Wobbling Mast

So yesterday I came outside to find that the mast on my Hobie 16 had fallen (a witness said it came after being hit by some waves from a jet ski, it's moored on a small lake) and upon inspection I found that a pin had slipped out of the shroud. There was no apparent damage done and we raised the mast again but now the mast wobbles like crazy and is uncomfortably loose. I'm not sure whether or not a cup may have fallen out of the mast or what happened but an pointers would be appreciated! I work at a summer camp and having a boat is a huge plus, in the sake of time would be be able to just shorten the shrouds until they're taught?

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1981 Hobie 16 Boomer
Hagerman Lake, MI & Lake Michigan

Shrouds should be taut, make sure the bearing chip wasn't lost also. You'll have to take the mast back down of course to check that the bearing is still in the mast step, well worth peace of mind and you definitely don't want metal on metal.

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Marty
1984 H16 Yellow Nationals Redline, "Yellow Fever"
Lake Martin, 'Bama.

Can you define what you mean by "wobble"? Is this while the boat is sailing, or at rest?

Are the sails up?

If not the mast will be very loose. If the boat is rocked side to side, the mast will flop back and forth as much as 15 inches. This normal.

If the sails are up, the forestay will be loose as jib is hoisted and the mast is pulled forward. The side stays tighten, but should never be taught as this would not allow mast rotation. If the boat is rocked side to side, the mast will flop back and forth as much as 6 inches. This normal.

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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

I have a feeling that he just put the pin back into the shroud on a higher/looser hole than what was previously in?

But yes... jsloan is correct, some flippidy flop is supposed to be there.

Of course we do not recommend mooring cats due to this sort of issue. If moored, it is critical to remove ALL of the slop and restrict mast rotation as well. Use the jib halyard in a way to tension the rig to get the wires tight. Use a rope wrapped around the mast and tied off at the corner castings to prohibit mast rotation. Same for the rudder system. Lock it all down to prevent damage from the constant movement.

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

Thank y'all! I wasn't aware of the magnitude of the stress the boat receives while moored. We worked out the mast issue by getting a bearing chip from an older hobie we had sitting around. The issue seems to have been resolved, thanks for all the help!

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1981 Hobie 16 Boomer
Hagerman Lake, MI & Lake Michigan

I thought he meant the mast was wobbling from side to side, like swaying or bending, hence the shrouds should be a bit taut but not so tight that the mast wouldn't rotate. I had to moor my boat overnight at our place at the lake because we don't have a beach. It was a holiday weekend and there were a lot of boats around making waves and it was driving me crazy to see my mast constantly rotating. It didn't wobble, just rotated often with each set of waves. I was very relieved when the day was over and all the boaters went home.

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Marty
1984 H16 Yellow Nationals Redline, "Yellow Fever"
Lake Martin, 'Bama.

If possible you should connect jib sheet line fastener ("shackle that connects to the tack plate") to the bridle wire chainplate and sheet in both sides of the jib. This is also a good idea for any Hobie 16 under standing rigging. i.e. sitting on beach etc...