Still looking our recently acquired H16 over and a couple of other questions come up. Royce's Sailing (GREAT book, by the way) shows a 16 with a cable bridle between the two hulls in front. Our boat has an aluminum bar with a jib reel in the center. Is this an aftermarket add-on or what?
Second question- Several of our sail battens appear to be broken. What's the best replacement material? Polycarb? Aluminum? Marine Ply? I have some nice clear mahogany that I could fashion some out of. Good idea?
Thanks,
B

Sounds like a h14 with jib and roller furler(sp)to me. H16s have bridle wires for the jib the h14 uses a spreader bar to help with the forces.

Not sure about using wood for battens, but you can get new fiberglass ones from your Hobie dealer.

Yes - never seen one like that before.



The stock battens are made of fiberglass. I wouldn't use wood. Unless you live on the North Pole, there's no reason not to use what comes with the boat - contact a Hobie Dealer or look on eBay (there's a full set of battens up there now).