hobie 18 mag question

Hobie Matt
can the flapper lock at the top of the mast be removed and just use the hook part to hold up the main sail.
Thanks Gary

Drill out/grind off the rivet on the flapper and take it off. Hook/unhook the the main by rotating the mast. Masts with the flapper haven't been produced in 25 years.

I helped someone with an old mast rig his boat last year and he had the flapper on the halyard hook. The sail was darn near impossible to hook and came unhooked two or three times. That thing is a pain. Also make sure you get the halyard ring with the small loop welded to the top.

sm

I had LOTS of trouble with mine while I had the flapper on. I took a grinder and got it off. I have no problems at all hooking and unhooking my sail now.

I've had three Hobie 18's over the years and removed the top clip on one, it seemed to help. On my current boat I haven't. I read a post here in the forum about twisting the halyard before you hook it to the head of the mainsail so that it tends to turn as the sail is raised and is in the correct position when it gets to the hook, that and "going into a zen like state".. ( ) when it's close,, which means simply, sit quietly on the tramp,, brace you feet on the crossbar and gently pull the last foot till you feel the "click" of the ring on the hook,, I've done it a dozen times now and it works,, I've got it on AND off on the first or second try each time... something to consider before removing the flapper...

SK

Grind it off, stamp on it then throw it as far as possible!

Cork Guy H18's

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Corkguy H18, Tiger, Wildcat

Do what you wish ....

... but ....

if you take that "Flapper" off you will need three hands (generally) to unhook and lower your sail ....
1) one to pull on the halyard and hold it up .....
2) one to rotate the mast .....
3) one to pull the mainsail down past the hook .... (before it comes down by it's self ....)

Now I don't now about any of you guys ... but I only have two hands ....

I've had my boat since 1985 and learned how to make the equipment work .... I raise and lowwer my mainsail by myself all the time ..... w/ only two hands ... (I could actually do it w/ one-hand if I was strong enough ....)

It sounds like you guys have to much coffee (or something) in the morning .... and just want to "yank" on the halyard .....

Take the time to lubricate the lufftrack ... the boltrope .... and understand how the equipment is supposed to work .... (the problem is w/ YOUR technique , NOT the "flapper") .... before you go crazy w/ a grinder/drill!!!

Ooommmmmmm .... Ooommmmmmm ........

(I do have a P19MX that doesn't have a "flapper" ..... and it generally takes two of us to unhook/lowwer the mainsail ..... I do use the same "Zen" technique to hoist the mainsail ......)

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

Halards FAQ: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=371

I would remove the flopper. Makes hooking easier. Hoist, rotate and release is not at all hard... even with one hand. Use a foot to rotate the mast.

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

Matt,

And were are you standing when you use your foot to "kick" the rotator around???

My quess is on the tramp .... correct???

I do not like to stress my tramp w/ my wieght plus pulling up on the halyard at the same time ...... (besides my balance may not be good enough when standing on the tramp (a non-rigid surface) to be pulling up on the halyard .... while standing on one foot and using the other to "kick" the rotator ....

I think if you take a "hard" look at the production numbers for the H18 you will find that a large majority of the masts were built w/ a "flopper" .... by illiminating the "flopper" the manufacturing cost was reduced ..... (there were "floppers" still on new comptips when I had mine installed in 1988-89 ...)

Besides I do not always have help availible when I'm lowwering my sails ....

The origonal design works ... it's just that some people can't understand how it's suppose to work .... and they use the "chinese" method ... you just throw enough hands/people at the problem .... (w/ enough helping hands you can accomplish amazing feats ... ex: build a "shipping" canal 1500miles long, using just shovels and baskets hundreds of years ago .... and then there is "The Great Wall" .....) ... instead of understanding how the design/equipment is suppose to work .....

And again I will state .... I can hoist and lowwer my H18 sails single-handly .... while my P19MX take TWO people to lowwer the main since the mainsail hook doesn't have a "flopper" .....

.... and I like my H18 w/ "flopper" better !!!!!!!

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

...pretty much sums up the argument for removing the flapper. Yea, the thing can work if you know what you're doing and have your karma aligned for "flopper zen." Or you can just remove the stupid thing and hoist your sail all the way to the top of the mast and then release the halyard and let the ring drop straight down on the hook...no zen required.

Also, I can raise and lower my mainsail single handed just fine without the flopper. I do it all the time when my crew would rather be sleeping before racing or showering after racing instead of helping with the boat. It's really not that difficult.

sm

yeah, I'm one more for getting rid of it.

Harry is wrong on this one. The flapper is just a pain in the arse. Take it off! Position the boat in the wind to help you drop the main if you can't rotate the mast yourself. Raising is so easy without it, no "zen" required.

flapper? what flapper? oh, that PITA gizmo I took off a couple years ago.

my zen is now complete

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Chris
'88 H18SE Arís

if you have no flapper you need no "Zen"

I have no flapper and use my "Nez"

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If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, maybe it is time to water your own lawn.

If it works for you, great.
If it doesn't work for you, great.
Different strokes for different folks.

I had my halyard get caught in that stupid thing the 2nd time I raised my main. I had to lay the boat down to get it uncaught, it got jambed in at an angle, don't ask me how that happened. I came here to research to see if I was doing something wrong and trust me it came off the next day! It is so easy to set if you have everything the way it is suposed to be.