problem getting my jib past the mast

I have been having a problem getting my jib past the mast when tacking in light winds the battens seem to be too long and we have to pull the sail across. (The wife is not happy doing it) is this a problem with my mast rake or am I missing something else?

That's just part of the crew's job on the 16.

There's nothing you can do about it except for sail without the jib.

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Paul Eaton
H17 #747
Fort Collins, CO

Usually not a problem except light winds. Buy a set of batten hinges. They are cheap and work great.

Trim the batten lengths to be short as possible.

Tape around the leech and battens to cover anything that can catch.

Route the main halyard aft of the shroud and behind the downhaul cleat too if possible. This keeps it aft of the mast.

Get a halyard keeper for the jib halyard to route it down the side of the mast.

As the crew releases the jib, have them push forward on the bottom batten to clear the mast as it goes across.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Dave

Is your jib halyard still routed through the eye we installed on the side of your mast? Mt jib hangs up too during tacks in light winds...just the nature of the beast. Why do you think I always drag that whiner Mike with me when I sail? I figure he's got to be useful for something besides dead weight! I use him for pulling the jib over when we tack!!

Well I guess that is the way it is How much Performance will you lose with with a furling jib sail?

Dave...

I'm not sure about that one. Probably not much...heard of a few guys trimming the battens a little, not sure how well that works. Jib makes tacking alot easier though, and if you have a little wind, it'll take care of flopping it past the mast when ya change tacks. I raked my mast back abit more last time I was out, and it seemed to work better....didnt want to dig that windward bow into the water as much. Now if just next summer would hurry up and get here.....

If you're not going to be racing competitively, the super flex battens should do the job nicely. I picked up a set to put in my spare jib and they seem the be highly flexible compared to the regular battens that I've got in the new jib. Haven't gotten around to putting them in yet.

Between proper halyard routing and the super flex battens and trimming them, I think it should eliminate the issue in all but the lightest winds.

They're on page 18 of the catalog. I picked mine up for about $40.

http://www.hobiecat.com/sailing/accessories.html

I have the super jib battens. They work well. I have cut them as short as pos. and taped the ends so the string ties don't catch. I don't race so I always leave them in.

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I wish winter was not so long in Sask. Canada. It's hard to sail on ice! 1984 16' hobie cat Sail# 84848

In a decent wind the battens shouldn't hang up. Make sure you are through the tack and the main has snapped over before releasing the jib. If it hangs up try tightening the jib sheet on the windward side and releasing it quickly. There is an accessory plastic clip you can install on the mast to hold the jib halyard back to keep the battens from hanging up on the halyard. I just take a loose end of the jib halyard and tie it around the downhaul and jib halyard to pull it back. In light winds, just pull the jib over.

Howard

Thats the ticket! Leaving the jib cleated till you've come about, once the main is set and pulled in on the new tack, uncleat the jib and it should pop over... if the battens get hung cause the wind is too light, you'll just have to uncleat and pull it a little if the wind doesn't fix it for you. Usually the trick is to just leave it cleated for a bit till the wind hits it from the side.

A couple more options to consider:

Class legal: Take a belt sander to your stock battens and turn them into super-flex battens. (Search the forums for batten tapering).

Not Class legal: Using a twist shackle, mount a fiddle block to the highest available hole in your bridle chainplate. Rig the jib halyard to this fiddle block, rather than to the cheek block and cleat on the port side of the mast. Since there's no cleat, you'll just have to tie off the halyard with a few half hitches. It will make the hitches easier to remove later if you take a few turns around without hithching first. Coil the excess line and tie it to the halyard. This configuration gets the entire jib halyard (which is where the battens usually hang up) away from the mast. As a bonus, more of the rig tension is exerted on the (cross-sectionally) long axis of the mast, rather than the short axis, reducing assymetrical mast bend.

Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mi'sippi