Purchased a 1982 H18

I brought home a 1982 bright yellow Hobie 18 from my neighbors house for $500. The boat has sat in one place for 12.5 years. I need a little help on rigging the traveller on the rear cross bar. Does the line simply run from the traveller through the roller and to the cam lock?

Secondly what is the large stainless hoop riveted to the underside of the crossbar? A picture or tww would go a long way.

Anyone in Massachusetts who wants to earn a lunch and a cold beer for some set up advice let me know. Thanks Andrew

Check out these videos

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl7kZOQ5WQk[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QLltz31cy8&feature=related[/youtube]

After a lot of youtube.com and downloading training and set up documents, got the h18 wet. Friday was blowing 10-12 and she sailed perfectly with the main only. Yesterday took the 2 kids and she sailed for 6 hours under full sail. I am addicted, my wife is scared that I have once again found another hobby to be nuts about.

I'd like to name my boat The Other Woman. My wife figures if I'm going to have a mistress it's better that she's made of fiberglass and aluminum.

Did my video help you out?

JMecky

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

I know those videos helped me a ton.

Where in Mass are you sailing? I'm out in Brewster on the Cape.

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Pete
1982 18' Hobie

ktugboat42, I am new to hobie sailing also. I have been reading this board for a few months now learning how to rig my boat and you are the first person I have seen from MA. I am trying to learn how to sail my H18 Magnum properly, having hard time tacking. Anyway I sail out of Falmouth maybe we will see you guys on the water sometime?

Bob

Tips on tacking a catamaran:

1. Have enough speed to be able to use the momentum to coast through the portion of the tack that is directly into the wind.

2. Learn to backwind the jib. To do this you leave the jib cleated on the former leeward side until a couple seconds after the boat has passed through the eye of the wind so that the jib pushes the bows around. Then quickly uncleat the jib sheet and tighten it on the new leeward side. You also need to uncleat the main sail before you pass through the eye of the wind, this takes wind pressure off the main which pushes the stern away from the wind. Tighten the mainsail after the jib is cleated on the new leeward side and the boat has started moving again.

3. Keep your weight under the boom until it has passed through the eye of the wind. Putting weight on the hull on the outside of the turn slows it down and causes a loss of momentum.

4. Always keep the boat turning. Do not let go of the tiller or the boat will go into irons.

This is probably the most critical step in timing the tack. You want to keep the mainsail sheeted in tight right up until the moment your bows get head-to-wind. Just as they cross head-to-wind, you release a good two to three feet of mainsheet to allow the boat to continue turning through the wind.

If you let out your mainsheet too early, you won't be able to turn the boat up head to wind and you'll be stuck on one tack. If you let out the mainsheet too late, your boat will end up parked in irons.

You also want to become familiar with doing a "K-Turn" in order to back out of a blown tack.

sm

I think I have done a few K turns, accidental of course, if it that includes being blown backwards and using the rudders in reverse?

I was jumping the gun on the tack; releasing the main to early and jumping to the opposite side before I was all the way through the wind. I have found back-winding the Jib helpful to bring it around, also

Question though; when I turn the tiller/rudders from straight to 45% (slowly) I still come to a complete stop? I do have the main sheeted in but the traveler out (15-20 inches if it is blowing). I find this handy when coming into the beach and J-turning around moored boats to keep her pointed in the wind while we land on the beach.

Is it harder or easer to turn with the center boards down, 1/2 way, or up?

Bob

Hi Mass Newbie,

Think of downhill skiing .... you want to CARVE your turns!!! Hold onto the tiller and for most tacks the tiller arms do not go outside the hull lips .... 45* is too far ... your stalling the rudders. If you move your wieght too early across the boat it will windmill into irons also .... you want to "roll-tack" the boat ... meaning keep your wieght on the windward side until it is the leeward side and you hear the mainsail go "whomp" and it tacks over to the new side, as you cross over you can slowly sheet-in the main that you have eased when the boat is head to wind ..... of course you need to "back-wind" the jib ... don't release the jib UNTIL you hear the main go "whomp" ... then crawl and sheet ... if you hold on to the mainsheet line as you crawl across you will "take-in" the sheet (little trick) ... hold her nose/bows down (keep the rudders turned) until you feel the boat accelerate then center the rudders. ..... Viola, you have tacked!!!!!!

The boat "pivots" on the dagger boards .... if you eliminated the boards the boat just slides sideways ....

Come on down to NJ/Del/Pa/Md (Div11) if you get a chance .... we have a strong class of H18's down here that will help you "get-up-to-speed" .....

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

15 to 20 inches is travelled out quite far. Generally we wouldn't be travelled out this far unless it's blowing at least 20mph, probably more. IMO, you should be maxed out on the downhaul before you travel out this far.

In any case, tacking with the traveller out far (anything over about 12") can be tricky. You need to have the boat up to max speed before entering the turn. Look for a flat patch of water to initiate the turn. I generally have my crew go in just before we start the tack so she can make sure she's ready to go on the jib. Timing is everything in these conditions. You need to keep the main sheeted in tight until you cross through the wind. As soon as the boat crosses head to wind, you need to dump several feet of sheet to allow the boat to continue through the turn as well as prevent capsize. Similarly, the crew needs to keep the jib backwinded until the boat crosses head to wind, then quickly release the old sheet and pull in on the new side about 75%. Once the boat begins accelerating, both skipper and crew finish sheeting in.

As far as the daggerboards, definitely keep them down. You'll never be able to tack with the boards up.

sm

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but if the wind is blowing about 22+ then tacking is difficult to impossible. I can't keep the momentum to pass through head-to-wind and the boat stalls. I've learned to gybe in those conditions, and as hairy as that can be I've gotten pretty good at it.