# I just bought a Hobie Power Skiff ! ! ! ! !



## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Just picked her up today, she has a 2003 mercury 90 hp 2-stroke saltwater series outboard, I have yet to put her in the water but I hope to get her out in the next few days!


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Nice!!
That things gonna haul the mail!

Im on my way up there right now with some tools and gelcoat to change that console and strip off that bow rail. ;D


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

What prop does it have on it?
Make/Model and pitch?


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## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

That thing should run, my advice is when your ready send it down to Cut for a Make over.


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## Mooseknuckle (Oct 9, 2012)

Im jealous. Im guessing it will do at least 55? Love those power skiffs!


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## junkin35 (Nov 20, 2011)

I got dibs on the first tube ride behind that thing!!!! 90!!


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Cut,
Here are a few pics of the prop...


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Cut, I have about 1 million questions to ask you . . . so I will start out with a few and add more as we go.
1. did you keep all 3 of the original hull drains that are on the transom?  Mine are all plastic and I think they could be a problem down the road, I could just change out the O rings but they still don't seem to be the best option.  I want to remove all 3 and replace them with a larger screw in brass plug, like a boston whaler, so that way I would be sure that no water intrusion happens due to a bad O ring or if the old plastic plugs break off.
2.  My control cables and gas lines are run ontop of the floor, I would like to recess them into the hull, do you know if there is a PVC conduit/chase/sleeve that already exists inside the foam?  Was that standard to run the cables on deck like that?  
3.  I love all of the mods you made to your boat, but is there any that you would do different now that you are finished?  
4.  On the 2 "pods" located on the rear deck, I saw that you cut them open, what kind of hatch etc did you use to seal them back up?  I definitely want to open those pods up and make use of that space.
5.  I hope to eventually put in a new console and either a cooler seat or a leaning post, and when I do this I would love to move the gas tank into the floor, that extra space would be awesome.  what height and width gas tank should I look for, or I guess I should ask what size would fit height and width wise?  
6.  Does your floor flex since you cut a hole in it for the gas tank?  does the floor stay in place with only those tabs you made to hold it there?  I understand that you siliconed it down to those tabs, but is it holding up? 
7.  Did you look at putting the gas tank up in the front of the boat? do you think there is any room up there to do that?
8.  What size prop and pitch should I get with my motor? its a Mercury 90hp saltwater series 2 stroke
9.  What scuppers are you using?

Sorry for all of the questions, it is really hard to find any useful info on these boats, your build seems to be the definitive guide on how to mod a Hobie.

I plan on taking the boat out for the first time this weekend, I will take some photos and hopefully get a top speed, I have yet to go through this motor and inspect it thoroughly, but it runs and according to the previous owner, it only has about 60 hours of use since it was purchased.  I am going to pick up a SeaTow membership this afternoon, just in case the Poo hits the fan this weekend!


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Thats the damned prop im looking for!!
Honestly, i think you might have to put some weight up front if you plan on doing a wide open trimmed out run. Even the nose on mine gets a bit floaty trimmed out. One time i was wot trimmed and hit a small set of boat wakes just right and the bow came up a lot, and i gently, but quickly pulled the throttle back before i blew over lol. Did i mention these boats are fun? 

Drainplugs:
I was running out of money on my build and just got replacement plastic ones. I havent had a problem with them yet, but do eventually plan on putting the same style stainless ones on.
Imo i wouldnt put the brass (garboard style)ones on there. One engineering design i noticed on mine was that the female part of the drain plug's sleeve was only half as deep as my transom was thick, allowing water intrusion from residual water in the bilge. So i coated the insides of the hole with epoxy before installing new plugs. Even the stainless and garboard ones have short sleeves btw, so no mattter what you choose make sure to epoxy the inside.

Rig tube:
My skiff was an original no rail, bench seat tiller model,so i never had a chase tube. It is my understanding that the earlier boats had all the rigging on the floor like yours, but eventually had chase tubes later on. Ask Junkin, as i believe he has a chase tube

Would i change anything:
I get the luxury of working on some of the craziest boats money can buy, and i look at how things are changing and evolving, what works what doesnt, whats new , whats awesome etc and i applied it to what i wanted and needed.
The only things i would change is i wish the outside of my hull had a little more green tint to it (color got diluded when mixing the duratech to the gelcoat)
And that i would have recessed the lexan livewell lid.
But they both arent big issues and really dont bug me much at all. Otherwise thats it.

