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Help with dropping sails on the water.
http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=68351		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Robber [ Tue May 18, 2021 5:25 am ]
Post subject:  Help with dropping sails on the water.
New to Hobie Cat. I recently bought a older 16 in pretty good shape and do mainly solo sailing. The problem I have and am looking for ideas is. I live and use the cat on a rocky lake with steep banks. I have a valley that I was able to get the trailer down. I load the boat off and on the trailer using a tractor to get into the water (I leave the mast up). I load the boat backwards so I can get the sails up without fighting wind off of the lake, if blowing out the trees block the wind. So that is all good the problem is in dropping the sails. I put in a mooring buoy out in the cove to hook up to to drop the sails without crashing into the rocky shore. The problem is I go out onto the hull to drop the jib then again to unhook the jib and then to unhook the stay on the mainsail sheet. In doing so the last time I stepped out on the hull and.. crunch... :o I read now that stepping out on the hull will cause the dreaded soft spots. So any ideas to drop the sails on the water so I can row into and load the boat onto the trailer.
PS. It does seem to me that the stay is really tight it takes a lot of effort to get it low enough to lock in. It is a new cable the old one was frayed when I bough the boat.
Maybe add another stay an inch below the current one so it unhooks easily? and then use a pole to get the angle?
What have you guys or gals done :?: :idea:
Author:  mjggjm [ Tue May 18, 2021 9:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
It sounds to me like the soft spot was already there and you found it by stepping on it. I would repair that soon because the hulls can have a lot of stress in that area. I’m also not sure what you are referring to when you say stay. The stays are the cables running from the mast to the hulls and bridle wires. You should not be doing anything to them when raising and lowering your sails. The line you use to raise the sails is the halyard, maybe that is what your referring to. Is it shallow enough to stand in front of the boat when lowering the main sail? That’s what I do. I stand by the mast and pull the halyard down to unblock it then walk out to the bows and lower the sail. There might be an easy way to do it from the boat but I have never had to try.
Author:  srm [ Tue May 18, 2021 10:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
Can you put some padding down on the beach (old carpets, tires, etc) to provide protection to the hulls? Dropping the sail on the water can be quite challenging on a Hobie - they’re really intended to be rigged and un-rigged on land. For the jib, maybe look into converting to a roller furling jib.

sm
Author:  SlowSL [ Tue May 18, 2021 12:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
My old 16 had a gnarly soft spot just forward of the pylon. I wouldn't dare step on it, but a few times I was able to step over it, grab the bridle wires for support, and lower the sail (awkwardly). I purchased a slightly newer H16, I have no problems walking on the hulls, they are rock solid, don't give in the least bit, although it is frowned upon to walk on them. Perhaps you could get into the water to drop the sail so that you are not stressing the hulls? Or maybe you could float a little platform over and place on top of the hulls to distribute your weight across a larger area? I'd fix the soft spot if you can, it will only get worse. I didn't worry about mine and I had stressed the boat beyond belief for three good years before retiring the boat. It never fell apart, but others have not been as lucky. What about building a little platform over the rocks at the shore to pull the boat onto?
Author:  Robber [ Tue May 18, 2021 5:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
mjggjm wrote:
It sounds to me like the soft spot was already there and you found it by stepping on it. I would repair that soon because the hulls can have a lot of stress in that area. I’m also not sure what you are referring to when you say stay. The stays are the cables running from the mast to the hulls and bridle wires. You should not be doing anything to them when raising and lowering your sails. The line you use to raise the sails is the halyard, maybe that is what your referring to. Is it shallow enough to stand in front of the boat when lowering the main sail? That’s what I do. I stand by the mast and pull the halyard down to unblock it then walk out to the bows and lower the sail. There might be an easy way to do it from the boat but I have never had to try.


Yes it is the halyard. As for the soft spot I ordered supplies to fix it. And if I had a shallow spot I could just jump off and hold the boat while lowering, but that is not really the case the banks drop off at around a 40 degree angle. So I would not have room to keep it from bouncing off of rocks.
Author:  Robber [ Tue May 18, 2021 5:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
SlowSL wrote:
My old 16 had a gnarly soft spot just forward of the pylon. I wouldn't dare step on it, but a few times I was able to step over it, grab the bridle wires for support, and lower the sail (awkwardly). I purchased a slightly newer H16, I have no problems walking on the hulls, they are rock solid, don't give in the least bit, although it is frowned upon to walk on them. Perhaps you could get into the water to drop the sail so that you are not stressing the hulls? Or maybe you could float a little platform over and place on top of the hulls to distribute your weight across a larger area? I'd fix the soft spot if you can, it will only get worse. I didn't worry about mine and I had stressed the boat beyond belief for three good years before retiring the boat. It never fell apart, but others have not been as lucky. What about building a little platform over the rocks at the shore to pull the boat onto?


