I hate the $#%& mast hook!!

That depends on which side of the mast the hook is. If the hook is on the starboard side of the mast then the answer to your question is YES.

Another way to think of it is when hooking the ring you want the hook to be closer to the middle of the boat, and when unhooking you want the hook away from the boat.

"Wishbone" is a good name, but it's usually called the 'rotation bar.'

You rotate the mast in opposite directions to lock and unlock the ring.

In addition to what the previous poster stated, another way to look at it is that when you're trying to hook the sail up, you want to rotate the mast so that the hook is turned into the ring. To unhook the sail, you want to rotate the mast so that the hook turns away from the ring.

Next time you hoist the sail, pull the halyard so the ring physically hits the top of the mast and hold it there. Then have someone rotate the mast fully from one side to the other. You will clearly see that when rotated to one side, the ring is fully over the hook. When rotated the other way, the ring will be fully clear of the hook.

Again, you have to have the boat pointed directly into the wind or else it will be extremly difficult to get the hook to do what you want it to.

sm

I too have been having issues with the hook.. I bought the new ring as suggested and the first time I used it (I still have the flopper on) it hooked first try and unhooked first try. I thought I had it solved with the new hook. HOWEVER, the second day I was able to hook it no problem, but it took five or ten minutes to unhook it and I don't know what I did to unhook it as I was so frustrated and just trying all sorts of things by this time. The next three times I tried it I could not even get it hooked so I just sailed with the halyard holding it up (like I have been for the past two years).

The real question I have is how does this rotating the mast do anything. The hook is attached to the mast, the sail lot is attached to the mast the sail is attached to the sail lot and the ring is attached to the sail very close to the slot, so how does this rotating change any of the geometry. This same point has me thinking about the comments "dead into wind" what if you are off by 15 degrees do you not just rotate the whole thing those 15 degrees and things are fine?

The binocular thing would be great, but I don't have any other H18 around to look at their mast head while they hook and unhook. So here is my first question, does anyone (or Hobie themselves) have a way to make a close up video (telephoto or whatever) of the mast heard when the sail is hooked and when it is unhooked. That would go a long way to showing the finesse you are all talking about. My second question is what do you do with the sail (in relation to the rotated mast) when you are hooking and unhooking. That is if you rotate the mast to port is the sail dead aft or is it pushed over to port or to starboard??

Sorry for the long post.

Try this: rig the boat sail up on a beach or wide, grassy area. Capsize the boat on dry land and go to the end of the mast and examine how the hook/ring system works up close. It's better than using a camera's telephoto lens or binoculars because you're able to change your angle of view.

I tried the telephoto lens thing but gave up being nice to the system and dumped the boat to get a better look at how it works. That's when I decided to get a thinner halyard. Sure, the new halyard digs into my hands when hoisting the sail, but gloves and lubed luff lessen the pain and difficulty of the operation and the trade-off is worth it.

Yes, but the mast can rotate independently of the sail, so it's angle can be changed in relation to the angle of the sail - one of the beauties of a rotating rig. So when you rotate the mast during the sail hoisting process, you are able to change the position of the hook (which is fixed to the mast) in relation to the position of the ring (which is fixed to the sail). Rotating the mast gives you the ability to swing the hook under the ring or away from the ring, depending on whether you are trying to raise or lower the sail.





Up to about 10 or 15 degrees, you may be ok, but the closer to head to wind that you are, the more consistant and more easily the system will work. When we are talking about rotating the mast to hook or un-hook the sail, we are talking about roataing the mast somewhere around 90 degrees relative to the sail. If the sail is blown to one side or the other, then you may not be able to physically rotate the mast far enough to get the hook to do what you want it to.

sm

This helps me "see" what you are saying. Thanks.

The vote seems to be about 90% remove the flipper-flopper and 10% keep the flipper-flopper, with both sides having strongly held views. From this (the strength of the views) I conclude that it really is a matter of what you are "use to" or what you first had success with and became use to.

I plan to go to the boat on an zero wind day and practice with the sail. Given the quote above I conclude that I can't practice with the halyard alone, because I need the sail to move the ring to one side.

Yes, you need the sail attached. It is extremly difficult to operate the hook/ring with no sail connected because the ring will bounce all over the place.

Also, it is important to note that on masts with the "flipper" attached, the mast rotating techniques used to hook the halyard ring don't necessarily apply. On those masts, it is really intended that you don't rotated the mast at all to hook or unhook the sail. To hook the ring, you pull the it up just enough so that the flipper lifts up but doesn't drop down. Then you drop the ring down onto the hook. To release the ring, you pull the halyard so the ring goes above the flipper allowing the flipper to drop down, covering the hook, and letting the ring pass. All the while keeping the mast straight.

sm

Just picture the ring, at the top and if you turn the mast or let the wind blow the sail and hook the ring, so be it.
Same as down haul.
A fierce wind came up and I was having such a difficult time...Then I pictured the hook at the top, the ring firmly being blown on the hook, by the way the sail was in the wind, came about so tthe sail was now going to push the ring off when I pulled the rope and voila..never looked back..
-robbie

Thanks for that, Just got back from sailing and sure enough "picturing it" (along with a few drawings the night before to help me picture it) and it went on and off no problem. Now I am at twice it worked and twice it did not, but today was "as per theory" (and not dumb luck like the first time) so I have great confidence that it is solved.

Thanks again to all.

Well I am glad that helped, even though I worded it terrible..
: )

I pull the halyard rope so the ring passes above the hook, and then the wind either push the ring back on the hook and I get pissed, or I point the boat so the sail is blowing the ring off the hook, , or rotate the mast to have the hook pull away from the ring...I usually let the wind blow the sail away from the hook..

I also attached a small 6 inch handle at the end of the rope, and wind the rope (just a few times near the base of the mast) to assist me when pulling the ring free...
Saves my hands..
-robbie

is that wined or wind...
: )