2 rear pods:
My hull had no foam in the sides, only the center. Some do, some dont..
I saw an opportunity to add storage. And it works well.
I basically did the same exact thing i did with my gas tank cover. Cut it out carefully so i could reuse the cutout piece, epoxied on some strips of fiberglass laminate board i made and added a couple latches and hinges, whala. Im still looking for a small weatherstripping i can add to water seal it. But very very little water gets in as it is.

Gas tank:
The hatch cover is just like the two rear humps. Cut out carefully, sealed up the edges with epoxy and a small strip of glass and cut out some more strips of my laminated fiberglass board and epoxied them the the underside of the floor, set the cover back on, then ran a bead of silicone. I saw it done on a contender and a couple jupiter center consoles. No need for screws. I stand on it while im driving and i weigh 180, and the cooler is on it too. I run in alot of ruff chop slop and drive the boat hard and have never had a problem with it. I didnt think it would hold either but was assured by an engineer at juliter that it would be fine, good enuf for me!
I put the tank where i did because i wanted to beable to remove the cover without having to pull the console up. Which ive already had to do so thank goodness i designed to be easily removable.
There is a little more space under the floor the farther forward you go, but the V also gets deeper, making it an akward tank design. Also i feel that this boat runs best with more weight to the middle/rear like a bigger center console. The boat is very reactive to trim as the hull is laser straight (no hook), and i you want the bow down, just trim it down, if you want it up just trim it up and it will come up as much as you will ask it (see first paragraph) lol imo tabs arent needed on this hull.
When your ready i have the dimensions of the stringers and tank size written down, cant remember off the top of my head. Oh, and no floor flex.

I believe your boat is probably propped just fine

When you take it out this weekend remember to try and get as many numbers as you can
Ex wot rpm, wot speed, cruise speed, cruise rpm, planing speed, time to plane etc.
You boat should litterally jump on plane with the motor trimmed down, with very little bowrise.

Think i covered all your questions.
Thanks for the compliments btw

Ps, are you going to add a livewell?


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## Pureleaf (Nov 28, 2012)

I too recently purchased a 1996 Hobie Skiff. The hull is the same but the layout of the boat is totally different.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

> I too recently purchased a 1996 Hobie Skiff.  The hull is the same but the layout of the boat is totally different.


Smells like a bragging section thread to me! Post it up
Welcome to the cult


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Thanks for all the info, I am going to start looking for a center console replacement, if you know anyone that might be interested in the sit in "sport" console just let me know, cause its for sale. And... if you know of any good deals on replacement center consoles let me know, I really love the looks of the center consoles found on the RAZOR power skiff's, but I can't get in contact with anyone and from what I hear they are selling for around $1000 with windshield and grab bar which is more than I want to spend right now. I am thinking about cutting the back end out of the existing sport console so I can walk up to it, but I hate to trash a console if someone might want the original. I would love to find one of the original "fisherman" consoles, but I think that might be next to impossible.
I like your idea of using the stainless hull drain, I guess I just didn't know they made them. I have noticed that the RAZOR powerskiffs seem to have just one hull drain at the bottom of the transom, this got me thinking... Maybe I could install one large stainless drain in the middle of the transom, and then install some transom lights into the other 2 original hull drains, what do you think? Are those holes too big for lights? I just think that those 3 hull drains are a little bit overkill, that center drain is more than enough. Can you think of any other uses for those drains?


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Lol my bad, sorry I didnt explain it better..
It has 3 drains because the port and starboard cavities are completely blocked off from the center by the 2 stringers. There are no drain reliefs in the stringers to let water flow from the side into the center, then out the boat. Remember, this boat was designed to be completely foam filled and water tight. The idea was that water shouldnt get inside the hull at ALL in the first place, the fact that they even put drains in is a "well, just in case.."

I got an idea for you, your gonna like this..
Ok, in the center drain put one of the stainless drains in. On the two outside drains put the brass garboard drains in like you were wanting to do. Heres where it gets cool..

Theres a few companys one on ebay as well that make led underwater lights that screw into the garboard drain plugs. No holes to fill/drill.
2 birds with one stone
And they are cheap too, my buddy put one on his boat and its been going strong, for only $50 why the hell not


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

And ad far as consoles go, get rid of that sport thing asap!!
You can sell it on a couple sites im sure. Try powerskiffowners.com or stripersonline.com

I know of a couple local places that make nice little consoles for $100-200 bucks.
The $1000 for a console and windshield is highway robbery imo.

Do you want a livewell?
If so i would get a console with a livewell seat, which could be used as a cooler or any storage space, and when full would help get a little weight farther forward.


