Ok so I have a found a 70's (probably) Hobie 17 being sold locally for $300. I forgot to check for a HIN

I dont' need a boat but for that price I am interested. I looked at it tonight and it appears to have all the parts except it is missing one Centerboard.

The sail is old an well worn (maybe delaminated) but has no rips or tears and has all it's battens. It has a good halyard and good 6:1 mainsheet .

It has a complete rudder system but one lower casting may need replacing soon.

All standing rigging looks to be in good shape and has single traps no corrosion I can see. Bridles are Uber long I assume because it is a Uni.

it has WINGS! Pockets wing go into have cracked gelcoat but I could not see any obvious structural problems. Wings looked solid.

Tramp and wing tramps are blue vinyl look like they have not been removed in a long time but otherwise ok. Tramp laces diagonally and has a flap to cover the laces but the velcro on it is worn out.

Mast is comptip looks ok as far as I can tell. There are 2 little posts on the outside the ring hook that look like maybe something goes there but I can't tell what. castings look ok.

I forgot to look st the mast step.

Hulls are old, white and not super pretty. There have been repairs but they seem if anything stronger where the repairs are. There is one very obvious soft spot on the top of the starboard hull between the port and the rear beam. It is probably fixable.

Comes with serviceable trailer that is old and rusty but tires look ok.



Main Questions: How hard is it to find a cheap used centerboard? Are they the same for both sides?

Can it be sailed at all without the centerboards temporarily to test it out some. The hulls may be symmetrical but they still have pretty steep V like the H16.

Purpose of the boat is to give my teenagers something to do as they are taking my P18 more and more and it would be fun to sail more with them.. No racing just fun.

Thanks for any advise you can give, If I decide to buy it I will pick it up tomorrow night and hope to put it in the water this weekend.

Price is right. First year was 1985. Could sail with one center board to check out. We sail boards up, downwind. For a non racer, you can make a center board from plywood, using the one for a pattern. Mounting pegs a mast head was for flapper, probably removed, and not needed.

Caleb

Got the boat looks like it is also missing a boom. I may have to get some specs and fashion one.

As I recall, the 17 does not have/need a full boom but you can get them if you look around.

Google "boomlet".

Goggle Hobie Cats Parts for complete information.
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/products/sailboats/