Newbie questions Step link problem and EZ Stepper

Greetings, I just took out my new 1980s vintage Hobie 16 for the first time yesterday, and had a blast sailing it. However, I had a mast-stepping issue.

I had put a new mast-stepping link on it because the old one was bent pretty badly, and it was really hard to get the base to drop in the hole when I practiced in the driveway. The new link was much easier, but when the mast was up (at the lake), the pin was so tight in the hole, that I could not pull it out. I ended up tapping it out with the handy small anchor that came with the boat. I know this was probaby not a good idea, but my daughter and I really wanted to sail, and couldn't bear the thought of heading back home to work on the mast again without even getting the boat in the water. After a great afternoon sailing, getting the pin back in was also a bear. I again tapped it, but could only get it started in the one side of the link. When lowering the mast it rotated a bit, and the new step bracket ended up getting bent worse than the one I took off.

First Question: Is this typical for a new part not to fit properly and how could I have fixed it so the pin would be free in the hole?

Also, I've read a lot of the threads on stepping the mast, using an ez stepper, and am considering the one that uses the existing mast support, as mine is over 30" above the step link. However, I'm wondering...

Second Question: If the trailer winch is connected to the forstay, how do you get the forstay attached to the bridle after winching the mast up?

Third Question: Also it mentions using a winch with a cable in the catalog. My trailer winch uses 2.5 or 3" flat webbing, not cable. Will the easy stepper work with this kind of a winch?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Getting the pin out- Just pull on the forestay a bit and wiggle the rig. Thats usually all it takes to find the sweet spot where the pin is free. You should be putting the step link in just for getting the mast up and down. It doesn't need to be in any longer than that. When the Jib goes up, and the rigging is tight it is impossible to get them out. Another tip. Put the pins in drill and use a piece of sandpaper to make them a little thinner. Doesn't take much to make it much easier.

Karl thanks for the reply, It was only yesterday, but I can't remember if we put the jib up before trying to get the pin out or not. I do know that we didn' t put it back in until both sails were down, and it was still so tight I couldn't get it in. I did try pushing and pulling on the mast, but not the forstay-- makes sense now that I wouldn't have much leverage pushing on the mast. I'm going to try to bend the new link back into shape and I'll also try sanding the pin. Thanks for the tip.

I got my last mast link from Murray's and it was a lot thicker stainless than the Hobie one. I did have to file a little off the top of the link so that it would not interfer with the mast as it rotates, but it has been a lot tougher than my other links. Never any trouble with the pin in or out.

To raise the mast, I use an 8 foot extension on the jib halyard that I clip onto the bridle and the end of the halyard. I lift up the mast and pull in on the jib halyard and tie it off to the mast cleat when it is all the way up. I can then hop down and attach the forestay to the bridle and disconnect the extension. All by my lonesome and no sweating.

I too had the problem of mast stepping or raising the mast and had the whole of winter to brainstorm the situation. Sidesway is the major problem with raising the mast. After many attempts the solution was quite simple. Trap wires, heavy-duty 15" rubber bungees, 7' gin pole and snaphook.
Attach trap wires to mast tang, lay mast along tramp and attach link pin, (I use a long thin star screwdriver), lay trap wires to each forward pylon, wrap bungees around forward pylon and hook into dogbones. Set gin pole, a gin pole is just a length of pole with a pulley on top, I made mine with metal tubing the fit one into the other, welded a female receiver on trailer tongue just behind forward mast holder, drop ginpole into receiver and wrap a tiedown strap around ginpole and forward mast holder for support, keep in mind that the pulley must be a least 3' higher than the mast base for the principals of leverage to work. Attach/tie snaphook to line/strap just behind existing hook, attach snaphook to forestay at cable eye next to shackle leaving shackle free. Run line/strap over pulley on ginpole, double check all lines and attachments, walk to winch and cranck handle, as the mast rises, the bungees tighten dramatically keeping the tension on the trap wires effectively neutalizing the dreaded sidesway, I used 2 bungees on each trap wire for safety. As mast hits the vertical, remove link pin, crank untill it is quite easy to attach the forestay to the bridle wires using the free shackle.

Any questions,need pics feel free to e-mail me.

Total cost
4 rubber bungees - $8 Ace hardware
Snaphook - $2 Ace Hardware
Pulley - $3 Ace Hardware
Metal Pole - free (had it in my garage)
Welding - free (had a buddy do it)
Peace of mind - you tell me

I did more or less the same thing for my H18 but I did it without the gin pole. What I did was make my forward trailer mast support telescopic. I left the winch down at a resonable height and put a pulley on the top of the support. The cable from the winch goes through/over the pulley. To use the system I raise the front trailer mast support and pull the winch cable out and attach it to the fore stay. Then I use a method to prevent the dreaded sideways you talk about (I am still perfecting that one so thank you for the bungie idea) and simply crank the winch until the mast is up. Do the reverse to lower.

I have used the Mast Stepper with the gin pole alot since my wife is scared the mast will fall of someone..(like when it dropped on my father in law!!) I just did the mast by hand this weekend since she wasnt around.

I think if I tie the trap wires off with the bungies as stated prior, or small tie down straps that will eliminate any side sway (thats the way the mast stepper works anyway)

If your winch is 3 ft above the mast base then you should be able to winch it up as long as the trap wires are secured towards the front corner castings of the boat

Also I use a screw driver in the step link that attachs to the base of the mast, no problem removing since its a bit smaller than the hole.

