mast float question

Some dear friends of mine, apparently concerned about my safety as a senior citizen (either that or they don't like the way I drive the boat ), got me a Baby Bob mast float for my birthday. The installation instructions for an all aluminum mast indicate drilling and tapping into the mast head casting without damaging the sheave. Even if my sheave wasn't thirty years old and brittle, I don't see any clearance at all between it and the casting. I'm sure it would shatter if even touched with a drill bit or tap. Has anyone here ever installed a float on an all aluminum mast? If so, what problems did you encounter? In case I decide to try this, does anyone have a spare sheave I can buy to keep on standby? I know this sheave is no longer made and I don't want to end my season before it starts.

I thought the same thing when I went to install my Baby Bob. Don't worry, there is room. It was easy not to hit the sheave.

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I wish winter was not so long in Sask. Canada. It's hard to sail on ice! 1984 16' hobie cat Sail# 84848

im having the same problem, altho im not a senior citizen apparently my family has seen me stuff it once too many times and thought it would be a good idea even tho i have the biggest grin on my face every time i go for a swim!

I had a baby bob on my '88 16 and I ended up taking it off and selling it.

A few issues:

First, it's kinda heavy so it makes stepping the mast more difficult. I know it's only a small 5# hunk of rotomolded plastic, but at the end of a 27' mast, it's heavy!

Second, it makes righting the boat more difficult, again due to weight. It will keep you from turtling, but that's easily preventable. Just make sure to jump on that bottom
hull and rug on your righting line asap when you go over.

Lastly, it was always in the way when stepping the mast, and made a lot of contact with the pavement when stepping, and mine started to get a bit chaffed and I was afraid it was going to get a hole, fill with h2o and then the boat would be unrightable. I also had it rip my masthead sheave right off, causing me to lose a weeks worth of sailing.

In my opinion, it solves one problem, but causes a few others. On Waves at a beach resort, it makes sense. For a 16 with an experienced (even older) crew, I wouldn't do it.

Good luck and keep the pointy side up!

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Blair T

I love these calm moments before the storm, it reminds me of Beethoven...


'02 Hobie Tiger USA 1152

Can you elaborate on this? Did this happen while installing it? Or are you saying it pulled the whole masthead off in a crash or something?

I'm not concerned about stepping the mast because I keep the boat on the beach and step once per season. I was under the impression that keeping the end of the mast out of the water would actually make righting easier.

The sheave got ripped off from fatigue from the mast resting on the bob every time you flip over. I was a beginner sailor and capsized quite a bit. It also didn't help that in a local fun race, I had trouble with the righting line and some guys in a Whaler tried to help and lifted the boat by the bob and finished the job.

It make righting easier only in the sense that it won't let you turtle completely, which again, I think can usually be avoided by promptly getting on the lower hull and putting tension on your righting line. If you are borderline strength and weight for solo 16 righting, adding a few pounds to the very tip of the mast will make it harder as the length of the mast multiplies the torque needed to right it.

I think a more important thing would be to make sure the mast is watertight, if that has a leak, you'll really have a hard time!

Good luck and have fun!

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Blair T

I love these calm moments before the storm, it reminds me of Beethoven...


'02 Hobie Tiger USA 1152

I went ahead and drilled and tapped it. I didn't hit the sheave but I'm a little leery that the two or three threads cuts in aluminum with four #10 screws are going to be able to take any real impact. I guess Hobie knows what they are doing.

Most of the time...

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Blair T

I love these calm moments before the storm, it reminds me of Beethoven...


'02 Hobie Tiger USA 1152

It will hold fine. I've installed a lot of these suckers and never had one fail due to lack of threads. Make sure that your mast head is riveted on well. Make sure that there are no cracks in the extrusion and that the rivets are not loose, you should be fine.

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Sail Revolution
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The mast head does not appear to be loose but there are only two rivets holding it ...plus the twenty five years of corrosion and galvanic action that prevents one from intentionally taking anything apart on these boats.

With the sails up... the halyard / downhaul tension holds the mast head on as well... not an issue.

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

Doesn't someone make a mast floating fabric that wraps on the comtip and is glued to it?I recall see it somewhere,but can't remember where...Bill 404 21 SE

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Bill 404 21SE

Duct tape and bubble wrap?

Midwest Aquatics made a mast flotation devise that fasten directly to the mast,low profile,closed cell foam MFP with acrylic cover and protected the comtip from UV rays.This was available from Salty Dog Marine.Has anyone try out that product...Bill 404 21 SE

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Bill 404 21SE

Several problems with that product.

1 - Causes a disturbed air flow over the sail which effects performance.

2 - Is a larger surface area and more drag that the bobs.

3 - Does not offer the full volume of buoyancy until the mast head is well under water, so has reduced capsize protection.

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