Jib gets caught up in the Mast

So I'm a newbie on Hobie.
Last summer I bought my first H16. I notice that when I tack or gibe the batten ends on the jib get caught up on a cable running up the mast and the crew uaually has to stand up quickly and free it. After closely examining pictures and videos I'm beginning to think that maybe I'm not using the right jib for a H16. Maybe it's just not rigged correctly. hmmmmm....
Any thoughts???

Cat's Paw

It's pretty much SOP on a 16 - the stock jib overlaps the mast and the battens have a tendency to catch on the jib halyard.

There are a few things you can do:
Low / no cost / class legal - trim the battens down as much as possible, wrap the "nubs" with electrical tape after tucking the tails of the batten ties into the batten pocket.
Medium cost / class legal - batten hinges. Look them up in the Hobie Catalog.
Medium cost / not class legal - "soft" battens. Hobie Catalog.
Higher cost / not class legal - roller furling jib kit or aftermarket sail that doesn't overlap the mast.

Wow. That's very informative! Thank you for your quick reply.
I'll get right on that.

Cat's Paw
(Jason)

is the cable running down your mast looped into a hook on the mast...
this helps... in higher winds mine would always come across....
the little hook on the mast holds the halyard wire close to the mast and out of the way...

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•Present boat -1998 Hobie 16 Solana Sails furling jib[/size]

I bought two of these and they work great to keep the jib halyard and the main halyard from hanging on the jib battens.

HALYARD GRIP Keeps those halyards
close in to the mast and out of the way so that
the jib doesn’t hang up on them. Molded from
strong Delrin and contoured to the curve of
the mast. One on each side of the H16 mast
does the trick.
114 Each w/hardware

They are on Page 25 of the '09-'10 catalog.

Instead of the hooks for the halyard, I coil up the jib halyard leaving about a foot to at the end of it. I then use that to pull the halyard back by tying it to the downhaul.

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Howard

I used the halyard hooks for many years. First with the stock jib halyard, then with the Aussie system. They work great for keeping the battens from getting caught. Install them on the side of the mast, just above where the top batten hits.

The problem with them (other than putting two holes in a sealed section of the mast) is the tension on the halyard causes the mast to preferentially rotate towards the halyard. Really annoying in light air.

The newer boats come with the turning block on the front of the mast, so the halyard comes straight down the center front of the mast. I've kept my battens short and I teach my crews how to properly clear the battens - don't try to drag the sail across with the sheet or pull the sail across by the leech. Grab the end of the lowest batten and push forward, then across. Works every time.

I trimmed my battens this spring and it made a huge difference. Its very helpful since I mostly solo.

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Alfred
'87 H16 Sail 89907
If you aren't sailing on the edge, you're taking up too much room.

What I found was the best solution is to:

-leave the jib cleated when coming about
-It will actually help you complete the turn
-Once your main is setup on the other side, uncleat it and the wind will move it across for you... rarely snagging a batten.

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1982 H16 (C:\Worthy)
Yellow/White Prism type sails

That is the right way to do it. I find that it is almost impossible to tack without backwinding the jib. But in light air there sometimes is not enough power to push the jib past the mast at times, and then it snags the halyards and it just makes it that much harder to slap around to the other side. I always use my halyard grips to keep that from happening.

Agreed. If you backwind, uncleat, and let er fly with a little force, usually she'll pop through no problem.

Learn the Dime tack and you can tack without any help from the jib.

Keep your main sheeted in tight until you get through the eye of the wind, then uncleat and carefully move to the other side.

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Bodhisatfa

I need to trim my jib battens because I'm tired of them getting stuck. Which end do I trim and what tool do you recommend I use to do the job?

Thanks!

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Michael
'86 H16 #91487

A hacksaw is ideal for trimming.

You can trim either end, but you have to take the end cap off the outboard end (supposing you have them)

If you cut the inboard end, you need to round it off a bit (no sharp corners). Coarse sandpaper or a wood rasp / coarse file works well.

Caution - dust from the above operations will give you the itchies! Bad stuff to breathe, too.