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It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.

86 H16

Greetings Hobie veterans: I ended up using several of the suggestions and my daughter and I have been out several times with no mast mishaps. My trailer winch is a 2.5" flat strap. I purchased a hull roller and bolted it to the top of the mast support facing the boat. This is a rubber V-shape roller with a heavy steel pin going through two heavy L-shaped brackets. The winch strap can pass behind the roller and attach to the forstay with a snap-link. I tied the trapeze wires to the front corners of the tramp frame using some 3/8" marine grade rope (didn't have any bungies, but had rope), leaving enough slack so that the trap wires won't bind when the mast is going up. This keeps the mast from swinging too far sideways when lifting. Also I had to turn the pin down quite a bit to get it to easily fit in and out of the link with the mast up-- stetching the forestay and shrouds to find the "sweet" spot didn't seem to be enough to get the pin out. I also attached a loop of 1" tubular nylon webbing to the bottom of the mast support with a carabiner (pilfered from my climbing gear), and use this to tie the halyard when detaching and reattaching the forestay. Now I just winch up the mast, tie the halyard to the carabiner, detach the forestay from the winch and attach it to the bridle. Then I just untie the halyard and go on with putting up the sails. I have left the trap wires attached to the frame, thus far, as it doesn't seem to impede anything, and I haven't tried the hiking harnesses yet. This has made the rather scary mast-lifting trauma into a easy and fast event. Thanks again for all your input and happy sailing! Fred

Not to hijack this thread, but I recently purchased a new step link for my 1980 hobie 16.

Once I insert the pin in the link/mast base and start to raise the mast, the step link will rotate upward and the ball of the mast will jump out of the mast base on the cross bar. The effect is that I can only raise the mast so far because the ball it outside of the socket. It takes someone to push the base of the mast rearward so the ball seats correctly.

I realize that the link needs to rotate upward to pin the mast when taking down the mast, but when stepping, how do I prevent the ball from jumping out of the mast base.

Should I use the "14" hole instead of the "16".

Right now, it's impossible to step alone because of this reason.

THanks for any help!!??

I have to use the 14 hole on the step link on my '80 H-16; even with help I can't use the 16 hole.

I think I found a solution.

With the step link in the 16 hole and the mast pined and laying on the tramp, I took a flat, rubber bungee and tied it around the base of the mast to the dolphin striker.

So both hooks are to the dolphin striker and the bungee goes up through the lacing around the mast and then back down through the lacing to the dolphin striker.

In doing so, the mast link doesn't rotate upward when stepping. I practiced one time in my driveway and It worked perfectly.

Finally I can solo by myself with any trouble!

I'll have to try that bungee idea. I usually end up jiggling it around when the mast is at about 45 degrees. I'll push up on the mast kind of hard near my shoulder and then use my other hand to pull down on it near my waist when it stops going up. Kind of hard to explain.

The bungee thing definitely sounds easier... and safer.

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1984 H16 - #80541

Yeah, I tried to do the jiggle thing but in 98 degrees I was getting pretty tired fast after repeated mast stepping attempts.

I used this type of bungee which i think is important:
http://www.dynateck.co.uk/MAIN/RubberTieDownStraps.jpg

It being rubber and flat allowed it to stick to the mast much better than a nylon fabric coated bungee.

Thanks for the bungee idea, that was the missing part on the way I raise and lower my mast.

We have the cat on the beach all year round and during the typhoon season we have to lower the mast after each sailing day.

I have searching a way in the forums to raise the mast, solo or with only the help of my girlfriend, in a secure way. Searching the internet I haven't found anything convincing that does not require spending money or bulky equipment.

After thinking about this issue for a while and with the typhoon season approaching I realize that I had the tool all along in my hands, the mainsheet.

If I have help I tie up the lock block of the mainsheet to the bridle and the top to the jib halyard and secure it. Tension it and untie the fore-stay. Then my girlfriend controls the mainsheet line stepping up or down the mast while I stand in the trampoline controlling that the mast does not move sideways.

To do it solo you need:

Stepping up
Tie the lock block of the mainsheet to the bridle and the "boom" block to the jib halyard. pulling from the mainsheet line will lock and hold the mast for itself.
when the mast is vertical you can get out of the trampoline to secure the forestay with no sweat.

Stepping Down
Tie the lock block to the jib halyard and the "boom" block to the bridle.
Now you have to remember to hold the mainsheet line all the time or the mast will fall, since you are keeping the mainsheet unlock all the time.

For a much safer operation use the bungee cord to tension the shrouds and prevent side swinging of the mast.

I assure you that all the weight of the mast is hold by the mainsheet all the time but at the beginning of stepping up or at the last moment of stepping down.

I came out with this idea after seeing in a post to use the mainsheet to tension the trampoline.

Salut,

Lluis Tarrida

I honestly don't mean to knock anyone here, but man, all this seems really complicated sounding. Loosen the shrounds, step the mast, swing out in front hanging onto the forestay, pin it, and done. Sometimes simpler is easier. Someone mentioned a while back about unhooking the trailer from the vehicle so it leans forward a bit. That sounds really smart, and super simple. Like I said, I'm not trying to put anyone down but most of this is way easier than you make it sound.