Hobie Hobie 16 manual Important Read Before Sailing, Lifevests, OFF Shore Sailing, Equipment

SAFETY

IMPORTANT: READ BEFORE SAILING'

While sailing is generally a safe sport, carelessness or lack of knowledge can be dangerous. A little common sense and attention to a few precautions go a long way toward protecting your safety in any- thing you do, including sailing.

1.LIFEVESTS

In the first place, don't sail without a Coast Guard approved life vest or jacket for each person on board. A Type 1 PFD is an approved device designed to turn an unconscious person in the water from a face downward position to a vertical or slightly backward position, and to have more than 20 pounds of buoyancy, recommended for off-shore cruising and acceptable for all size boats. If you're sailing in any kind of a heavy sea or strong winds, you should have your life jacket or vest on. Accidents do happen occasionally, even to the best of swimmers, and when they do, they usually happen quickly. Also remember to have an adequate paddle and righting line on board at all times, along with one type 4 throwable flotation device.

2. OFF SHORE SAILING

Don't sail far out to sea. Weather conditions can change rapidly and even if you're an experienced sailor, old Mother Nature can sometimes get the best of you. You should never sail alone where you can't find shelter within a fairly close range or at least summon assistance.

3. EQUIPMENT

Know your equipment! Theis built of quality materials and requires little maintenance, but for safety's sake, you should inspect it occa- sionally. Check the seals in your mast by pushing it underwater and watching for air bubbles. If it is leaking, have it resealed. A mast full of water makes righting a capsized boat awfully difficult. If you find the hulls are taking on an appreciable amount of water, check the foam plugs in the pylons by re- moving the trampoline frame. If leakage continues, check the through-hull fittings (screws) and apply silicone rubber sealant, if necessary.

4. WEAR AND TEAR

"Check your shroud anchor pins, rudder pins, tiller arm connections, and tiller extension swivel. They will become worn with continued use. A little preven- tlve maintenance can prevent a failure on the water.

5. PRE-SAILING CHECK OUT

When you're stepping the mast, tighten your shackles with pliers. These can't vibrate loose if they're cinched down tightly. If one of these comes loose while sailing; you risk damaging the boat or even being hit by a falling mast.

6. ELECTRICAL DANGER

Watch for low overhead electrical wires whenever you are sailing or trailering with the mast up. The mast sticks up there a long way and shock or death could result if it should come in contact with overhead wires. So look up when moving the boat around and give any wires a wide berth.

The Hobie Ca~ will give you so many hours of trouble-free sailing that the tendency is to forget to look at any of the hardware until something wears out completely. Make it a habit to check the boat out each time before you sail.

HOBIE CLASS ASSOCIATION

The Hobie Class Association was started by a group of Hobie owners who got together back in 1968 to organize some racing and other activities. Hobie was the mainstay of the group promoting the acti- vities himself. At that time, it wasn't really a class association but simply a group of owners wanting to have fun with their new toys. Hobie would write brief news letters from the factory announcing regattas as they developed across the country. He published a set of class rules rigidly restricting changes and modifications which can be made to the boat. As the class started to grow, people were hired to help administer the program. At that point, the association became a little more formal: the groundwork for the establishment of fleets was developed and the Hobie Cat.Hotiine was initiated as a class newsletter.

The Class Association was originally organized around one basic consideration: to extend each Hobie owner's enjoyment through organized, family oriented activities. Innovations were made in racing procedures and the regatta structures. A policy of including the whole family in the activities developed to assure everyone would have fun at a Hobie regatta. The Association continually strives to develop better programs so owners may further enjoy their Hobies.

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