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In the Spring of 1999 we were in search of an open day-sailor that would comfortably accommodate more people than the typical beach boat, yet be nearly as easy to single-hand. What we found was a Vagabond 14 sitting in a barn in rural Colorado. This boat had a design that spoke to sailing enjoyment. It followed us home so we kept it. Our boat didn't come with a manual and we wanted to know something more about it's manufacturer and origins. Web searches and library research didn't turn up anything for Vagabond, but our local sailboat dealer mentioned it looked similar to the now defunct Hobie monohull. That bit of insight brought us to discovering the KitePower web site for a Hobie/Holder MkII sailboat. The Hobie did look remarkably like our Vagabond and the site, along with its accompanying discussion board opened the door to the whole Vagabond - Holder - Hobie evolution. It also lead us to the discovery that these marvelous boats are the creation of renowned boat designer Ron Holder. The last Hobie monohull in this group of boats was produced around 1996. Since then Hobie has changed tack and placed emphasis back on the catamaran designs that made them who they are. In 2005 it was confirmed by Hobie tech-support that all the molds had been destroyed. The factory spare parts inventory for these boats is dwindling and owners have been pretty much cast adrift to fend for themselves. In the meantime KitePower's Hobie/Holder-14 support group has gathered a following of over 500 owners. Together with the support groups for the 9', 12', and 17' boats these Holder orphans now comprise an assemblage of kindred sailors numbering over 1000. This web site was established to share collected information with those Vagabond, Holder, and Hobie One sailboat owners who are now the keepers of the flame. Vagabond Sailing |
We would like to express our gratitude to the many businesses, organizations, and individuals who email, write, and phone to share their insights and knowledge. We would like to extend an extra note of thanks to those who have taken time to scrounge their back rooms and attics in an effort to supply this site with printed materials. Unabashed Plug - If you are looking for parts, please remember the businesses who donated materials to us all. |
| Contributors of Note: | |
| Hobie Cat |
Technical Support Staff |
| The Boat House, Inc. |
Westport, Wisconsin |
| M. Otte | Veteran Holder-14 Sailor |
| Damon Linkous - TheBeachcats.com | New Home of eZine On The Wire Archives |
| Aaron Ollivier - Sidsports | Sidsports - Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Dave Shearer - GSLYC | Great Salt Lake Yacht Club |
| Strictly Sail | Strictly Sail, Inc - Cincinnati, OH |
| M. Lubec | Sailing Instructor |
| Salty Dog Marine | Brighton, Michigan |
| Doug & Wendy Ousley | Vagabond Aficionados |
| Holder14.8k.com | KitePower's Holder 14 MkII site (Lots of good info here) |
| H. Saulles | Holder-14 Aficionado |
| David at ShortyPen.com | Home of the Sailboat Pocket Cruiser Guide |
| Cal Poly Sailing Club | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo |