Setting up the Mast

I recently purchased my 1st sail boat, a '83 Hobie Cat 16. I have sailed it only one time but am hoping to get out again ver soon.
I seem to be having trouble getting the Mast tight. Does any one have any tricks to getting the Forestay tight. I did find that I could tighten the down wind Shroud once I have wind in the sail.
Someone told me that there is a "cam over" device that can be put on the Forestay to help tighten it down but I can't seen to find any such thing on the enternet.
I am open to any help, Thanks.

I am also having trouble with the stays in the Jib catching on the cables going down the mask when I change direction. I seems like the Jib needs to be further forward and away from the Mast. Any ideas on what I am going wrong?

one way to tighten the stays on the 16 is to use the main halyard. with the mast and mainsail up with some tension on the downhaul have someone stand way in front of the boat and pull on the halyard. This will bring the mast forward allowing you to get a bit more tension on your stays. The stays do not need to be very tight. No matter how tight you get them the downwind stay will go slack under even fairly light wind loads.

Another great way to tension the rig is to use the jib halyard. From what I hear the forstay should be slack and the jib should take up all the tension.


As far as the tacking issue there is a really simple fix

on my mast there is a cheek block on the back side of the mast a few feet down from the mast tang that I route the jib halyard through. Mine is a 1980 H16, but I believe this part might be aftermarket as I have seen many H16's of that vintage without this part.



Joe

Joe,

Thank you very much. You have been very helpful. I do not have the cheek rest on mine but I don't think it would be to hard to add one.

Thanks again!
Nate

The forestay should be very loose when properely rigged.

The mast is supported by the two side stays and the wire embeded in the jib luff. When the jib halyard is pulled tight, the mast moves forward - this tightens the side stays and jib luff. When this happens, the forstay slacks.

_________________
1980 18 foot class A Unicorn catamaran
1977 Super Sunfish (sold)
1979 Hobie (sold)
1983 Hobie 16 Hawiian Sunset (sold)
1981 Hobie 16 Tequilla Sunrise (sold)
2008 Hobie 16 (sold)
2023 Hobie 16
Founding member of the "San Dimas Yacht Club"
John

OK, I want to reiterate what jsloan said and ask a seemingly silly question, but I just want to make sure we're on the same page here...

I just want to check that you're aware that the forestay if basically there ONLY to hold the mast up while you're rigging the jib. I have seen people get confused with this before and trying to tension the forestay instead of using the jib halyard to apply the correct tension to the rig.

As Jsloan said, the forestay should just hang fairly slack once you're rigged. There really should be no problem and you should NOT be able to adjust the shrouds after you're all rigged up and tensioned.

Cool???

Like I said, just checking!!

_________________
'97 Hobie 16.

Skype: rob_arnolda

John,
Thanks for the tips. I am new to this and it sounds like I just need to keep my Jib Halyard tighter.

Should I put a second cheek block on the other side of the mask for the main sail halyard?

No. The main halyard load is held at the top by the halyard hook. If you want to route the line aft to keep it from tangling the jib battens... walk it out and aft of the shroud, then tuck under the downhaul cleat... then tie to the halyard cleat. That routes it well back on the mast and away from the jib battens to prevent tangling during tacking.


and... Not Mask... it is Mast.

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

Ok. Thanks for the help Matt.

Unless, of course, it is Halloween and you have decorated your Hobie Cat, then it could be a mask!

Just kidding, of course, as I keep messing up the names of all the sheets, lines, and shrouds!

_________________
Steve
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795
1985 & 1973? Hobie 14 "Sea & Ski"

LOL Yea that is what I trying to say!