I tried today to do it from corner of tramp with mast turned and I could do it with me pulling on a rope in one hand sort of acting like the weight of a sail. So I might be able to get main sail down. Maybe I could do like a trapeze off the front tramp. bar to reach the bottom of jib to unhook it??
As for platform I have a dock ordered and am waiting for the pieces to come in. But even then it would very tricky to sail up to the dock. The wind in this cove sometimes rolls over the trees and will totally change direction I noticed this sailing out and coming back in I lost my hat when the sail switched sides bumping the rudder extension into my hat and it sank before I tuned around.
Author:  John Lunn [ Thu May 20, 2021 1:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
You have a challenge: What some folks have done is to build a wooden storage rack, carpeted.
Then they rig, and lower or slide the H16 into the water, and slide/lift it back up after sailing.
Some folks have this rack on the bank, some attach it to a dock, some moor it in the water.
Does this work for you?
Author:  Robber [ Fri May 21, 2021 4:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
John Lunn wrote:
You have a challenge: What some folks have done is to build a wooden storage rack, carpeted.
Then they rig, and lower or slide the H16 into the water, and slide/lift it back up after sailing.
Some folks have this rack on the bank, some attach it to a dock, some moor it in the water.
Does this work for you?


I will be making a dock when all the pieces come in, and I had thought of making something to pull the boat out of the water. My question would be is will I be able to drive the boat to the “ramp” with sails up with changing win condition I have in the cove. With out being able to walk boat up to the ramp? Do you think it is likely to be doable solo sailing?
Author:  Hobie16 [ Sat May 22, 2021 12:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
Your launch site is not for Catamarans. Catamarans are designed to be launched from a beach where you can easily hoist and lower sails. never stand on hulls like that. My advice is find another launch site.
Author:  John Lunn [ Sun May 23, 2021 7:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
The previous poster may well have a point about your location.

Whenever the wind is swirling, or from the East, we have a devil of a time launching at our Club.
We mounted a snap-shackle for the jib clew blocks, and only attach the shackle after we have launched and are about to sail.
The upper blocks of the mail sail attach to the boom with a quick pin, so it is easy to move the boat without the main sheets secured.
(speak to your local Hobie dealer).
Once we are in the water, click-and-quick, drop the rudders, snap-shackle the jib, and we are good to go.

Sounds like you need to go sailing with lots of other H16 sailors, that's how I learnt these tricks.
Author:  dorienc [ Mon May 24, 2021 8:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
Hobie16 wrote:
Catamarans are designed to be launched from a beach

<smile> In 30 years of sailing cats, I've launched from a beach once. Many of us don't have that luxury.

To Robber, maybe put a plank on the hull bungeed to the hull lips, to distribute the load when you step on it? I assume the water is too deep there to stand in.
Author:  speed633 [ Mon May 24, 2021 7:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
Just fix your soft spots. The repair is quick and easy. Once you have done that go ahead and walk on your hulls all you want. The H16 I grew up on only developed 1 soft spot and my brothers and I walked, fell and jumped on the hulls frequently. In fact I recall trying to jump between the hulls while sailing. The spot was easily repaired and no more have developed. I am now careful not to fall or jump on my hulls, but I walk on them all the time.
Author:  Robber [ Sat Jun 05, 2021 1:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
Update on dropping sails in water. So I ran a rope from tramp to hull tip to hull tip back to tramp and installed a net so I can drop the jib into the net. It worked great, so I will be improving the design. As for the mainsail you can unhook the halyard stay in you stand in the front corner of the tramp with the mast turned so the front of the mast faces you. Of course it takes some playing to get the stay past the top of mast into the groove. Then I hook the 2nd stay then drop the boom then continue to drop the main sail then move it forward so it doesn't interfere with the steering or raising the rudders. Next I just unhook bottom of jib at the mast and drop it folding it into the net. Then I paddle the cat onto the trailer and load it backwards. I also put a set of those boat guides on the trailer to get the cat into the trailer correctly without jumping in the water.
I also dropped in a cement block with a float to use as a mooring buoy to hook to while dropping the sails.
I will figure out and post a image of my trial net setup.
I hope this helps others in the future.
Author:  Chas Man [ Thu Aug 26, 2021 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
Get the mainsail nice and loose (undo the downhaul and outhaul, pull the gooseneck out of the slot, loosen the sheet) and make sure there is no pressure/wind on the sail. Then stand up next to the mast, get a little play in the halyard and, holding the halyard firmly, snap it like you are cracking a whip and the bullet will pop out of the clip at the top of the mast. It doesn't work every time but it works often enough once you get the hang. Got this trick from a post here years ago.
Author:  mmiller [ Fri Aug 27, 2021 8:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help with dropping sails on the water.
Pull straight down... then with tension on it. Pull it forward an arms length and at that position let is loose. a minimum of a few inches before allowing it back in towards the mast.

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