Problems with roller furler jib. It binds. Please help!

This year I upgraded from my H16 to a H18. Great move, but the rigging is consistently giving me problems.

I can't get my Jib to unfurl or furl without getting all tangled up.

When I hoist the jib, I have the furling line all in the furler. I then furl the jib and it gets all tied up.

Do I need to release my tension on the front forestay?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Check your swivel at the top of forestay,when you raise the jib,set your luff tension just tight enough to take wrinkles out.take the furling line and pull it all the way out and cleat it on the front cross bar,then wrap the jib clockwise around the fore stay until tight.hook the jib sheet to the clew. when you uncleat the furling line give the jibsheet a pull this should unfurl the jib with ease.uncleat the jibsheet and give the furling line a yank and it should roll right up.If not, check the furler housing,spin the outer cage on the center.It should spin real easy off the boat and on.If not hobie has a refurbish kit that has new bearings,bushing and circlip for about 30 bucks and is easy to do.If that isnt your problem check your swivel up top.Dont try to furl or unfurl with your main sheeted in tight ,this will put a lot of tension on the forestay swivel assembly.hope that helps you.
shawn
82 H18 #8211
Div3

Boy, can I honestly say “Been there, done that!â€

Thank you for the replies.

I will try without the mainsheet in.

I have tried to furl the jib a few times with the mainsheet not even up, and the problem still exists.

Is there anyplace, except the H18 manual, that I can see the line configuration for the jib and furler?

I do have a H18 manual, in .pdf form, and the pics are basically worthless. They are very hard to see.

I'm trying to post a few pics of my rigging setup, but I can't figure it out on this forum. When I get it figured out, I will post a few.

My basic problem is that the jib halyard and line get tied around the forestay when I furl the jib. This occurs just below the pulley on the top of the forestay. Yes, it turns freely, so i'm pretty sure the swivel function is operating correctly. Is this supposed to happen?

I also have the furling line pulled out just enough to reach the front crossbar.

Another question, what do I do with the nylon line (1/8" I think) that I used to hoist the jib when it is up? Where does this go? It seems to just get in the way no matter where I put it.

Thank you again for the replies. You are all very helpful.

If your jib halyard is wrapping around the forestay when you furl the jib, it has got to be the swivel. The swivel may seem like it turns easily when you do it by hand while the mast is down but it may be binding up under load once your rig is tightened. To prove or disprove this theory, try loosining your rig up significantly (shrouds & forestay loose) and then retry furling the jib. If it furls without wrapping your halyard around the forestay then replace the swivel. You will also have to replace the forestay.

As for the extra halyard line, get Hobie part #CM7732 which is the rope portion of the halyard with "sister clips". It consists of a two part rope connected by detachable clips which once your jib is hoisted, allows you to unclip most of the remaining halyard line and store it until you drop your sail again. There is still a small amount of halyard rope that needs to be tied up which I do by tying a few half hitches around the forestay.

Tom
1988 H18M

" my basic problem is that the jib halyard wraps around the forestay when I try to furl the jib"

Let me ask a simple question .....

Are you including the halyard INSIDE the zippered pocket w/ the forestay?

(you wouldn't be the first person to miss that small detail)

Make sure that the short line (24"lg of low-stretch line/spectra, vectra, alsteel 1/8"dia) is tied through the center rivet of the jib halyard pulley ... tie your removable piece of halyard directly to the "short line". place Zipper pocket around the forestay include the halyard line too ....

Pull down on the halyard line and zip the zipper at the same time.... the jib should go up ..... when the jib is up remove the long piece of line and wrap the short piece of line through the shackle attaching the jib's foot to the furler and up and around the pulley several times ... tie off at the pulley end w/ half-hitches ... pull zipper completely down ... neat/clean

Note: the rig should be tensioned before you hoist the jib .... there should be no sag in the forestay when you tension the jib halyard to remove the wrinkles in the jib .....

Question: Do you know of the trick of installing a H16 mast waffer UNDER the H18 mast ball so as the mast ball spins freely and the mast rotates easily???? Or that if the mast doesn't rotate easily when you tack the rig tension is too tight?

