My new boat !!!!!!!!! A couple questions..

Thanks its good to be back I left Hobie for awhile and tried the Nacra thing but I am back! I went from a Hobie 16 to a Nacra 5.5sl and and kept tearing it up so I bought the H18 and I really dont want to sink too much money into it until I am sure its the boat for me so hopefully I can get the cams working ok long enough to take it out a couple of times as the fragile rudder system is what made sell the Nacra. I sail in the gulf and loved my H16 so hopefully this H18 will be my new favorite boat.

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Floyd
00 Tiger
http://www.HobieFleet33.com
10 Mile Surfside, Texas
Join us on our Facebook group: Surfside Sailing

Ditto what musicman said, loose the righting line system. I use a water ski handle with the appropriate length of rope tied to the dolphin striker and tucked into the sewn in tramp bag.

Tom

So - when you go over you release the rope, throw over top hull and pull ?

Is there enough room on the handle for 2 people to pull ?

How about a turtle situation ?

Thanks !

You guys better be leading me right. . I went out yestarday . . .light wind but gusty. . . I tied one 14' line to my striker and wraped it in the tramp bag. I've got a righting bag as well. Where I sail it's pretty much imposible for me to turtle all the way so not really worried about that. Will I be able to right the old hobie by myself. . .? ?? Thanks.

Yes, pull it from the tramp bag, throw it over the hull and while standing on the bottom hull, hang on and lean back. That is why I prefer a ski handle because it does allow more room for two people to hang onto. Unless you have a severly leaking mast, this will pull it up from turtle as well. Make sure you have a long enough length of rope, it may take some adjustments on the 1st attempt. Too long is better than too short!

Tom

Sweet, It makes me more comfortable going out solo with this set up. As soon as I get a new ski rope for my go fast boat. . . I'll be sure to reuse the old line. . really like the idea. I could also use a small line and a carabiner to help get the righting bag on quick.

In reality am I over thinking the righting process? Am I going to go over and like it more than I think it's a pain? ?

All you need to do is take your righting line, wrap it around your harness hook two times and hold it with your hand. The friction of the line makes it easy to hold, but all you have to do is let go with your hand and you're free from the line. No need for a handles or loops and you can position yourself anywhere on the line. There is virtually no load on your arms - it feels the same as trapeezing. If you're righting the boat with two people, the second person just lays back against the person on the line.



Righting the boat is only a pain when you can't get the boat back up...

sm

....unless you aren't wearing a harness. I go out frequently without a harness since I have Magnum wings to sit on.

In my younger years I used to love tipping over (unless I was racing). These days I prefer not to especially if I have inexperienced crew onboard. Everybody should purposely tip over occationally to keep your skills up. Can be fun as long as you don't have people making silhouettes through your sails!

Tom

My $.02: In my (still limited) experience, righting a Hobie18 is NOT an easy task when sailing solo. This was my first year sailing the H18 I purchased last fall and I went out roughly 25 times. I am new to Hobies but have been sailing for over 25 years. On two occasions I tipped over while sailing solo in moderate winds and I wasn't able to right the boat on either occasion. I am 5'10" 225# and strong but I wasn't able to do it using the simple righting line around the dolphin striker technique with main and jib uncleated and bows pointed into the wind (note: I don't yet have a bag or a harness). My mast does not take on any water and I didn't turtle, so that wasn't the problem. More wind probably would have helped.

Four rookie-to-rookie suggestions, FWIW: 1. avoid cleating the main when possible 2. always wear sailing gloves (I absolutely shreaded my hands the first time) 3. familarize yourself with the proper righting proceedures as outlined on this site and 4. don't take it for granted you'll be able to right the boat by yourself. Good luck!

Hi,

Having owned a H18/H18Mag since 85' I've read all the posts/advise and agree w/ most except ......

The removal of the "flipper" thingie .... I love my flipper thingie ... it just takes a gentle touch to use it properly ... you can not just yank the mainsail up to the top. It's especially helpful if you are raising or lowwering the mainsail by yourself. I have explained my technic in several posts here on this forum.

First I would replace that 1/4" dia halyard w/ a 3/16" halyard .... it makes for a smaller knot tieing the Halyard ring on and allows easier "hooking" of the halyard ring into the hook easier. Also, spin the halyard one-two turns before attaching to the mainsail ... the direction of the rotation/spin depends on which side of the mast the hook is mounted on .... you are trying to help the halyard ring flip/grab the hook ... now the hook is mounted on either side of the mast depending on whether you have a solid/all aluminum mast or a comptip equiped mast ... Next after lubricating the luff track in the mast and the boltrope (I know ... it's the only place there is a "rope" on a boat") w/ sailkote hoist the sail until the "head" of the sail is 4-6" below the hook ... keep the mast pointed directly at you (no rotation) place you foot on the rear crossbar (or transom) w/ your leg bent .... wrap the halyard around you waist ... close your eyes and GENTLY straighten your leg, pushing off from the boat ..... FEEL the hook ... it will touch the under side of the hook ... gently keep hoisting and you will hear a "click" .... that's the halyard ring dropping into the hook ... you're hoisted and hooked!!!! To drop the sail undo the downhaul, using the halyard ... "Yank" the sail up 3-4" dis-engaging the halyard ring from the hook ... (the flipper thingie will drop/rotate down covering the slot in the hook) ... now the sail will drop straight down w/o the halyard ring re-hooking ....

