It’s been a soggy spring/summer so far, and that — combined with five days away for a college reunion — slowed pre-launch preparations a bit.
But Errant is finally launched, spotless and shinier than she’ll be all season, and sailing better than ever. Eureka! This little mashup chronicles the final journey from shipyard to travel lift to bay to lake to mooring.
Mini-montage of Errant’s 2019 launch and shakedown sail…
I mentioned in the video that “there’s something incredibly ungainly about seeing a keel boat trundled around a shipyard”, and I’m left (after sailing much of the day away) with the curious contrast between the way a sailboat looks in the water, under sail and the way she looks in a clunky cradle being hauled behind a tractor.
I’m always a little anxious watching 12k pounds of boat making it’s way toward water after a season on the hard. So awkward and ungainly. But once wet, she is once again graceful and confident.
I’d like to offer an enthusiastic shoutout to Paul Mero and his attentive team at the Willsboro Bay Marina who always take such good care of Errant (and her zealous skipper!) and to Michael Reusser, the marina’s thoughtful problem solver when it comes to challenges mechanical, electrical, plumbing, etc. Also to Andre and Tami who keep the shipstore, scheduling, and billing running smoothly. I’ve always considered a stroke of good fortune to inherit this marina and this team when I purchased Errant, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.
With May winding down and weather shifting from soggy to sunny, I finally began readying Errant for another summer on Lake Champlain. Winter cover off, pressure washing and compounding, bottom painting, canvas back on including the brand new genoa,…
There’s so much to do each spring, but I’m fueled with anticipation and enthusiasm during the pre-season commissioning so the chores are actually [almost] 100% enjoyable. Of course, there’s always that one rainy day when planning to bottom paint or an electrical mystery (like connecting to shore power and discover that the onboard battery charger is not working, not working, not working, until, “Oh, the power tower has a tripped breaker! It’s not the boat at all…”)
But the spring checklist is finite, and soon enough it is launch day followed but the much-anticipated shakedown sail south from the Willsboro Bay Marina to our home in Essex.
Spring Shakedown 2018 (Source: Geo Davis)
That first sail of the season always a joy, but this year was perfect. Winds out of the north variable from the high single digits to the mid teens and calm seas. We were wing-and-wing much of the morning, and I even managed to squeeze in a brief snooze at the helm while autopilot was employed on the broad lake. Even my occasionally-nonplussed-about-sailing-bride enjoyed herself. All told, it was the perfect start to a new season.
The final mission critical item on my to do list before Saturday’s launch was to rig the sails. I had hoped to order and receive three new halyards for running up the sails, but my timing was off. The new halyards will arrive midweek.
So today I headed down to Willsboro Bay Marina and Installed the canvas. Now I’m ready for a to launch Errant on Saturday morning for the summer 2016 shakedown sail to Essex Shipyard.
It’s time for fresh bottom paint, so I checked in with Errant’s previous owner to see what he had used. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! He’s always been a huge help, and my bottom paint question is no exception. Here’s a screenshot from our exchange.
VC17 Bottom Paint?
Some day he’ll probably ask me to leave him alone, to stop bugging him with maintenance questions, etc. But until then, he’s proven an amazing resource.
So, let’s take a look at the product I’ll be using to refresh the antifouling paint on Errant’s bottom.
Interlux VC 17m Extra
VC 17m Extra with Biolux® is a thin film antifouling paint for racing sailboats and powerboats that is formulated with Fluoro microadditive to reduce friction and drag. When applied the VC®17m Extra will immediately give a hard, super smooth, racing finish that would normally take days of tiresome sanding. VC®17m Extra incorporates the Biolux® technology along with the metallic copper to achieve complete protection in freshwater or low fouling saltwater. VC®17m Extra is great for use on inflatables.
Thin film antifouling for racing sailboats and powerboats.
With Fluoro microadditive for a low friction surface.
Hard, smooth surface for use in fresh and low fouling salt water.
Here’s a video from one of the biggest purveyors of Interlux VC 17m Extra. (Helpful video, but I was pleased to discover that Willsboro Bay Marina sells Interlux VC 17m Extra in their ship’s store, so I’ll happily keep my business local. Thanks, Tami!)
Good Bye, Hobie Cat 16 (Note that Lake Champlain’s still frozen in the background!)
With spring launch around the corner and a half dozen “get Errant ready to splash and sail” projects already underway, I realized last week that it was time to focus.
Out with the old; in with the new. Out with a pair of aging Hobie Cat 16s , and in with a new-to-me Catalina 310. End of an era. Start of a new one!
I re-listed them on Craigslist, updating the information from a previous attempt to sell them last summer. Within 36 hours I had a half dozen inquiries. Three were ready to see the boats and make an offer. The first arrived Saturday. Sold!