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Those transom plug lights are a great idea! 
Could you send me some info on the $100-$200 center consoles, that sounds like it is right up my alley, do you know a good source for a small leaning post as well? Should I go stainless or powdercoated aluminum?
I like the idea of having a built in live well, but I am not sure I want to deal with all of the hassle in rigging it up. When I do use live bait I tend to just keep it in a removable aerated bucket. I am not opposed to a live well, but it would just depend on what consoles are available, etc. If I stick with a removable option, then I would want to put a power outlet in one of the storage pods and store the aerator pump in there, so when its time to go all I have to do is bring either a 5 gal bucket or a large cooler with me, and I can use the on board aerator pump and on board power to circulate it. What are your thoughts? Obviously you work around boats and have applied all of those useful ideas and concepts into your skiff, thats the kind of advice I am looking for. I know having a live well would be a great selling point if I ever had to sell the boat, and I could insulate it to use as a cooler. I usually like to go with the simple, but I have never had a boat this big and this powerful, if you can call a Hobie "big", I definitely want to start using it alot and I will find out what works best for me.


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## junkin35 (Nov 20, 2011)

D, check the thread on my HPS. Its on page 4. Shows some decent detail of the small console i put on my boat. I think I paid 150-200 for it on ebay. Works great and is small enought that it doesn't eat up too much room in the skiff. And welcome to the HPS family.


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Ok, took the boat out for the first time about 2 weeks ago and it was not a success, motor did not run well at all, barely ran 5mph, so I stopped everything and decided to go through the motor. So this week I found some time to work on the boat and started with the fuel tank and worked up to the motor, drained the tank, filled with fresh gas, checked the main fuel lines, installed a fuel water separator with the clear drain bowl, took off all 3 carbs and cleaned them, changed fuel filter, installed battery switch, then I went to remove the spark plugs and that's where I found the problem, one of the plugs was completely broken, so I went to the store and replaced all 3 with new plugs. After that I started the motor up with no problem and took her to the boat ramp. My brother and I put her in the water and just like everyone has said before, these little boats are a TON of fun to drive! We went out into the sound and I decided to open it up, I didn't have her trimmed down all the way yet, and my brother had just turned on his GPS, he then turns around and shows me how fast we are going, it said 43.2 mph! We were in the chop, and it felt like we were going fast, but not THAT fast! She felt very stable, and the back half of the boat was still in the water. We drove around for about an hour and managed to top out at about 45.5 mph on a back river, I still think she can go faster, funny thing is the boat was slower with the motor trimmed down, every time I would trim up the boat would get faster and faster. Needless to say I love this 90hp motor on this hull, but I don't like the huge sit in console, I am thinking about buying this console to install:
http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/boa/3436310378.html
What are your thoughts? And should I be going faster than 45mph? I am not complaining, but didn't Cutrunners boat it 43 with a full load? I am just sayin'.......


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## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

> Ok, took the boat out for the first time about 2 weeks ago and it was not a success, motor did not run well at all, barely ran 5mph, so I stopped everything and decided to go through the motor. So this week I found some time to work on the boat and started with the fuel tank and worked up to the motor, drained the tank, filled with fresh gas, checked the main fuel lines, installed a fuel water separator with the clear drain bowl, took off all 3 carbs and cleaned them, changed fuel filter, installed battery switch, then I went to remove the spark plugs and that's where I found the problem, one of the plugs was completely broken, so I went to the store and replaced all 3 with new plugs.  After that I started the motor up with no problem and took her to the boat ramp.  My brother and I put her in the water and just like everyone has said before, these little boats are a TON of fun to drive!  We went out into the sound and I decided to open it up, I didn't have her trimmed down all the way yet, and my brother had just turned on his GPS, he then turns around and shows me how fast we are going, it said 43.2 mph!  We were in the chop, and it felt like we were going fast, but not THAT fast!  She felt very stable, and the back half of the boat was still in the water.  We drove around for about an hour and managed to top out at about 45.5 mph on a back river, I still think she can go faster, funny thing is the boat was slower with the motor trimmed down, every time I would trim up the boat would get faster and faster.  Needless to say I love this 90hp motor on this hull, but I don't like the huge sit in console, I am thinking about buying this console to install:
> http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/boa/3436310378.html
> What are your thoughts?  And should I be going faster than 45mph?  I am not complaining, but didn't Cutrunners boat it 43 with a full load?  I am just sayin'.......


That is all boats, positive trim gives you bow rise which creates less wetted surface creating less drag allowing for more RPM's and more speed. 

Negative trim (down) does the opposite


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

For best speed results, trim it up till it starts to go out of control, the position right before it goes out of control is pretty much your sweet spot.

