lean toward an electric trolling motor. Any egg beater should be able to move the boat forward enough. .
March 31, 2009 5:39 p.m. fiat22turbo SuperDork

I would lean towards something like this:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hastyfoil/

Only larger with electric trolling motors to provide propulsion on each hydrofoil.
March 31, 2009 5:54 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

Another vote for the trolling motor....

but aren't hobies prone to leaving the water? maybe hard to keep a prop deep enough
April 1, 2009 6:32 a.m. 914Driver Dork

I have no real plans or goals in mind, I just like being on the water.

Any Cat under 50 feet long is weight sensitive, stand on the bow of my buddy's Gemini 34 and you can hear the boat slow down, there's no mass to carry the momentum.

Trolling motor sounds good, but maybe a coupla recumbant 10 speeds hooked to a prop would do it. It would have to be flat water.
April 1, 2009 8:20 a.m. Duke Dork

Having owned a Hobie 16, YES, they are extremely sensitive to fore-and-aft balance. I would think you might get away with a small outboard on the back of the tramp frame if you sat a bit forward, though. But the hulls are extremely narrow and while they are buoyant, they don't offer much stability like a pontoon boat does.

However, I would strongly advise against a hard deck for it. The hulls actually work against each other and the tramp and frame have to absorb a lot of flex, particularly on an older boat. I suspect you'd be busting stuff unless you made it unworkably heavy, or you can come up with a way to only make hard attachments at the front corners and let the rear corners slide a little, like the bearing points for a bridge structure.
April 1, 2009 8:34 a.m. 914Driver Dork

Free boat?

Drag it home and remove tramp.

Buy a 6 pack.

Scam, buy or swap two bicycles. ~$50.

Buy a 6 pack.

Cobble together two recumbant seats to a bicycle get up, stretched across a Hobie tramp frame. 40 hours.

Buy 12 pack.

Petit one-part epoxy paint, $22/qt. (gotta look nice)

Down a sixer while waiting for paint to dry.

Oops, forgot the trailer!

Drag one out of a field for between $50 and free.

Build cross members with rollers to hike the Hobie up onto.

Requires a six pack at least.

Trailer tires, gotta be safe: $40.

Ok, I'm too drunk to do the math, if anyone wants a free Hobie 16 without a trailer lemme know.

I've got a car to build.
April 1, 2009 8:51 a.m. Apexcarver SuperDork

ive actually been looking for one, no mast, am i to assume no sails as well?

probly too far for me and probly more work then i want (and i dont have a trailer to put it on)
April 1, 2009 9:01 a.m. 914Driver Dork

All of the above.