How do I make a nice sail tube?

thanks.....this post has been great...........thank you all for your input

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Hobie 16 1980
TequilaSunrise Blue Hulls CCMP1393M80F

I used a length of 12" PVC also, except I split it lengthwise and hinged one side for easier access:







I also jazzed it up with some Navy gray paint and a shaped end cap (warhead). I call it my "Storpedo"

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Alan
'86 H16, Sail #89057

Wow, aschaffter, that is a really nice job (and a nice looking shop!). I've seen this one of yours before and was always curious. Thanks for sharing.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

Ok, here are some pix of mine:

Trailer in "utility mode:"
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 6107_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 5286_n.jpg

Here are the two tubes installed:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 5272_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 6013_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 2691_n.jpg

Here you can see the end caps that are made for this pipe. They were $$$ and are much looser than I expected. At first I was going to replace them, but decided some ventilation is a good thing.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 6952_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 7231_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 3676_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak- ... 8251_n.jpg


I sealed the deck with "Herculiner" roll-on bed liner and highly recommend it. It's really funky to work with, unlike any paint I've every encountered (be sure to stir constantly and be quick in your application, tape EVERYTHING off and use gloves and a respirator). But boy is this stuff tough. It also bonds to itself, so touch-ups and re-applications work well.

I am also making a cable lock to lock the tubes to the trailer while I'm out on the water.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

Holy Moses! Those are massive!
Do you keep extra crew members in them- in some sort of cryogenic, suspended animation- until needed?
Looks like they could hold every piece of gear, rigging, sail, etc. that I have ever owned plus the tools to take it all apart...
You forgot to show the downstairs sail loft !

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Raise your sail one foot, and you get ten feet of wind.
起你的一只帆，和你10英尺的。 -- Chinese Proverb
William D. Latinette @ Latrobe, PA, USA w. H14 Turbo X 2... [email protected]

I ran out of film? LOL

You're right, I pretty much can carry everything. I got them both so why not use they, right? I often carry a storm main in it's own bag and on it's own boom in the second tube, along with the steerage if I remove it.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

Oh Man!!!!! You guys really raised the bar on me here. The wife saw both of your trailers and is wants ours to look "SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOL" too.
Before I showed her yours I bought some silver rustolium and painted our trailer up real nice. The slow-crumbling wooden box even got a fresh coat of royal blue. {old colors were rusting black and rotting wood} This is a major improvement but I still will be making the sail tube in the coming weeks. You guys were tons of help. I will post my progress as I do the job. Thanks

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Hobie 16 1980
TequilaSunrise Blue Hulls CCMP1393M80F

Glad it could help. Looking forward to seeing it buddy, good luck.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

All:
I finished redoing the trailer with the new sail tube. The most fun was sandblasting the steel. I chose the middle of summer with 90+ degree days to start sandblasting. I was sweating so much my goggles would fog up so I couldn't see what I was sandblasting. Taking them off was too painful, so I would blast in 5 minute intervals... blast for 5 mins, wait for goggles to clear for 5 minutes, on and on.
Although I haven't weighed the final sail tube assembly, I would guess it is well over 100 lbs. I bought a 2x10 pressure treated and cut out a recess so they can act as cradles to the pipe. I bolted the cradles to the cross members using 1" wide by 3/16" thick steel bar I got from Home Depot. I also used galvanized pipe strapping from Home Depot to attach the pipe to the cradles. I configured the sail tube so that it slopes downward so that any water that gets inside while launching, drains while driving down the road.
I built a large metal basket on the front of my trailer. I had to reduce it's width so that the sail tube would fit along side of it. The basket is great because I can put wet boots, wetsuits and vests in the basket to keep them out of the truck.
Here are some pictures.


I need to take some pictures of the simple door assembly I made.

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Eric Weller
2006 F18 Capricorn
1980 H16
Keep the pointy side up!

I like that, very nice, very clean. Where did you get the tube and what was the cost?

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'

I live in a very small town but was able to get piece from the local plumber supply shop. The shop had to order it but got it within 1 day. I paid $279 for a 20' piece. I had to buy the full 20' even though I only needed 10' for the sail tube.
The door for the tube is pretty simple. I used 2 pieces of 1 inch aluminum and bent one end of them 90 degrees and drilled a hole in the other end for a cotter pin. I also could drill a larger hole for a padlock.
The door is made from a thin piece of plywood and I fastened a handle right in the middle that the aluminum goes through.
The only problem with this simple design is that the door gets marks on it from the vibration.

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Eric Weller
2006 F18 Capricorn
1980 H16
Keep the pointy side up!

Your stuff looks great...I like the color of your boat. My project has been put on hold. I got a new job and my days are waaaaaaytoo full. I may steal a few your ideas when I start over the winter. thanks for the post

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Hobie 16 1980
TequilaSunrise Blue Hulls CCMP1393M80F