What rpm were you turning at wide open?

Btw 43 feels pretty good in my boat. But thats because i got it aired out at that point


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

tach is currently not working, so I am not sure about the RPM's yet
Cut, what do you think about that console as a swap? base of the console is 26x26, I think it would work just fine, but you guys work around boats everyday and know what works, I think the size is fine but the layout is a little different... thoughts?


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

I cant see how it couldnt fit. Where do you plan on putting batteries?


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Batteries under console, or up front since the 90hp ways so much. The boat came with a custom 18 gallon aluminum tank that fits under the seat. I would like to get a console that has a seat in front of it so that I can mount the tank under the console, I would love to put a tank in the floor but that project wouldn't be happening anytime soon.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

I would just use a portable tank till you can do an in floor tank


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Took the boat out today for a quick run, managed to hold 47 mph for a bit with me and a buddy in the boat, wanted to try for more but the fog rolled in pretty thick, here are some pics


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## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

Umm whats up with the sailboat high and dry?

Good looking hobie, that motor looks huge on it!


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

What Sailboat? . . . . .


JK, that sailboat was abandoned last September and his now high and dry on an old oysterbed, we stopped by to take a look inside of it, since it was a new moon the tide was extremely high, which allowed us to get right next to it


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Last month I had a bearing go out on the trailer and as I went to jack up the trailer to install the new beating I found a large crack in my axle, I decided to rebuild the trailer completely since everything else was rusted or cracked as well.








So I started researching parts since I had no idea where to start, I really liked the current trailer I had, it fit the boat well and even though it was galvanized the frame itself was in great shape, I noticed that all of the rollers were cracked and one had completely split into 2 pieces, so I decided to just rebuild what I had versus buying a new trailer. I read on another boating site about a company called "trailer parts superstore.com", and after comparing their prices to others I found that they were by far the cheapest around. So I ordered a new galvanized axle, new springs, new galvanized super lube hubs, all new mounting hardware, a new jack, new rollers and pins. The super lube hubs are awesome, just pump grease in thru the zerk fitting under the hub grommet and new grease is pushed out starting from the back to the front of the hub, which effectively repacks your bearings for you, just keep pumping until you see new grease coming out! Anyway I spent the past few days rebuilding everything and it works great!


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## samay (Feb 23, 2011)

Nice job on the trailer. Would you mind sharing the approximate cost of the trailer rebuild - time and money?


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

I did all of the parts ordering and install labor by myself so I can only give you an overall cost for the parts I used.  Remember the only things that I kept from the original trailer was the frame, wheels and tires, the wooden bunks and lights, everything else was replaced, new axle, hubs, springs, mounting hardware, jack, rollers and pins, etc, overall the cost came to $590, which is pretty good for basically a new trailer.  This is what everything looked like when it came in the mail:








And here is the trailer on blocks:

















Here was the parts list:

Item Sku Qty Subtotal
9/16" x 3-1/2" Shackle Bolt & Nut (1 pair) #11031A 5212077 1 $7.44
63" Square Galvanized Trailer Axle (2000 lb.) #49541 5257058 1 $98.50
1-1/16" Bearing, 5 on 4.5" Stud Galvanized Super Lube Hub Kit #81044 5256243 2 $99.90
25-1/4" Flat End Slipper Leaf Spring (3 leaves) #US-3024 5266037 2 $54.58
Tie Plate Kit for 2" Square Trailer Axle #81185 5256017 1 $26.99
3-1/8" Galvanized Spring Shackle Link #14100G 5212076 2 $10.58
1/2" Galvanived Square U-Bolt, 3-1/16" x 3-13/16" #86222 5256088 8 $62.00
8" YATES Thermal Plastic Keel Roller, 5/8" I.D. #800Y 5272054 3 $43.50
12" Self Centering Keel Roller, 5/8" I.D. #80992 1492075 2 $41.76
5" STOLTZ Polyurethane Keel Roller, 5/8" I.D. #RP5 5062005 1 $8.44
5/8" x 6-1/4" Boat Trailer Roller Shaft #86038 5256140 1 $2.99
5/8" x 9-1/4" Boat Trailer Roller Shaft #86039 5256141 3 $11.67
5/8" x 13-1/4" Boat Trailer Roller Shaft #86041 5256143 2 $9.98
5/8" Roller Shaft Pal Nut #10801C 5212024 12 $8.28
PRO SERIES 1,000 lb. Capacity Marine Trailer Tongue Jack 5020005 1 $22.99
Subtotal $509.60
Shipping & Handling $77.28
Grand Total $586.88

I actually tried to get a torsion axle for this trailer first, I even made a few drawings of my existing trailer in order to try and get a quote from several axle manufacturers, but after calling about 15 different shops, I only found 3 that would give me a quote, and each quote came back at over $550 just to get the axle, that was way more than I was hoping, so I scratched that idea, anyways here are my drawings of my setup...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h36ly8p8zy4osl4/Boat%20Axle%20In%20Line%20View.pdf
And...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jszsfj5bsc1dmyn/Boat%20Axle%20Side%20View.pdf


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## samay (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks. That is helpful information. Nice drawings!