Enjoy your H18 .... you will find it is quite different from your H16 .... IT'S A MUCH BETTER BOAT (IMHO)

FYI: There is a gentleman who posts on this forum, MUST5429 .... that would be Mr Stephen Cooley .... he is one of the Ol' Masters of the H18 class ..... I pay particular attention to his posts, I would recommend you do too..... ( he purchased his first H18 new .... in 1981 .... and is currently ranked 2nd in the H18 Class in the HCA-NA !!!!!)

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

The halyard is not supposed to end up tied around the forestay. Occasionally it may end up with a wrap or two if the swivel sticks, but that is the most.

This may be totally out there, but if the upper swivel turns properly and the halyard still wraps around the forestay, then the only thing I could think of is that your forestay pigtail is assembled improperly. Is the halyard sheave below or above the swivel? It is supposed to be below the swivel. Perhaps someone made their own pigtail and put it together incorrectly. (I recall a while back someone had an assembly with two upper swivels- this didn't work either) The proper order of components from the hounds down should be: Shackle, Pigtail, Swivel, Sheave, Forestay, Furler drum.

Otherwise, if the upper assembly is correct, then the only thing it could be is that your upper swivel is not rotating.

sm

Yes. I have it all in the zipped luff pocket as I raise the jib. Forestay, halyard, and the raising line.

I like the "sister clips" idea for removing the line. I will order those. In the mean time, I will just tie a knot when I get the jib up and tensioned, and put the remaining line in the zipper pocket on the jib. Hopefully that will work. Previously I was tying it to the shackle just above the furler. That may have been some of my problem.

I will also try loosening my rigging and hoisting the jib then.

I will print this out and take it to the lake this weekend and see what I can figure out. I will update.

You are all a great resource. Thank you.

Correction - you will only need to replace the upper forestay if you decide to replace the swivel, not the entire forestay. Price for either is about the same though. My bad!

Tom
1988 H18M

Excellent, now we’re getting somewhere!

If the jib halyard wraps around the forestay just under the pulley, then the swivel is not rotating like it should: the bottom of the jib is twisting but the top is not.

I can only think of two (reasonable) things which could prevent the swivel from rotating: either the swivel is worn or damaged or dirty to the point it can’t swivel or there is so much tension in the swivel that it is effectively prevented from swiveling.

You mentioned the swivel turns freely. When you tested the swivel, did you pull on it as hard as you can at the same time you were turning it and how did it feel? Did you feel any binding, or grit, or resistance? It’s not an unheard of thing for the swivel to need replacing over time.

If the swivel is fine, then it must have too much tension somehow. Tension in the swivel can come from three different places I can think of: the mainsheet, the side shrouds, or the jib halyard.

You mentioned you had the furling problem with “the mainsheet not even up,â€

I may be confused but it sounds as if you are not tensioning the jib properly. There is a cam on the sail that the halyard locks in. You stated tying a knot to hold the halyard. There should be a halyard and a separate line to tension the jib. The halyard should be detached and stored in the tramp pocket.

Hey Mike,

How many 18's showed up at the Mile High? Were there any magnum's or SX's? I live in Bakersfield and sailed in that regatta many years ago (mid 80's) but with a 16. Was just wondering how much competition there is

Thanks,

Tom
1988 H18M

I know atleast 1 magnum was there but i missed the event due to a bad back.

_________________
Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/

Check out page 18 in the manual
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/H18&SX_Manual.pdf

Step 5 reads
5. Untie the jib halyard line and connect the luff
tensioner to the block on the end of the jib halyard.
Thread the tensioner down through the tack shackle,
then back up through the block on the jib halyard.
Secure the line in the jam cleat on the sail. See Figure
39.

From this photo it doesn't look like the line is going around the shackle or if it is it isn't pulling up on it at all.


Could it be that you're not tensioning the luff of the sail properly?


Now lets talk about that downhaul

I agree with all that I may have been tightening my jib way too much. I will try with the jib up just enough to remove the wrinkles.

Downhaul, yes it may not be enough in that pic. There is more to that story... I have it tighter now, but if anybody has a good trick, i'd be open to hear what you have to say.

Thank you again for all your comments. Very helpful!