Reader Boat: Hobie Power Skiff

Reader Boat: Hobie Power Skiff

- Tom Craig

Salt water is in my veins. My folks raised me near the ocean in Hermosa Beach. My dad had me surfing at four years old. When I was about eight, our neighbors gave us a wood Sabot. The sail number was #7 and the material was green cotton! I will never forget our first sailing adventure. It took place in King Harbor before the slips were built. This was my introduction to boating and I have been hooked ever since.

My boat ownership has gone from brands including Sabot, Laser, West Wight Potter, Hobie Cat, Boston Whaler, and others, up to my current speed craft, a fifteen foot Hobie Power Skiff. Now let me back up about ten years. After surfing Morro Rock one morning, I stopped by Wavelengths, the local surf shop to see a bright yellow Hobie Power Skiff sitting for sale in the parking lot.

I instantly fell in love with the sleek lines that famous surfer and Hobie Cat designer Phil Edwards designed back in the early 1980s. The 15-foot model is five feet wide and weighs 485 pounds without the engine. It had a sports car look, but was very utilitarian at the same time. It has a wash deck with two scuppers and is unsinkable. The wheels turned and I mulled the idea of buying it over and over. A few days later I drove by to see that the boat was gone. Damn, I missed my chance!