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Took her out for about an hour this past weekend, hit 48.3 mph at 5400 rpm, had a blast . . .


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Sweet


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Here are some photos of my boat running that my buddy took the other weekend. We have a HUGE tide around here, and this past new moon was one of the largest I have ever seen, so the picture of the large center console out of the water was sitting in about 4' of water when we pulled up to the beach that morning, and after lunch he was high and dry...


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Hahah


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Went camping a few weeks ago on the Altamaha River, my wife got me a GoPro camera for Christmas so I took some video of our trip and just finished uploading it to youtube, enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8Qjzicioc


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## Recidivists (May 9, 2011)

Looks like you boys had a nice time. Good choice on the LCD Soundsystem track.


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Thanks man, I love the GoPro camera its really easy to use and produces some great video


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Pictures were deleted


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Permit, there are no pictures it is a video of a camping trip I took a few weeks ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8Qjzicioc


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## Recidivists (May 9, 2011)

2.14 a day, now.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Looks like a good time to me!
Glad to see your still enjoying your boat


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

I saw a guy on the Hobie power skiff facebook page who did this mod to his boat, I asked him to send me some detail pictures. I am really contemplating on making this mod to my Hobie, it seems that it would have a cleaner look than just adding a standard hatch. Looks like he just cut the opening and added a stainless piano hinge to the back, maybe a little fiberglass work to add a lip for everything to sit flush.


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## Dmagee (Jan 2, 2014)

I'm not sure that I would want to give up the flotation in the humps.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Some of the boats never came with flotation in those humps, some didn't come with flotation in the center floor between the stringers


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## Dmagee (Jan 2, 2014)

Neither of our Hobie's have flotation in the center, only in the humps and on both sides of the bow. I know that if you have three drain plugs you have a tun of flotation so it probably wouldn't hurt.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

My center section was full. Plenty of flotation till I ripped it all out.
I put some back in, as much as I could


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

Huh interesting. I have foam in the rear humps, none in the center and none in the front that I can see. 

Was just thinking the other night about pouring a gallon or two of expandy foam up in the front through the front pie hatch.


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Hate to do this, but I have a opportunity to buy a friends boat, but need to sell the Hobie to get the cash first.

Check the for sale section on this forum . . .
http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1404836212/0#0


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

The only boat worthy of selling a hobie for is a hells bay, I hope its a hells bay


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

No Hells bay, its actually another Hobie, but the 18' version


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Ahhh 
ok, fair enough
post it up when you get it, I've never seen good pictures of one yet


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

Here are the pics of the Hobie 18...
it has a 55 gallon tank built into the floor (with access hatch) 3 live wells, plenty of dry storage, rod storage, and rated for 8 people and up to a 130hp outboard...


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## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

i have a question regarding the Hobies. I was looking at your ad and I am interested. 

I live in Chattanooga, Tn and would take it on the river for cruising and leisure(ie my wife tanning while we chill). I am pretty sure it would do well for my needs up here. 

However, I spend quite a bit of time in Panama city as well and would like to have something I could possibly take off shore (maybe 2-5 miles out) for some fishing. 

My question is would the Hobie be a good option given these needs?


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

The Hobies is well capable of that as well as you stay within reason and pick your days. Theres no doubt its the most offshore capable boat on this website. Ive had mine 20 miles out catching Wahoo. Theres also another Hobie skiff owner on here in panama city that uses his for inshore and offshore


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## joeeth (Nov 18, 2013)

Thanks for the info. I will have to check this out further.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

X2

Joe Hobies are bad ass! They are almost a bay skiff  kinda a great all rounder. And I think all are composite and cored builds also. Some of the other guys may know more specifics.


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## dawsonwl (Aug 3, 2010)

SOLD! I have to admit I really hated seeing her drive away, by FAR the best boat I have owned. Andrew, I hope you enjoy the boat as much as I did. There is no doubt in my mind that I will own another power skiff one day, but for now I just can't pass up the deal I am getting on this Hobie 18.


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