Hi - I just picked up a heavily used 16. I mean heavily used... 4 hours of power washing and it's not that bad.
(Paid only 450.00!) with trailer.

anyway - I didn't know about soft spot checking until after I bought it. It has a BAD soft spot just forward of the tramp on the port side. (any good way to fix that?) Feels like someone could put their foot through it. And has a stress crack already.

That's first question. Next is - what is the best way to learn how to rig properly? I have some problems.
First I THINK the main sheet is to big... the rope is fat and from wear is a bit frayed and doesn't move smoothly or easily through the cleat/pulleys? Should it be snug or easily slip through the block and tackle stuff? I suspect a thinner rope is needed? what type/rope should I get and where? (best place to buy)?

Other things the SLIDING unit on the aft tramp bar that slides port and starboard gets hung up in the track frequently. We have to fight with it to get it to release and slide smoothly. (is there a fix for this? or just I order a new part?) How should this release and lock?

Those are just my starter questions. Even rigged wrong and with problems I've had a blast sailing it the last 2 days with little to no wind. Can't wait for something more substantial.

Hi there, and welcome!
Check out this forum on the Hobiecat listserve, it has answers to lots of questions:
Hobie FAQ

thanks - registered there, but it's a FUNKY forum and needs someone to turn me on (rather than email confirmation).
= ( Been waiting, havent' heard back from anyone there.

Yeah, we had a bunch of spam and porn issues... clean now due to the manual registration process, but that does take a bit of time. Did you email us per the "New users" post in the forums?

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=12747

The main traveler car will not move very well if you hare sheeted in on the main blocks. The more you sheet in, the harder it will be to move the traveler.

Bought a 2nd boat which was setup properly - found that the main sheet wasn't going through car properly. I had one rope end in my hand. (couldn't control the traveler car seperate. 2nd boat I bought was set right and I went AH HA... I now have a loop in my hands (end is tied to back center of aft support behind traveler car. WOW much easier to work both controls now.

IN A BIG GUST - what would one want to release first? the down haul cleat on the main shoot or the traveler car cleat? Before - I just had one and popped the cleat to not go over.

I personally let out the main sheet first. Then ever so slightly head up into the wind

Letting out the traveler lets the line out faster, there is a 1:1 ratio. If you have an 6:1 on your main sheet then letting out 6 feet of line lets out the boom out 1 foot. So releasing the traveler gives a more rapid release of the boom.

True, but it's a gross vs. fine move. Plus, ya gotta haul it back in at 1:1 and those H16 travelers have never been very smooth.

I thought he was talking about dumping the boom fast to avoid a capsize. Most of my control is done with the main sheet. It seems to fly out even at 6:1 in a big gust. I guess thats because I have the main sheet in hand for control already.

Now that I'm rigged properly, I have two lines (one to block and one to traveler. Is this then two sheets?
Which to release to stop a capsize? I've tried to do both - a down on the block and then a up on the traveler. Assuming the block (down haul?) tension needs to be released first to allow the car to even move.

Release the main only. It'll take forever to pull both back in.

Many people have one line that they use in a loop to control the blocks and the traveler. Some people use two different lines (possibly of different colors) and then tie them together so that they form a loop. This seems to reduce the confusion of which line to pull when.

In Rick White's book "Catamaran Sailing For The 90's" he says that the traveler is used to control the lower part of the main sail tension and that the main sheet is used to control the upper part of the sail. I think that this means that the main sheet tightens the boom downward which flattens the sail and pulls the main tighter higher up the sail, thus flattening the top part of the sail. Is this the right idea?

I think that Downhaul is the line that pulls the boom down at the mast. This tightens the luff of the mainsail. I think that my boat has a 6:1 for the downhaul.