# Hobie Cat 16 Good For Island Hoping in baja?



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

This a definitely a noob to sailing question.

But i would like to so some sailing in the sea of Cortez's. After looking at google earth the idea of sailing from island to island looks amazing. 
I would like to start in Mulege thats in Baja in December and work may way from Isla San Marcos to Isla Toruga to Isla San Pedro Nolasco and finaly to Guaymas on the west cost of the sea of cortez. 

Is is possible for a boat as small as a Hobie Cat 16 to make a trip like this? Or is a bigger boat needed. Keep in mind that i am 20 years old (young and crazy) and an adventure like this sounds amazing. 

I have also herd of people sea kayaking to some of these islands if a sea kayak can do it why cant a Hobie cat?


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## cjmcfall (May 30, 2007)

If properly prepared for any "adventure" can be done safely.

The Polar Passage Expedition

This is a link to a story of a Hobie 18 sailing the northwest passage. Worth a read.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

I think Darwin has already done some work nearby in the Galapos islands, you might want to check on the theories he came up with and the awards named after him. No judgement intended.

Short answer, yes - you could do it. 
Wrong question tho. Question is should you do it.

Those sea kayaks are much better built for the load (supplies) and conditions. Hobies are not.
If you do, have fun and stay (realitively) safe.


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## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

The Sea of Cortez has the right conditions for a Hobie 16, and I used to sail mine there all the time. But, those islands are pretty far apart and a long way out, depending on which one you are looking at. I have been diving around several of them and its a good two hour powerboat ride, IIRC.


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

I think the issue is going to boil down to where are you going to store your food and shelter? The storage capacity of my old Hobie 16 was a pocket big enough to put a laminated registration card.


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## wakked1 (Apr 26, 2007)

Hobie 18 would be more comfortable/stable with significantly better load carrying capacity. 16' was marginal on Lake Michigan but 18' was great.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

food and shelter would not be a big problem.
food and small tarp would be stored in a 1 big dry bag. 
Water would be stored a few 1 gallon Arizona tea jugs. 

I have used this set up for extended kayak trips, motorcycle trips, mountaineering trips ect.

my biggest fear would be to safely maintain control of the boat in the event of a big storm. 
Would bad weather be a problem during late December early January?


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## Alden68 (Mar 21, 2007)

Discovery has a show titled "I shouldn't be Alive."

They have an episode about 2 guys who tried to sail the length of the sea of cortez in a Hobie.

You should watch it....


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

buckmanriver said:


> my biggest fear would be to safely maintain control of the boat in the event of a big storm.
> Would bad weather be a problem during late December early January?


I'm not familier with the area you are planning on sailing in but last summer my son about 22 years old very fit and a 10 year experienced sailor and current marine mechanic decided to sail with my friend and me from Connecticut to Long Island. We were in a 27' sailboat he took the Hobie 16'.

The wind picked up and we found out a few things about the Hobie 16.
1. With wind about 30knots+ and waves about 6 feet which was just perfect for the 27 Catalina the Hobie would not go to windward. So you may not be able to sail in the direction you want to go.
2. He is about 140lbs and just staying on the boat was a major effort. Actually sailing was practially impossible.
3. He lost a boat hook. Keeping things on deck is not as easy as it seems.
4. He ripped a jib track off the hull. The hobie is not built to handle that kind of strain.

If the wind picks up even a little your need full attention to keep the boat upright. Your weight, in the right place second by second is the trick. One misjudgement by one second and the boat is overturned and you are in the water. Righting the Hobie in calm conditions is fun. In rough conditions probably not possible.
Don't forget that even if you drop your sails you have a trampoline that will act like a sail but its only goal will be to flip you.
In short in good conditions anything that floats will get you to where you want to go. 
So you have to weigh the risk. The intent of the Hobie is to have fun on the water. It has practically no ability to protect you from the elements. Dumping a Hobie or falling off it is part of it's fun. If you can swim to where you want to go the Hobie will increase the fun. If you dump or fall off and you cann't swim to land or be picked up by another boat you will be in the water untill someone finds you.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

After watching the episode on you tube epsoide i still am still excited for this adventure.
Although i might bring a sat phone. 

on a smiler note i thought the pontoon of a hobie cat was filled with foam to add boucey and support to the fiberglass fram.
That is what cause the troubles if the first place which just grew from there as the often do. 

search 5of5 Shipwrecked-I shouldn't be Alive in you tube to find the video


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

After reading a post about a good sailer being on the fine ege of boat control in a big storm. I am definitely going to do more research and consider different boats. Even a Hobie 18 would be a little more controllable in a storm by adding two feet there would be a little more stability.

Is much better info than a tv show about people who make one bad desion than builds into something a situation where they almost died. 
I have some thinking todo


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## poopdeckpappy (Jul 25, 2006)

When I was a kid ( early 70's ) I sailed a hobie 18 and worked for Sol Cat building 14's,16's and 18's; at that time none, including the hobie had floatation foam .

The Sol Cat 18 was almost identical to a Nacra, which if I was thinking of a adventure like this one, would be the cat of choice for me, a Nacra 18


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

You're really a lot better off doing something like this in a boat better suited for it. A beach cat was never designed to sail in bad weather reasonably... most beach cats are very much overpowered for the amount of hull and they tend to be pretty unstable once the wind picks up. They generally aren't designed with any way to reef the sails either.

BTW, if you think I'm being too negative, please remember that I sail a trimaran as my primary boat... and am a big supporter of CRUISING sized multihulls.


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