If you remove the "flipper thingie" it takes two people (generally, mostly lowering) to hoist and hook the halyard ring/dis-engage the halyard ring and lowwer the sail, since the mast needs to be rotated to allow the halyard ring to clear the hook.

Priority:
1) New Rigging
2) New shroud anchor bolts !!!!
3) Front Crossbar Reinforcements
4) Install bushings in lower rudder castings !!!! ( $$$$ Lower Casting, or $ bushing ... which one do you wish to wear out and replace???)
5) Replace that Mast Base!!!! That is the "old" style .... please replace w/ the "new" style ... w/ the "old" style the mast ball is only held in place by a small SS machime screw ... if that screw shears( and they do!!!) the mast ball can slide off, allowing the mast to "kick out" from the bottom .... A VERY NASTY DE-MASTING. The new style has the dolphin striker post coming up through the mast base providing a much thicker post for the mast ball to slide down/over it ... locating it in place. There was a thread recently about installing a H16 "Mast Waffer" w/ a hole in it under the mast ball to allow the mast ball to spin/rotate freely on a frictionless surface ... thereby allowing the mast to rotate = easier tacks.

(To Matt M: can you post some diagrams detailing the differences w/ the mast bases ... mine d-mn near come down ... actually came apart/kicked out as we lowered the mast after a finishing "The Down the Bay" Distance Race after finishing in gusts of 41knots!!!! Someone was watching over us that day cause one more good bump and that mast was coming down !!!!)

Later:
1)Replace Hull Portals if you wish, try lubricating w/ sailkote first (I'm still using the "factory" ports, just seal opening for "pullropes" w/ globs of silicone) Bolt new Portals rings in w/ SS machine screws (allows easier removal if required)

Rear Hull Portals should be located 1/2 distance from transom to rear crossbar allowing inside access to either as required .... ( rudder guedeon replacement is sometimes a problem as it requires a SS screw/bolt threaded into a aluminum backing plate ... they sometimed corrode together permenatly)

Don't let anyone talk you out of that "mast caddie" as you can not purchase that model anymore and they are great!!!

Please research my old posts ... you'll find more information that I learned over the years the hard/expensive way .... use what you feel is useful to you ... my experience is on the east coast in salt water enviornments/sandy beaches so some of my ideas may not apply to that fresh water Wyoming sailing.

Also pay close attention to anything posted by "Stephen"/Must5429 ..... he is the CURRENT H18 North Americam Champion!!!! Lives in Colorado near you, a true gentleman and great competitor .....

PS: I have skied Jackson Hole .... drank at the Mangy Moose ... fantastic .... but Grand Targee .... got to love the cowboys/lift operators .... who waited for my "pard" to collect his gear after a "yardsale" as I waited below at the lift ... keeping the lift open for a extra 15-20mins .. to lift us up and out so we didn't have to "pole' our way, all the way around the mountain on the flats .... ( the cowboy asked if I was going up before the lift shut down .... I said " I won't leave my "pard"" ... he smiled and said " ... go on up, I'll send him up to you". And he did, he understood what "pard" means ..... )

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

Hi (again)

I took a quick look at your pic's again ...

All-Aluminum Mast: Hook located/mounted on port side of mast .... spin/rotate the halyard one-two turns "counter clockwise" as you hold the halyard between your fingertips (and look down at the ring). Then attach to headboard of mainsail

Comptip Mast: Hook located/mounted on the starboard side of the mast .... spin/rotate halyard one-two turns "clockwise" .....

Carry a short piece of small line (18's") that can be used to tie the rudder tiller arm down/in place, if you break the lower casting .... Mr Matt Miller is quite correct, it will break right were that rivet is on that small tang sticking up on the lower casting ( I have personal experience w/ this issue ...... from years ago...)

Before installing those rudder bushings .... and especially if you plan on sailing in salt water .... lose those aluminum rudder pins ..... Murray's sell a hollow SS Rudder pins that are lighter, stiffer and better then the stock Hobie pins (sorry Matt, but its true) ... a hollow cylinder is stiffer then a solid cylinder ... but to prove it envolves some serious engineering formulars ....

Has anyone mentioned to you about placing a SS washer on top of the upper guedeon between it and the upper casting??? A little trick to keep the SS guedeon from wearing into the cast aluminum casting as the casting rests on the guedeon ....

Oh by the way you boat was made in May 1985 ... last three numbers in your serial number engraved in your transom .....

Harry

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11