So that photo above is “Good bye, Hobie Cat 16.” He’ll pick up the other one this coming weekend, although he wondered aloud if it might work to tow one behind the other. It might. But the NYS Troopers would likely consider it a ticket-worthy offense.
So, a poignant benchmark. But the time is right. Time to learn some big[ger] boat skills…
Here’s the Craigslist advertisement.
2 Hobie Cat 16’s with Trailers
Hobie Cat 16s ready for new owner(s)
What’s even better than a lightning fast Hobie Cat 16? Two dirt cheap, lightning fast Hobie Cat 16s!
So why am I selling them then? Too many toys, too little time, and a bride who would rather waterski…
Description
This is your chance to grab a 1978 Hobie Cat 16 AND a 1974 Hobie Cat 16. Both catamarans come with sails and 2006 Karavan trailers. And lots of spare parts including trapeze, “dogbones”, etc.
Hobie Cat 16s waiting for new owner(s)
But there’s a caveat… If you want to sail both boats, you’ll need a couple of replacement parts.
I’ve had the white Hobie Cat 16 for about a dozen years. I’ve flown hulls, won races, and generally had a blast with it. It’s FAST! Or, it was fast… I banged it up during a small craft advisory when I shouldn’t have been sailing solo (too much wind), and it bent/dented the mast slightly and broke the rudder assembly. After taking inventory of the damage and preparing to order replacement parts I spied the tan Hobie Cat 16 for sale locally. So I bought it.
Older Hobie Cat 16
My plan was to cherry pick the best parts from both catamarans and assemble them into a better-than-new (or at least cheaper and faster than new) “time machine” to blast around Lake Champlain. But 3-4 years have piled up and I haven’t had time to tackle the project. So, I’m going to sell the catamarans which will make my bride happy. Unless they don’t sell quickly and I start tinkering… 😉
Newer Hobie Cat 16
The bottom line is, I want to sell both Hobie Cat 16s together along with both reliable, new-ish (2006) trailers, ready for the road. You can combine (use the mast and rudder assembly from the tan H16 on the white H16) the two, or you can fix the broken rudder assembly and repair/replace the mast, giving you two inexpensive and VERY fast catamarans.
Value
Newer Hobie Cat 16 Sails
Priceless! If you have the time… 😉 Basically, I’d suggest you search Craigslist and eBay for other comparable Hobie Cat 16 sailboats with trailers. Prices usually range from about $750 (for 1970s to 1980s fixer uppers in poor to marginal condition) to around $1,500 (for water-ready, moderate to good boats with trailers) and big piles of cash for newer, race-ready cats. Of course, you won’t usually find the new H16s for sale because, well, for the same reason many of us have hung onto the older catamarans. They take very little maintenance, are easy to store, guarantee a ton-o’-fun every time you head out, and… let’s be honest, because they’re liquid rockets!
Older Hobie Cat 16 Sails
I’m asking $1,600 OBO (or best offer) for everything (both H16s, both trailers, and all sails, parts, etc.) If you’d like to make an offer (or have something cool to trade like an aluminum utility trailer or a load of cedar/locust fence posts), feel free to contact me. But make it reasonable. If you don’t hear back from me, your offer was too low (or your trade wasn’t enticing enough!) If you’re in the ballpark, I’ll either accept or counter-offer.
Condition
Hobie Cat 16 Rigging, Odd, Ends
The condition of these Hobie Cat 16s is a mixed bag. (See the description above.) By repairing/replacing a couple of parts you can have two complete catamarans. Or, by combining both, you can have one complete catamaran with a spare trailer and spare hulls, spare sails, spare parts. As for the 2006 Karavan trailers, they’re still in super condition with nominal time on the road.
Note
I’ve included all relevant information to the best of my ability, but you can also search Google for “Hobie Cat 16” for additional details, wild stories, known problems, maintenance/repair advice, etc.
On the Hard: Errant winter storage at Willsboro Bay Marina, March 8, 2015
Stopped by Willsboro Bay Marina today to check on Da Capo/Errant. So many whistling, flapping halyards!
The date is March 8, sort of spring, at least it seems like it should be spring. But the cold, humid wind and a lingering blanket of snow suggest that spring launch is still a good way off…
I was relieved to see that the winter storage cover has held up well, not a single tear or loose line. Frankly, I was a little surprised. I guess all of the hours trying to decipher the cryptic instructions paid off.
I didn’t climb aboard, but I will return in a couple of weeks if the temperature rises to inspect the interior and start a few projects like refitting the v-berth door and deep-cleaning the bowels so that I start the sailing season with a super clean vessel.
